The Chiricahua Mountains in extreme southeast Arizona have been called THE premier bird area in all of North America. Home to Coatimundi (a relative of the raccoon) and other species of wildlife that are found only in this mountain range, the Chiricahuas are a perfect example of a "Sky Island". Just their name rings down through the lore of the Old West, too; this is the ancestral home of the Chiricahua Apaches, whose names include such legends as Cochise and Geronimo. With its spectacular landscapes, abundant birds, and location off-the-beaten-track, it's the kind of place where I can repeatedly return to and never tire of its wonders. I've arranged the photos in the form of a travel journal of a trip taken in June 2008, but I've returned twice since then (September 2008 and May 2009) and have included photos from those trips also. A place I can highly recommend for lodging while visiting the Chiricahuas is Portal Peak Lodge; their website is here ---http://www.portalpeaklodge.com . If after seeing my photos you do decide to visit, tell 'em Steve Wolfe sent you... :o)
The bird photos were taken with the Canon 40D DSLR and either the EF 100-400 f4.5/5.6L IS or 500mm f/4 IS lens, while the landscapes were captured with the Pentax K10D and a Pentax DA 16-45mm lens with a circular polarizer.
A book packed with information on southeast Arizona, and its birds in particular, is Rick Taylor's "A Birder's Guide to Southeastern Arizona," published by the American Birding Association http://www.abasales.com/index.php?main_page=pubs_product_book_info&products_id=493 ) It was my guide in the Chiricahuas, and a book I'd recommend for anyone visiting the area.
The bird photos were taken with the Canon 40D DSLR and either the EF 100-400 f4.5/5.6L IS or 500mm f/4 IS lens, while the landscapes were captured with the Pentax K10D and a Pentax DA 16-45mm lens with a circular polarizer.
A book packed with information on southeast Arizona, and its birds in particular, is Rick Taylor's "A Birder's Guide to Southeastern Arizona," published by the American Birding Association http://www.abasales.com/index.php?main_page=pubs_product_book_info&products_id=493 ) It was my guide in the Chiricahuas, and a book I'd recommend for anyone visiting the area.
This is the view from a short trail off Cave Creek Canyon Road. You're able to get above the forest canopy and see the confluence of South Fork and Cave Creek Canyons. Truly an awesome sight, particularly considering you're in the dry desert Southwest, and only less than 100 miles from the Mexican border...
And now, on to the birds...This is the entrance to probably THE must-do hike for birders and bird photographers in all the Chiricahuas, the walk up South Fork Cave Creek. Here can be found the fabled Elegant Trogon along with Arizona Woodpecker, Blue-Throated Hummingbird...Well, you really get the feeling after walking this road that the possible sightings are endless. It's a driveable dirt road, but the recommendation is to walk (it's 1.3 miles to road end), look, and listen. Don't use any tape recorders or recording devices, though; as the sign on the right says, they're banned from use along the road to protect nesting Trogons.
I'd parked my truck near the signs and was about ready to walk up the road when I met a young guy coming down the road with an earpiece stuck in his ear, listening to an iPod. His name was Jonathan Carpenter; he was a grad student from Louisiana State University on a solo birding trip through the southern United States. (I'd run into him again during my Chiricahuan stay.) He said he'd just seen an Elegant Trogon in the picnic area at the end of the road, and showed me video of the encounter that he'd taken with his small digicam. Gee, only the 1st day in the Chiricahuas and I might just see a Trogon! Once at the picnic area, I didn't have long to wait. I heard its distinctive cry (here it is --
http://hummingbirdworld.com/bsa/trogon-call-3.wav ) and he flew into sight about 30 feet away. For the next 15 minutes I snapped-away as he flew from perch-to-perch, looking for berries or insects to eat. What a beautiful creature, and I had him all to myself...
http://hummingbirdworld.com/bsa/trogon-call-3.wav ) and he flew into sight about 30 feet away. For the next 15 minutes I snapped-away as he flew from perch-to-perch, looking for berries or insects to eat. What a beautiful creature, and I had him all to myself...
He would perch at eye-level and at fairly unobscured spots, so I got good looks at him from all angles. And he didn't seem to be bothered by a guy with a Big Lens stalking him...
He scanned the scene by cocking his head and moving it in a horizontal direction...
The intricate design of the feathers under the tail can be seen here, along with his brilliant frontal coloring...
Then when I tried to get into position for a head-on shot in full sunlight, I slipped-down an embankment, and caused him to fly off... :o( But I had an encounter the memories and photos of which will last for a lifetime...
Mexican Jays are pretty ubiquitous in the canyons of the Chiricahuas. Here's one at that same picnic area found at the end of the South Fork Cave Creek Road where is saw the Elegant Trogon.
Here's an early-morning scene on the bridge that crosses Cave Creek. The growth is very lush here, with magnificent Arizona sycamore trees. And the birds are abundant here, also...
This Blue-Throated Hummingbird was on the right side of the bridge on a perch right above the creek. It's one of the largest hummingbirds, and certainly one of the most beautiful...This shot was at ISO 1600 as the morning light had yet to reach the bottom of the canyon, and I wanted to keep the shutter-speed up to lessen the chance of blur.
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