Spotted Owls Photo by Earle Robinson

Serendipity accompanied the nine avid birders who spent three packed days exploring the canyons near Sierra Vista and the Hereford area in Southeast Arizona.

To see the brilliant male and female Elegant Trogons changing "watch" on their cavity nest in a Garden Canyon sycamore was a rare, special experience. The rosy-breasted female waited on a branch outside the nest after hearing the male call from a distance. The bright red-breasted male arrived, posed briefly at the hole's edge and scuttled into it to sit his turn on the eggs.

Seeing the tiny Elf Owl perform the same switch in their utility pole home that night at Bed, Breakfast and Birds B&B was just as exciting.

Thanks to local residents, Joe Woodley and Jo Ann Loza, who knew just where to go, most saw the majestic Spotted Owl ensconced on a limb right over the trail in Miller Canyon in the Huachuca Mountains. This sighting took more than a little effort---it was a three mile round trip up a steep trail.

Our other leader, Arne Moorhouse, stopped the group along the road in the Sulphur Springs Valley right beside a Great Horned Owl female sitting dutifully in her nest in a lone tree. He found the male a few yards away sitting in another tree waiting his turn.

And a female Barn Owl was setting in a nesting box right beside the San Pedro River Inn where the group was given permission to walk to the San Pedro River. Her flat face was evident in the hole and she looked out nonchalantly. A resident Burrowing Owl was waiting for the group to round out the "Owl Prowl."

The trip started with a tour of Sweetwater Wetlands at Tucson and included visits to Ash Canyon for backyard birding, to White Water Draw, to Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Refuge, and the home of Joe and Jo Ann where Scaled Quail brought out their newly-hatched babies.

Deer, lizards, and many butterflies of all sizes added color to the birding adventure.

The rest of the 95 species seen and heard were: Turkey Vulture, Mallard (including a Mexican form), Ruddy Duck, Swainson's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Golden Eagle, American Kestrel, Gambel's Quail, American Coot, Killdeer, Spotted Sandpiper, Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Collared-Dove, White-winged Dove, Mourning Dove, Inca Dove, White-throated Swift, Broad-billed Hummingbird, Blue-throated Hummingbird, Magnificent Hummingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Anna's Hummingbird, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Acorn Woodpecker, Gila Woodpecker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Arizona Woodpecker, Northern Flicker. Western Wood-Pewee, Say's Phoebe, Vermilion Flycatcher, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, Western Kingbird, Tropical Kingbird, Cassin's Kingbird, Loggerhead Shrike, Plumbeous Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Mexican Jay, Chihuahuan Raven, Common Raven, Violet-green Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Barn Swallow, Bridled Titmouse, Bushtit, White-breasted Nuthatch, Cactus Wren, Canyon Wren, Bewick's Wren, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, American Robin, Northern Mockingbird, Bendire's Thrasher, Curve-billed Thrasher, Phainopepla, Yellow Warbler, Grace's Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Painted Redstart, Redfaced Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Hepatic Tanager, Summer Tanager, Western Tanager, Spotted Towhee, Canyon Towhee, Abert's Towhee, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Black-headed Grosbeak, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Eastern Meadowlark, Great-tailed Grackle, Brownheaded Cowbird, Bullock's Oriole, Scott's Oriole, House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch, House Sparrow.