We're back!
A short but wonderful trip.We would recommend a trip to southeast
Arizona to anyone who loves birds and nice weather. With the help of "A
Birder's Guide to Southeastern Arizona" by Richard Cachor Taylor and a
young man named Matt Brown that does tours in Patagonia (for more info
e-mail us personally) we added 33 new birds to our "life list". That
makes 319 for the our first year of birding. Yahooooooooooo!

While waiting for a van to take us to the car rental at the Phoenix
airport, we added the first two new birds. The GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE and
the BLACK-CHINNED SPARROW. After waiting quite a while for the van we
discovered the cars for rent were right at the airport. Oh well.

We got in our spiffy little Grand Am and headed for Patagonia. Along the
way we saw WHITE-WINGED DOVES, EASTERN MEADOW LARKS, GRAY BREASTED JAYS,
ACORN WOODPECKERS and CHIHAUHUAN RAVENS. Also, by a horse watering
trough was a Black Phoebe.

We got to Patagonia and checked into our motel. We still had daylight so
we went to Paton's were the famous humming bird feeders are. The
humming birds did not come around, but a few other (new for us) birds
did. Adding to our list GILA WOODPECKER, GAMBEL'S QUAIL, COMMON GROUND
DOVE and a Gnatcatcher we could not ID.

Matt met us early in the morning for a guided tour. We started by going
north out of town and scared up the MONTAZUMA QUAIL. From there we
went into the Patagonia Nature Conservancy. It is about a two mile walk
and well worth it. There were several Phainopepla in the trees at the
entrance. Continuing on the trail our 300th bird was the NORTHERN
CARDINAL. What a gorgeous bird. Jerry got one good picture of the
male. Other birds viewed in the conservancy were the STRICKLAND'S
WOODPECKER, BRIDLED TITMOUSE, ABERT'S TOWHEE, PINK-SIDED TOWHEE, HEPATIC
TANAGER, CANYON TOWHEE, BLACK-THROATED SPARROW, and a RUFUS CROWNED
SPARROW.

A few miles southwest of town is the Patagonia Lake State Park. We
walked part way around one end of the lake. While walking and talking,
we mention looking for and yet seeing the AMERICAN BITTERN. We did not
walk ten steps and there it was. Out came the camera and now we have
some great photos of the bird. Other birds we saw at the lake were
NEOTROPIC CORMORANT, COMMON MOORHEN, LADDER-BACKED WOODPECKER and the
CURVED BILL THRASHER.

After the guided tour we went back to Paton's. One humming bird showed
up, the BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD. A hawk circled over the yard. We got
out our
"book" and ID'd it as a GRAY HAWK. Also in the trees by the house were
INCA DOVES.

Friday night we stayed in Tucson. Saturday morning we went to the
restaurant by the motel. Someone by the window asked the waitress what
"that" bird was. It was ROAD RUNNER, one of local birds we had not seen
yet. There was a Northern Mockingbird
in the yard, too. Our first real birding stop of the day was the San
Xavier del Bac Mission. When we first drove up it did not look very
productive. After getting out of the car and looking around the grounds
we saw several birds. CACTUS WRENS, CANYON TOWHEES, LARK BUNTINGS and
Black-throated Sparrows were around the mission. A man asked if we saw
the Bendire's Trasher (we did not) and then asked if we were at
Patagonia yesterday. He remembered seeing us there.

The next stop was the Avra Valley Sewage Ponds. You can sign in at the
office and
you can walk around the ponds. Several shorebirds, some ducks and the
new bird
for us there was the CLARK'S GREBE.

We drove through the Suguaro National Park. What a beautiful place and
so different
than what we are use to. We should have gone to the Visitors Center.
Guess we will
have to save that for next trip.

Our last stop was the Marana Pecan Grove. We were short of time and
could not stay
long, but we did spot a VERDIN eating some seed in a small bush.

What a great trip! Thanks to all who responded with info to help us out.
Hope we hit
your favorite spot, if not, next time.

Sandy and Jerry Converse
Grand Coule, WA