At 7,000 feet and above, this trip kept us at least 35 degrees cooler than what most of you experienced in the valley. What a great spot we picked to do some birding. The areas we initially birded were Becker Lake, South Fork on the Little Colorado, SIPE Mountain Wildlife Area, Wenima Wildlife Area and the Greer area. On the way home, one group of 10 went birding at Sheep’s Crossing while another group of 6 who stayed an extra day birded various spots (See Below). Two others went on to their summer home in New Mexico.

The Best Western where most of us stayed provided us excellent accommodations with a refrigerator, microwave and other items in the rooms.

There was still snow on some parts of the mountainsides; in fact, three of us actually threw some snowballs at one birding site. The Little Colorado River was flowing at a record high and several of our birding spots featured this river. Even the American Dippers were out in full force enjoying the rush of the waters and it was fun seeing a mother teach its young how to dip into the water.

At another spot called Sheep’s Crossing located at approximately 8,500 feet, Clark’s Nutcrackers, Steller Jays and Three-toed Woodpeckers were screeching away in the tall pines while down below, the most magnificent Audubon’s Yellow-rumped Warblers I have ever seen put on a display for us.

At Greer Lake, we were treated to a flock of Red Crossbills in the nearby trees and then they really gave us a treat when they flew down to the waters edge no more than 10 feet away and frolicked in the cool lake water while further out in the lake a pair of Western Grebes serenely swam.

Those who stayed another day traveled southeast almost to the New Mexico border, stopping first at Nelson Reservoir where Redheads and Gadwalls were nesting. On a dirt side road they saw White-throated Swift, Rock Wren, Spotted Sandpiper, Vesper Sparrow and stalked a pair of Green-tailed Towhees.

At Nutrioso Post Office where huge cottonwoods offer refuge, a Warbling Vireo serenaded, a Lewis's Woodpecker flew in, a Red-naped Sapsucker tapped up a trunk, Cedar Waxwings rested, a Band-tailed Pigeon posed atop a pole and a Eurasian Collared-Dove appeared.

The next site at Terry Flat was a mountainous adventure taking the birders up a dirt road to 9,800 feet and a temperature of 56 degrees. They encountered several Dark-eyed Juncos of the Gray-headed form . A Blue Grouse dashed across the road and was gone all too soon, but a pair of Wild Turkeys lolled nonchalantly along near the road. The male was HUGE. A Hermit Thrush's song lilted through the quiet conifer forest. Steller's Jays were finally seen. Elk, Mule Deer and Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels also were present.

At Luna Lake, the last stop, an adult Bald Eagle stood sentinel on a sign beside the water while a Sandhill Crane fed along the shore. Its rust-stained plumage was quite different from the soft gray usual in an adult. There an American Crow and Common Merganser were added to the species list.

On Friday we went to the Sunrise Campground stopping at the local store to get our permits. Both Barn and Cliff Swallows were nesting under the eves of the store. At the campground a Gray Jay waited on top of a spruce. A Ruby-crowned Kinglet called loudly as it grazed high in the firs. A Hermit Thrush was seen and an Audubon's Yellow-rumped Warbler sang a sad farewell.

There were 104 species of birds seen or heard and they were Pied-billed Grebe, Western Grebe, Doublecrested Cormorant, Green Heron, Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture, Ruddy Duck, Canada Goose, Gadwall, Mallard, Cinnamon Teal, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Common Merganser, Osprey, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, Wild Turkey, Blue Grouse, Sandhill Crane, American Coot, Killdeer, Spotted Sandpiper, Rock Pigeon, Band-tailed Pigeon, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Whitewinged Dove, Greater Roadrunner, White-throated Swift, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Lewis’s Woodpecker, Red-naped Sapsucker, Williamson’s Sapsucker, Hairy Woodpecker, Three-toed Woodpecker, Northern Flicker (red-shafted), Western Wood-Pewee, Hammond’s Flycatcher, Cordilleran Flycatcher, Black Phoebe, Say’s Phoebe, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Western Kingbird, Horned Lark, Violet-green Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Cedar Waxwing, American Dipper, Rock Wren, Western Bluebird, Mountain Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Bushtit, Mountain Chickadee, Pygmy Nuthatch, White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Steller's Jay, Western Scrub-Jay, Gray Jay, Clark’s Nutcracker, American Crow, Common Raven, European Starling, Lark Bunting, Dark-eyed Junco, Chipping Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Spotted Towhee, Green-tailed Towhee, Black-headed Grosbeak, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Lazuli Bunting, Western Tanager, Yellow Warbler, Grace’s Warbler, Lucy’s Warbler, Yellowrumped Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Wilson’s Warbler, Red-faced Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Plumbeous Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Pine Siskin, Lesser Goldfinch, Red Crossbill, House Sparrow, Bullock’s Oriole, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Red-winged Blackbird, Western Meadowlark, Great-tailed Grackle, Brewer’s Blackbird and Brown-headed Cowbird.

The trip was lead by George Wall and Eleanor Campbell. The other participants were Helayn Aranguena, Dan Bohlmann, Marshall Esty, Shirley Fackleman, Darlene Gatto, Joyce Goodman, Gerry Horton, Chuck Kangas, Ken & Rosita Larsen, Jane McNeill, Chuck Richard, Chuck & Loretta Richards, Donna Smith and Nancy Woods.