Scott's Oriole
Photo by Robert Shantz

What a nice trip up to medium high country on Rte 260 on the other side of Camp Verde.   We arrived at the cutoff to Fossil Creek Road just after 7 a.m. and followed the dirt road heading towards the creek. We stopped at several places and picked up birds at each spot.

At one spot the Black-chinned Hummingbirds were buzzing around us like crazy as we observed them at two different nests. At another spot where cows  were gathered around a watering pond, we found a couple of Snowy Egrets.

We finally got to Fossil Creek where it was a madhouse of people on a Saturday. They were all vying for the swimming hole that was about 20 feet deep and clear as could be. We didn’t stay long there, but did see a couple more birds.

After lunch, we headed back after seeing or hearing 41 species which were Snowy Egret, Turkey Vulture, Gambel’s Quail, Mourning Dove, Greater Roadrunner, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Gila Woodpecker (h), Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Western Wood-Pewee, Gray Flycatcher, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Western Kingbird, Cliff Swallow, Phainopepla, Rock Wren, Canyon Wren (h), Northern Mockingbird, Bridled Titmouse, Juniper Titmouse, Common Raven, House Sparrow, Bell’s Vireo (h), Warbling Vireo, Cassin’s Finch, House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch, Lucy’s Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Summer Tanager (h), Canyon Towhee, Abert’s Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Brewer’s Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Black-throated Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Great-tailed Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird and Scott’s Oriole. 

The participants were Dan Bohlmann, Vera Markham, Marilyn McMahon and the coleaders Donna Smith & George Wall.