June 1, 2020
I have made four trips up Miller Canyon to see the incredible Flame-colored Tanager. Southeast Arizona is about the only place in the US to see this bird, and it has been seen, notably, in Madera Canyon from 2002 to 2010 at Madera Kubo. But since then it has been seen in the Huachucas at Ash Canyon, Miller Canyon and Ramsey Canyon. More often it is found in the Chiricahuas in the vicinity of Portal and Paradise.
Each of the first three trips I only managed to hear the tanager, in fact, it sang a lot, and loudly. But it stubbornly remained hidden. This morning it was more accommodating, actually sitting on the top of a dead tree in decent light and making a lot of noise. It was too far away to get decent shots, but I saw it. Later I staked out the area near the entrance to the Ranch, where it had been reported the last several days. The bird returned several times, and offered a few good looks and some marginal photo opportunities. Besides the Flame-colored Tanager there were Summer Tanager and Hepatic Tanager, Scott’s Oriole, Plumbeous Vireo, Blue Grosbeak, Black-headed Grosbeak, Zone-tailed Hawk, Rivoli’s Hummingbird, and Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher.
To get to Beatty’s Guest Ranch from Tucson, take I-10, east, to Benson, about 35 miles. Take the first Benson off-ramp and head (SR90) toward Fort Huachuca and Sierra Vista. Turn onto SR92 south of Sierra Vista (it is a “T” intersection, go right) and continue 7 miles to Miller Canyon Road, turn right, – it is well marked. Beatty’s Guest Ranch is located at the west terminus of Miller Canyon Road. The first section of the road is paved, but soon gives way to a graded dirt road. A few short sections of road are a bit steep ~10% max. At the end of the road there is a public parking lot. The entrance to Beatty’s is marked with a sign that says “Birders Welcome.” You can park in the public lot and walk in and enjoy the shady viewing area and feeders at the entrance. If you choose to go further into the Beatty property, you will go through a gate with a sign that indicates there is a $5 fee to use the rest of the site or cross it to get to the official Miller Canyon Trail. This is a good option if you want to go further up the canyon, as if you use the public trail that goes around Beatty’s, you will add about one-half mile of steep rocky uneven trail to your journey. Beatty also has an observation deck with feeders across the creek.
