Memories of Graham County, AZ

I visit Graham County as often as I can to visit long-time friends there. Below are notes from two such visits.

2020-05-22 Ascent To Mount Graham

Mount Graham - Scenery — *Driving away from Safford the fields in bloom compelled me to photograph Mount Graham over the flowering fields.*

Red-Faced Warbler - Cardellina rubrifrons — *Mount Graham is the highest mountain in southern Arizona, and the road that ascends it is the highest in the state and great for finding the high elevation loving Red-Faced Warbler in spring.*

Mount Graham, called Dził Nchaa Sí’an (“Big Seated Mountain”) in native Western Apache, at 10,724 is the seventh highest peak in Arizona, and the southmost peak in the USA over 10,000 feet. A mountain’s “prominence” is the measure of the height of a mountain relative to the surrounding terrain. Of all peaks in the ‘Lower Forty-Eight’ states in the USA, this peak ranks 20th, and it is number one such place in Arizona.

All four native tribes in the region consider the mountain a holy place. The road that ascends it is the highest in the state and great for finding the high elevation loving Red-Faced Warblers in spring.

2023-04-09 Early April On Cottonwood Wash

Saturday, while visiting one of my dearest friends (Linda) we drove to visit one of her good friends (Kai), living on the Cottonwood Wash south of Pima. I had the pleasure of spending time with birds here once before as I returned from Texas in 2020, and I was eager to spend time once more. Summer birds were showing up, and many of the winter visitors had not yet departed.

Kai was hosting a memorial for an old pal, and there was a gathering of a dozen or more friends. After spending an hour and a half with the local birds, I returned to the scene and joined the group. It was a genuine pleasure being with these folks. Most were old hippies, so we had much in common. Almost half of the folks had a musical inclination, and they shared songs. It reminded me of the times in my life when music was at the center of my existence. I must confess, it made me a little sad that I no longer had it in me to share in the fun of playing campfire style with caring folks.

I spent the night parked in Kai’s front yard, and got up early Sunday morning to visit with the birds once more. I didn’t get images for every species I met at Cottonwood Wash, but I collected quite a few. I found no rarities during my vigil, but rare birds are not a priority for me to enjoy my time with birds. The species that surrendered to my camera were: Ash-Throated Flycatcher, Bell’s Vireo, Bewick’s Wren, Cactus Wren, Crissal Thrasher, Curve-Billed Thrasher, Gila Woodpecker, Hooded Oriole, House Finch, Ladder-Backed Woodpecker, Lesser Goldfinch, Lucy’s Warbler, Say’s Phoebe, Verdin, Vermilion Flycatcher, White-Crowned Sparrow, Yellow-Rumped Warbler, and Yellow Warbler.