The day started off perfect with fluffy clouds and blue skies as we drove north.   When we got to the point where you normally can see the San Francisco Peaks, all we saw was dark brooding clouds and no peaks.  Around  Munds Park, the wind started to really move the pine trees and gust with enought force to knock us around a little.  By the time we got to the Lockett Meadow turnoff, it was really blowing and it looked as if it could be snowing up in the meadow.  We started to climb up to get to the mountain saddle, and coming around a corner we found another rude surprise - a large pine tree had blown down across the road, making it impassable.   We had to back down the road until we could find a place to turn aroun - for the lead car, it was a long ways since it was a big Suburban.  We were supposed to meet Marjorie Eckman and her friend Wes at Lockett Meadow at 10:00 a.m. and we were worried that they might be trapped at the meadow.  We found the Forest Service Headquarters in Flagstaff and reported that the tree was over the road and maybe our friends, campers and hikers could not get out.  We knew that it might take some time to get a crew in there and remove it, so we dcecided there was nothing else that we could do but head to somewhere else where it was not so cold and windy and threatening rain/snow/sleet or hail.  Most of the birds in Flagstaff were up in the trees hanging on for dear life, all except for the ravens that were either hanging in mid-air against the wind or doing 60 miles per hour going with it.

We stopped at the Kachina Village picnic park and small ponds where we saw numerous Lesser Goldfinch and Western Bluebirds.  We also were watching flocks of Red-Winged Blackbirds and Yellow-headed Blackbirds flying together near the reeds in the pond and on the banks near the road.  I don't remnember ever seeing them flock together.  Usually they hang with their own kind in flocks, even if the flocks are close together.  A little later all the blackbirds flew up in the air out of the reeds together.  We went down to the pond to investigate and suddenly a small Sharp-shinned hawk came flying out of the reeds carrying (with great difficulty and barely off the ground) a blackbird.  He landed in a nearby pine tree and started plucking black feathers and having lunch.  This reminded us that it was about time for lunch, so we took advantage of the picnic tables and had our lunch.  Another nice find before lunch, was a Lewis's Woodpecker that Judi and Vera spotted flying away from a tree right in front of us.

As we were eating lunch, we all took turns asking George if he wasn't cold.  It was 59 degrees and the wind was blowing like crazy, but he just had on a short-sleeved shirt while the rest of us had on three layers of sweaters and coats and were still cold.

After lunch, we went over to the Kachina Wetlands to bird some more, but as we were walking out there someone looked behind us and pointed out the very dark storm clouds coming.  We realized how wet and cold we would get running back all that way in a pouring rain without rain gear, so we chickened out and turned around.  We decided to head for lower and warmer territory down at Montezuma's Well.  At the Well we went first around to the green area of flowing water from the outlet of the Well near Beaver Creek.  Lots of big trees and clear water was flowing but no birds (It was 1:30 p.m., Siesta time for the birds I guess).  So after waiting for sometime without a single chirp, we gave up and went up to the top of the Well.  There we saw several ducks and spent a while looking for the Black Phoebe and Rock Wren that we keep hearing but couldn't see.  Finally perserverance paid off and we found them.

Attendees: Diana Barnum, Annie Teff, Vera Markham, Goerge Wall, Judi Heath, Marilyn McMahon, Helayn Aranguena and Dan Bohlmann.

We saw a total of 20 species.

At Flagstaff:  Raven, Raven, Raven.

At Kachina Village:  Lesser Goldfinch, Chipping Sparrow, Western Bluebird, Red-Winged & Yellow-Headed Blackbirds, Great-Tailed Grackle (Female), Red-Shafted Flicker, Sharp-Shinned Hawk, Lewis's Woodpecker, Wilson's warbler, Yellow-Rumped Warbler, House Finch and Turkey Vulture.

At Montezuma's Well:  Pied-Billed Grebe, Mallard, American Widgeon, Black Phoebe, Rock Wren and Black-throated Sparrow.