male Vermilion Flycatcher

Catalina State Park, Arizona, 1-2 May 2023

       early morning view of the western flank of the Mount Lemmon range from Catalina State Park

On the 1^st of May I drove 550 miles from West Texas to Tucson, Arizona, where I camped at Catalina State Park, just on the western flank of Mount Lemmon.

     The rather tiresome drive through El Paso, TX, on I-10

This was a long day, driving from the Chihuahuan Desert into the Sonoran Desert. The drive took me west on I-10 through El Paso, Texas, and Las Cruces, New Mexico. In Texas I could look south into the  valley of the Rio Grande (Rio Bravo). On the US side were vast monoculture plantations of Pecan. I was surprised that this was the favored crop in this very dry region. Irrigation-dependent of course.

     Pecan monoculture near Tornillo, Texas (just north of Rio Grande).

Catalina State Park features several thousand acres of foothill forest and riparian canyons—just on the verge of the burgeoning Tucson metropolitan area. The park is an oasis of nature in this very built-up part of the arid Southwest.

My campsite sported several small mesquite trees and a picnic table, set right next to the campground host, who had put out hummingbird feeders and other goodies for the local birdlife.

    Greater Roadrunner

The first bird to show itself was an adult Greater Roadrunner, who actively hunted the clearing between our campsites. I was told it was nesting in a thicket just a few feet from my parking space.

I watched as the roadrunner captured and consumed a medium-sized lizard.

Round-tailed Ground-squirrels came out of their solitary burrows and moved about cautiously, trying to get a sense of the threat I posed to them. I was a newcomer, of course, and they wanted to understand my intentions.

    Perhaps this is Cane Cholla (fide Dr. David Steadman)

The Park offered excellent biking, both on the paved roads and the unpaved trails and bridle paths.

    Abert's Towhee

The uplands were cloaked in natural desert vegetation, featuring Saguaro cactus, Ocotillo, and Barrel cactus.

    Black-throated Sparrow

To the east rose rugged and dry lower ridges of Mount Lemmon, forming a picturesque backdrop to the desert vistas. A morning bird walk through the upland desert was productive. I encountered Black-throated Sparrows in song.

    Cactus Wren atop a Saguaro

Also Cactus Wrens, Pyrrhuloxia, Phainopepla, Rufous-winged Sparrow, and Curve-billed Thrasher. Verdins were commonplace and vocal.

    male Pyrrhuloxia in an Ocotillo

In several places I found Vermilion Flycatchers actively foraging in shady picnic grounds. The male glows in the sunlight.

    male Vermilion Flycatcher

Ash-throated Flycatcher was common and vocal at the edge of the desert.

    Ash-throated Flycatcher

Lucy’s Warbler was a regular forager in the small trees of the campground. 

    Lucy's Warbler with a caterpillar

A large Saguaro near my campsite featured  the hole nest of a Gila Woodpecker. The male would come and go to the cactus hole and also visit the hummingbird feeder to take nectar.

    male Gila Woodpecker emerging from its nest

I only had one night plus one morning in Catalina State Park. I could have happily stayed here several days, photographing the birds and other wildlife.

    Verdin, a vocal forager

My last nature blog in this series will feature the Chiricahua Mountains and Cave Creek Canyon of southeastern Arizona. Look for that in a few days...

    Rufous-winged Sparrows sang in the canyons