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... - Lone Wolfe Photography- powered by SmugMug

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.

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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...