Ladder-Backed Woodpecker

Memories of Catalina State Park
Memories of Catalina State Park

2019-10-24 After my all-day marathon photo-safari at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum on Wednesday, I was too tired to drive very far south towards Tucson. I stopped in nearby Superior Arizona…

Memories of Cottonwood Spring – Joshua Tree NP
Memories of Cottonwood Spring – Joshua Tree NP

Cottonwood Spring is located inside Joshua Tree National Park. Twice, in 2016, I visited there, with the science team from the San Diego Natural History Museum; once at the end…

Memories of Mohave Desert Camping – Cima
Memories of Mohave Desert Camping – Cima

2016-11-08~14: Camping In The Mojave I left Poway on Tuesday, November 8 to catch up with the Bird and Mammal team from the San Diego Natural History Museum. The science…

Memories of Graham County, AZ
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, called Dził…

Memories of Patagonia
Memories of Patagonia

Near the start of my 2023 expedition to Canada, I passed through Patagonia in March and visited the Patton Center for Hummingbirds for my first visit to this well-known birding…

2023-07-13 Paton’s In Patagonia
2023-07-13 Paton’s In Patagonia

My day at the Paton Center for Hummingbirds Thursday was lovely. I came early and stayed late. I spent some quality time with the site manager. He provided me with…

2023-07-04~08 In The Davis Mountains
2023-07-04~08 In The Davis Mountains

I stayed four nights at Davis Mountains State Park. For $20 a night with electricity, it was a bargain. I hoped it would give me a chance to make progress…

2023-04-09 Early April On Cottonwood Wash
2023-04-09 Early April On Cottonwood Wash

Saturday, my friend Linda and I drove to visit her good friend Kai, who lives on the Cottonwood Wash south of Pima. I had the pleasure of spending time with…

2023-03-21 in Patagonia
2023-03-21 in Patagonia

Tuesday I visited the Paton Center for Hummingbirds in Patagonia, a destination I have heard many folks rave about over the years. It was my first visit, but I sure…

2023-03-19 Gardner Canyon Road
2023-03-19 Gardner Canyon Road

Knowing I would be returning to Tucson after exploring some of southeastern Arizona’s birding Meccas, I left without the full tour of most of its local specialty locations for meeting…

2022-10-04 Davis Mountains
2022-10-04 Davis Mountains

Davis Mountains State Park has its origins in the 1930s as a Civilian Conservation Corps project to help lift the broken economy out of the depression. The Civilian Conservation Corps…

2022-09-22 Santa Ana NWR
2022-09-22 Santa Ana NWR

I learned a new word recently: “Documentarian”. The Oxford Dictionary’s first definition is “a photographer specializing in producing a factual record.” I believe it perfectly describes the goals I set…

2021-02-04 Laguna Vista and Laguna Atascosa
2021-02-04 Laguna Vista and Laguna Atascosa

My time in Brownsville is winding down, so I wanted to visit a location that I enjoyed very much during my spring visit last year. Laguna Atascosa NWR was one…

2021-01-02 Big Bend’s Ross Maxwell Drive
2021-01-02 Big Bend’s Ross Maxwell Drive

New Year’s Day and Saturday night, I stayed in Terlingua (Texas). I waited there until I could take advantage of my Sunday night reservation for camping in Cottonwood. Saturday morning…

2020-03-13 Three Days At The Triple R
2020-03-13 Three Days At The Triple R

Sadly, shortly after my March-2020 visit to the Triple-R RV Resort, (but before the Covid-19 pandemic) they shutdown operations. I’ve heard no word about any plans to reopen. I personally,…

2019-10-27 Sunday at Arivaca
2019-10-27 Sunday at Arivaca

As I wound up my Autumn 2019 Arizona expedition, I wished I had more time to linger and explore. I’d have liked to of spent more time this south-central region…

2017-10-27 a Week at Clover Flat
2017-10-27 a Week at Clover Flat

As a part of project to study the inland wetlands of San Diego County, the San Diego Natural History Museum’s science team spent the week at a property in the…

2017-06-17~20 Cottonwood Springs (Part 2)
2017-06-17~20 Cottonwood Springs (Part 2)

On my previous post I shared images of the players in the Rat Theater, but I also had some nice avian encounters during this expedition. Mockingbirds, Mourning Doves and House…

2016-11-29 Tuesday At Cottonwood Spring
2016-11-29 Tuesday At Cottonwood Spring

Some of you may recall I stayed at this location at the end of September with the science team from the San Diego Natural History Museum. It was my first…

2016 – November Birds In The Mojave
2016 – November Birds In The Mojave

When I’m camping with the science team from the San Diego Natural History Museum, I try to find time to meet the local birds. Autumn migration can provide some pleasant…

2015-10-29 Arivaca Arizona
2015-10-29 Arivaca Arizona

Arivaca is a small community in south-central Arizona with an estimated population of 900~1000 citizens. There is a watershed of 45 square miles that drains out on Arivaca Creek. The…

2015-10-22 “Common” Tucson Birds
2015-10-22 “Common” Tucson Birds

One positive that came out of having my transportation down was that I could spend quality time with the birds around my cousin’s abode. It’s likely that many locals here…

2015-05-02 Havasu NWR
2015-05-02 Havasu NWR

May 2nd and it’s over 100°F at 8am. There were a few birds out and active, but I didn’t fare so well. I trekked into a cottonwood stand and found…