Peregrine Update

Second visit last night.

The female was perched on the same ledge that I suspected was the pair's potential nest site. She sat low on the ledge, suggesting that she was incubating eggs. I sat atop the Mogollon Rim for two and a half hours and never saw the female leave the ledge. I never saw the male either.

I suspect that on my next visit in June, I'll see some nestlings... stay tuned.

Mt. Wrightson via Madera Canyon

Another early morning. You've got to get out there early if you want to beat the heat.

I pulled into the parking lot and got on the trail just as the sun began to illuminate the canyon. I hit the trail and started the climb. And I mean climb. With the exception of Josephine and Baldy saddles, it was a consistent ascent... from 5,420 to 9,453 feet above the sea. The forest was alive with birdsong. Madera Canyon is a hotspot of bird diversity and a popular Sky Island stop for birders from all over the world.

I followed the Old Baldy Trial through a forest of oak trees as I climbed towards Josephine saddle. Along the way I spotted Swainson's thrushes, spotted towhees, and a myriad of difficult to identify warblers flitting through the trees. I had the privilege of being the first person on the trail and that provided me with a great opportunity. As I made my way up the trail, I came upon a black bear skulking through the forest. It was a great treat for me. To make it even better, as I sat on a downed log at Josephine saddle, a wild turkey came right up to me! I just sat still as the old gobbler strutted around me and off into the forest.

The rest of the climb was draining. I slogged it up the mountain side, back and forth along the switchbacks. Luckily I was shielded from the early morning sunshine for most of the climb. A gentle breeze kept me cool all the way until Baldy saddle. On the final ascent I was completely exposed to the sun and it was getting really hot. But it was well worth the discomfort when I hit the peak. Unobstructed views in every direction. I could see all the way north to Picacho Peak and south into Mexico.

It was a great hike and I'll definitely be back.

Great Day in the White Tanks

An early morning and on the trail by 4am. Only 3 miles "as the crow flies", but with the switch backs and elevation gain the hike was closer to 6 miles one-way. Cloud cover helped buffer the sun's intensity and a slight breeze cooled the skin. Just after sunrise, I spotted three mule deer does drinking from a tinaja downslope from the trail. I sat and watched as they made their way upslope - foraging along the way. Then they disappeared over the ridge above. During the course of the hike I also saw:

2 blue-phase speckled rattlesnakes (Crotalus mitchellii)
2 western diamond backs (Crotalus atrox)
1 chuckwalla (Sauromalus ater)
loads of whiptails (Aspidoscelis sp.), side-blotched (Uta stansburiana), and zebra-tailed lizards (Callisaurus draconoides)

Back to the truck by eleven am. A great way to start the day!