{"id":2227,"date":"2016-11-14T14:22:56","date_gmt":"2016-11-14T21:22:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/aziba.org\/?p=2227"},"modified":"2019-11-03T16:21:55","modified_gmt":"2019-11-03T23:21:55","slug":"sonoran-borderlands-lower-colorado-river-ibas-trip-report-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aziba.org\/?p=2227","title":{"rendered":"Sonoran Borderlands & Lower Colorado River IBAs Trip Report"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Photo<\/a>

Photo by Matt Griffiths<\/p><\/div>\n

Trip report by Craig Anderson for his Arizona IBA Big Year.<\/em><\/p>\n

Spectacular vistas, sunsets, the Streakbacked\u00a0Oriole, and thousands of swirling\u00a0tree swallows made this tour memorable. I\u00a0now have traveled over 1,300 miles to visit\u00a0seven Arizona Important Bird Areas and\u00a0they have exceeded my expectations. I\u2019m\u00a0in awe of Arizona\u2019s varied habitats and\u00a0unique wildlife.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This trip began for my sister, Terri Ratley, and I in Organ Pipe National\u00a0Monument just 76 miles south of Gila Bend. After living in Arizona for 46 years,\u00a0this was my first visit to the monument.\u00a0A nominal fee of $15\/night was made even more economical with a senior\u00a0pass. Venues exist for RVs, car camping and tents as well as for those\u00a0interested in the solitude of remote camping. The main camp ground has 208\u00a0sites with restrooms, showers, water, visitor center and park ranger led\u00a0programs. As usual, campers were friendly and interesting. Birders love to\u00a0share birding stories \u2026 especially with a glass of wine around a campfire.\u00a0Where and how to find the Ferruginous Pygmy-owl was the hot topic on this\u00a0trip. Elf, Screech and Great Horned were easily observed.<\/p>\n

A moderate round-trip hike of about two miles takes you into Alamo Canyon\u00a0where a Peregrine Falcon hung on the updraft above a lava dome. At trail\u2019s\u00a0end were the remains of an old windmill and corral, symbols of the cattle\u00a0ranching that once existed throughout Organ Pipe.\u00a0On day two, we took the Ajo Mountain loop and hiked the Arches Canyon trail.\u00a0Once again, a moderate hike into spectacular volcanic spires that twisted and\u00a0surged into the sky. It is obvious that many birds and critters use the small\u00a0oasis nearby.<\/p>\n

\"Streak-backed<\/a>

Streak-backed Oriole by Dominic Sherony<\/p><\/div>\n

Vistas are not the only things that greet the visitor to this magical landscape.\u00a0Many desert species such as Curve-billed thrashers, Cardinals, Phainopepla,\u00a0Cactus Wrens, Gnat Catchers, Abert\u2019s and Canyon Towhee\u2019s, Cooper\u2019s and\u00a0Red-tailed Hawks were abundant. Scat and foot prints along the trail also give\u00a0testimony to many creatures that use the trail during the night. Arches is\u00a0another canyon ripe for the diminutive Ferruginous Pygmy owl.<\/p>\n

\u201cQuito ba Quito\u201d was by far the best birding site and one we almost passed up.\u00a0We were reluctant because of the proximity to the border (about 100 yards) and\u00a0the 13.8 miles of rutted dirt road. Hold on to your teeth fillings! There we found\u00a0a small pond and a shallow winding stream about 200 yards long. Bedrock\u00a0appears to force the water being slowly released from the nearby volcanic\u00a0mountains to the surface. In short order, the Cottonwood and Mesquite trees\u00a0yielded 15 species of warblers, sparrows, woodpeckers, doves and a calling\u00a0Pacific Slope Flycatcher. This one-of-kind desert oasis added nine species to\u00a0our count total.<\/p>\n

Mittery National Wildlife Refuge IBA to the South was a surprise. Remote, \u201cNo\u00a0Fee\u201d camping under tall Cottonwoods and a light free night sky made our\u00a0spirits soar. Because of our minimalist camping style, we had camp setup in\u00a0less than one hour and birded the area until dark. The lake is a large marsh\u00a0with some open water \u2013 next time, I\u2019m taking my kayak to explore the winding\u00a0waterways. Mittery yielded 38 species, 16 of which were new for our count.<\/p>\n

On the lake by our campsite, we found the immature Common Loon that a park\u00a0ranger told us about. This may have been the same Loon I saw a month earlier\u00a0at Cibola NWR on the Colorado River to the north. An American Bittern was\u00a0one of our best birds. Repeated attempts at rails only gave us the Yuma\u00a0Clapper.<\/p>\n