It was supposed to be a pleasant bird-hike along that stretch of the Agua Fria River which winds around the Arcosanti castle on the cliffs up by Cortes Junction. This was to have been a visit to an old friend to those of us who had worked on the Arcosanti Bird List prepared by Sonoran Audubon birders a couple years ago, and a chance to show off a rich bird habitat to any newbees.

But on the day prior, a low sliced through Arizona on high winds, dropping the mercury to the bottom of the tube, with talk of snow in the high country. This leader contemplated scrapping the plans, and opting instead for something close-in and of short duration.

Birding was slow at the start, but picked up when the sun reached its warm fingers down into the canyon. We birded the river above Arcosanti, picking up birds like American Pipit, several Red-shafted Flickers, a Great Horned Owl (for the lucky few), Western Bluebirds - checking out the mistletoe, Rock Wrens and others. We then stopped at Arcosanti for a warm drink and a sweet, and some bird talk. After that, we went down to the fields and gardens to the south, below the major structures, where we picked up such birds as Red-tailed Hawk, a hundred-plus Western Meadowlarks, American Goldfinch, Phainopepla, and watched a Loggerhead Shrike impale a big beetle on a thorn bush - and proceed to rip it apart - beetle wrappings flying every where. Son of Stegosaurus.

Birds we saw: Northern Mallard, Gambel's Quail, Red-tailed Hawk, Killdeer, Rock Pigeon, Morning Dove, Inca Dove, Great Horned Owl, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Red-shafted Flicker, Black Phoebe, Say's Phoebe, Loggerhead Shrike, Common Raven, Bridled Titmouse, Verdin, Rock Wren, Bewick's Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Western Bluebird, American Pipit, Phainopepla, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Canyon Towhee, Lark Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Oregon Junco, Western Meadowlark, House Finch, American Goldfinch.

Birders were: Carol Maroney, George Wall, Josh Burns, Tim Cullison, Dick Fogle, Chuck Kangas and Dwayne Fink, leader. It was a good trip - which officially ended around a big table in the back of the Red Rock Café.