Pima Air Museum

Saturday afternoon we went to the Pima Air Museum.Anne had a good time too. More pictures and names to come .

Animals at the Desert Museum

Mexican Grey Wolf, Rock Squirrel, Prairie Dog, Javelina.

We Went to the Desert Museum west of Tucson on the 23rd. The Bird is a Cactus Wren. The big cat is a native Mountain Lion

US Border Patrol

Day 8 Tumacacori Mission

We left Patagonia early on our way to Tucson and stopped at this mission built in the early 1800's on the site of a mission founded by Father Kino in 1690. I walked up the steps within inches of this snake and didn't see it until I same back down. I am still trying to establish what species of snake this is. It was about thumb size and about 40 t0 45 inches long. I'll fill in the missing birding days tomorrow and catch up with our Tucson part of the trip.

Desert with Mexico in the distance

US Border Patrol

These guys put their lives on the line every day and night. They stop and deport the undocumented because the laws are clear, and they interdict the drug smugglers because we must keep this from spreading to our side of the border. It is very dangerous work and we should all be thankful that someone is willing to do it. One gets a different perspective from the people who live here than what we Easterners read in the papers. I will show you in the next four pictures the terrain that the smugglers cross to get the drugs in to the US.

In Ramsey Canyon you take the little ones where they live and there is usualy no getting a better angle. The first is a Plumbeous Vireo and the second is a Bridled Titmouse. These were very difficult to see and very flighty. The last two pictures are of a Western Wood Peewee. These birds were only 5 1/4" to 6 1/2" and way out there. These pictures would not have been possible without the 400mm lens and 17.9 megapixels.

More Day 6 before the Hummers

Female and male Arizona Woodpecker, deer in Ramsey Canyon, and Mr. Turkey.

Day 6 before the Hummers

Flying Black-headed Grosbeak, Bewick's Wren, White-winged Dove, Mexican Jay

Day 6 After Breakfast

After breakfast Anne and I headed to Mary Jo's to see Hummingbirds but just out of the drive at Casa de San Pedro we spotted a Cassin's Kingbird. Before the Hummingbirds we saw a female Black-headed Grosbeak, a male House Finch, notice the much more intense red compared to our Eastern version, and a male Black-headed Grosbeak. This was all before noon. Tomorrow I'll post the Hummingbird pictures later. Tonight is our last night at Casa, but after breakfast tomorrow we are hiking to the top of Coronado Mountain before the drive to Patagonia. Now we are going to bed. It's been a long day of birding.