July 9, 2023
Groove-billed Ani Sycamore Canyon 7-9-23
This magnificent Groove-billed Ani appeared in remote Sycamore Canyon on the 7th. It was also observed the following day. So, this morning I trekked out to the spot, the first time I’ve visited, and the bird was spotted after a few minutes. The paved road turns to dirt/gravel with still about 9 miles left to travel. And the road is very narrow with very steep canyon walls trailing off many hundreds of feet in some spots. Upon leaving I discovered that a hairpin curve was littered with ambulances, sheriffs deputies and Border Patrol. Also several seriously under-dressed people who it later turned out were uninjured occupants of an auto that went for a wild ride down the canyon slope. I did not linger at the scene longer than it took to weave my away through the unorganized scene.
Sycamore Canyon (above) is in the middle of some rough and scenic territory about 20 miles west of Nogales. It is very close to Sonora, and as such gets more than its fair share of migrants, and therefore a lot of Border Patrol activity. In the car wreck mentioned above, the BP were almost certainly the first responders at the scene. This canyon, and the area in general is great for butterflies as well as birds.
Groove-billed Ani 7-9-23
Groove-billed Ani 7-9-23
Broad-billed x Black-chinned Hummingbird Paton’s 7-8-23
At Paton’s on the 8th, several of the observers kept talking about an Anna’s x Broad-billed Hummingbird. I could not find that critter, but did photograph this stunning Broad-billed x Black-chinned. It turned out, later, that this is the bird that people kept calling Anna’s x Broad-billed.
Violet-crowned Hummingbird Paton’s 7-9-23
Broad-billed Hummingbird Paton’s 7-8-23
Hepatic Tanager Box Canyon 7-6-23
Zone-tailed Hawk Box Canyon 7-6-23