RPT: W TX/AZ/NM (dream yr--long)

Gregory B Miller (gregorym@erols.com)
Wed, 15 Jul 1998 03:30:57 -0400 

Howdy all!

	WOW!  What a fantastic trip!!!  Covered 3300 miles in 9 1/2 days and
bumped the year list to 658.  I hope I didn't use up all my luck on this
one <grin>!  Dates were July 4-13.  Visited W Texas, NM, SE AZ and the
White Mtns in AZ.

	I flew in to El Paso on July 4 and drove to Big Bend Natl Pk.  I hiked
up to Laguna Meadow on the 5th and got a dream life bird...the Colima
Warbler!  Lots of Blk-chinned Sparrows on the way up.  Got first Hepatic
Tanager and Blue-thr. Hummer, too as well as others.  I was prepared to
go to Boot Spring for the warbler.  I returned to the Basin and hiked
the Window Trail in the heat of the afternoon.  Added Gray Vireo, Varied
Bunting, and Whiskered Screech-Owl.  Saw a Black bear about 1/2 way down
the trail at only 100 yds...too close for comfort.  Continued birding
anyway (what did you expect? <grin>).  Minus Lucifer Hummer at day's
end.  Decided to hike back up to Laguna Mdw again on the 6th.  Cool and
rainy--sheets of rain.  Only 60 F.  After an hour my hands were turning
bluish-purple.  Time to go.  No hummer.  Checked Green Gulch on the way
out with no luck.

	Arrived in Davis Mtn St Pk about 6:30pm.  Visited the feeding station
and saw 8 Montezuma Quails!  Found Com. Black-Hawk near Ft Davis along
Limpia Creek the next morning, Jul 7.  Had more info on the Luc.
Hummer.  Drove the 150 miles back to Big Bend and visited Blue Creek
Canyon.  98 F.  Whew!  A hot 1 1/2 hr hike up the canyon from the
overlook produced only a few birds, but they were interesting: Varied
Bunting, Gray Vireo, Bell's Vireo, and Lucifer Hummingbird!  Drove back
to El Paso for the evening.

	Arrived in Sierra Vista around noon on the 8th.  Met guide Stuart Healy
for lunch and discussed plan of attack.  We visited Ramsey Canyon,
Beatty B&B in Miller Canyon, Garden Canyon, and lower Scheelite Canyon
in the afternoon and evening adding a half dozen new birds.  Bird du
jour was a White-eared Hummer at the Beatty B&B.

	Met Stuart at 5:45am.  Visited Sawmill Canyon, upper Scheelite Canyon,
Garden Canyon, Patagonia Rest Stop, Pattons feeders, and Kino Springs. 
A sterling day out with over 100 species and most all of my targets
including Rose-thr. Becard, Virginia's, Red-faced, Olive, and Grace's 
Warblers, Tropical and Thick-billed Kingbirds, and Spotted Owl.  Quit in
late afternoon.  Tomorrow would be very early.

	Left Sierra Vista at 1:55am for Sycamore Canyon and California Gulch. 
Struck out on Buff-collared Nightjar.  Got Varied Bunting, Five-striped
Sparrow, and Zone-tailed Hawk before 6:00am.  Had pair of Montezuma
Quail within 15 ft of the vehicle at entrance to the Gulch!  Headed back
to S.V. to transfer stuff from 4WD back to normal sedan.  Off to the
Chiricahua Mtns.  Added N Pygmy-Owl and Mexican Chickadee in Pinery
Canyon.  Over the mtns to Walker House B&B.  Added Juniper Titmouse at
the feeder and heard Blk-chinned Sparrow and saw Goshawk on road to
Portal.  On to the White Mtns in East Central AZ where we ticked Mtn
Bluebird, Y-h Blkbird, and Canada Goose to round a good day list in AZ
<grin>.  I didn't have the energy to try for Flamm. Owl.

	On the road again at 5:15am.  Up to the top of one of the taller peaks,
we found a powerline cutting.  We waited maybe 10 minutes before we saw
a Blue Grouse!  On to a campground for Williamson's Sapsucker.  Less
than an hour later...success!  A nice male.  Ticked Rufous Hummer just
before breakfast.  Spent next few hours birding on top of one of the
peaks (Terry Flats loop, I think).  Got Red Crossbill, Clark's
Nutcracker, Prairie Falcon, and Townsend's Solitaire.  At a couple of
local lakes saw Lewis' Woodpecker and Pinyon Jay, too.  Tried for
Three-toed Wdpckr (new for me for lower 48) but w/o success.  Headed
South for the Chiricahua Mtns again before nightfall.  Got to South Fork
about 7:30pm and waited.  Target: Flamm. Owl.  Since tape-playing is
forbidden in the Coronado Natl Forest, we were at the mercy of the owl
calling of its own accord.  No need to worry.  At 8:45pm my luck on this
trip continued as usual--5 distinct notes.  Stuart and I looked at each
other in half disbelief.  We had scored on every target but
Buff-collared Nightjar!!!  Back to Sierra Vista, deliriously tired, and
very relieved.  My dream of 700 was still alive...

	July 12.  Arrived at Ramsey Canyon at 8:00am.  I had reservations for
the day.  A stake-out for a shot a Berylline Hummer.  I had nothing else
to chase.  At 9:00am a Broad-tailed Hummer showed up.  Was this what
people were seeing and calling a Berylline?  There were no updates of
the Hummer on the Tucson RBA since June 26.  My fears were unfounded. 
The Berylline Hummer showed up at 10:00am right in front of me at the
feeders behind the hdqtrs.  I was shocked.  What a treat!!  By this
time, I was hot and tired.  What else was there to chase?  I decided to
head back East toward El Paso.  My flight would leave tomorrow
afternoon.  I left Ramsey Canyon at 11:30am.

	By the time I reached Lordsburg, NM, I already had another plan.  Since
I was planning to go to Seattle later in the year, I should be able to
get Black Swift easily.  I had already added Blue Grouse and
Williamson's Sapsucker.  All that was left was Mtn Plover.  The last NM
RBA had several on their breeding grounds near Santa Fe.  It would be a
race against the remaining daylight to make the trek.  I arrived at
Santo Domingo Pueblo with just 1/2 hr to spare.  I carefully scanned the
fields, but to no avail.  Struck out.  Ouch.  That was a long drive. 
Stayed in Santa Fe.  I called ABA birder, Pat Snider.  The Plovers were
already done nesting and had left.  No guarantees, but in August they
show up at a couple of turf farms South of Albuquerque.

	Up at dawn the next morning.  I arrived at Los Lunas at the Grasslands
Turf Farm about 7:00am.  Within a couple minutes I had my first Mountain
Plover with a small flock of Killdeers.  Then another and another.  24
in all.  Some right up by my car!!!  Elated and yes, exhausted, I headed
back to El Paso for the return flight to Baltimore.  Fell into bed at
2:00am last night...  So what the heck am I still doing up at 3:15am
this morning?!!?!  Who knows?  Ahhh.  The adrenalin is still running.

The dream lives!

-Greg Miller
Lusby, MD

p.s.  check out my website at http://www.erols.com/gregorym.  I have
updated summaries of this year by month and state, plus the year list,
and upcoming trips and targets, and my plan for making my goal of 700
come true as well.  Vain?  Yes.  But it's a lot of FUN!!!