Portal

Everyone left the Sun City area by around 9 a.m. on Wednesday and we met at the first rest stop on the way to Tucson. At the rest stop, we got our first birds – the Gila Woodpecker and the Northern Flicker.

We knew the coming storm might affect our trip, but we didn’t know how until our first major stop at the Twin Lakes in Wilcox. The wind was very strong as we slowly drove around one of the lakes trying to observe birds hiding by the shore or in the reeds. The wind was so strong, it made the small lake look like the ocean with crashing waves. We did observe quite a few birds though both on the way to Portal/Cave Creek and on the way back home.

The next problem with the wind came when we neared the New Mexico border and came to a complete stop. Trucks and cars were lined up for miles ahead of us. By talking to one of the truck drivers who called ahead, we found out that several trucks were over-turned on I10 as well as a vehicle crash. It sounded like we might be there for many hours. As we looked around, we noticed a dirt road going off to the left leading over to I10 going the other way. We were near enough where all three of our cars managed to back up and take it. We then headed back to San Simon where we took the Portal Road that included 23 miles of dirt road over to Portal. The road was very good and we had no trouble at all. After I came back from our trip, I got on the Internet and found that I10 was closed all the way from Las Cruces, New Mexico to the Arizona state line due to high winds. The high winds also caused the overturning of the trucks and the wreck. No telling how long we would have been stuck there if we hadn’t turned around.

After some of the group checked into the Portal Lodge, the remaining group checked into the Cave Creek Ranch. We all met at 6:00 p.m. for dinner. We had thought of doing some owling, but the wind was just too strong.

The next morning, we met our guide Melody and her friend Jackie at the Portal Lodge at 6:30 a.m. and off we went to bird. We birded several dirt roads including South Fork, Rustler’s Park and Jackie’s house in town of Paradise where the George Walker house built in 1902 still stood as a tourist attraction. Paradise was an old mining town, but now there is just 12 year around people living there. It was a great day of birding even though it was cold and windy. That evening some ate dinner at the lodge while others ate in their rooms.

The next morning, we all met at the Portal Lodge restaurant where we ate breakfast before birding the roads in portal and the feeders at Cave Creek Ranch. About 10 a.m. everyone headed out.

The group consisted of Fran Baughman, Dan Bohlman, Eleanor Campbell, Darlene Gatto, Marcia Grina, Carolyn Modeen, Chuck Richard, Donna Smith (leader) and George Wall.

The next morning, we all met at the Portal Lodge restaurant where we ate breakfast before birding the roads in portal and the feeders at Cave Creek Ranch. About 10 a.m. everyone headed out.

The group consisted of Fran Baughman, Dan Bohlman, Eleanor Campbell, Darlene Gatto, Marcia Grina, Carolyn Modeen, Chuck Richard, Donna Smith (leader) and George Wall. Three more had been scheduled to go on the trip, but for various reasons had to drop out.

117 birds were seen or heard (not necessary by all).

At Twin Lakes in Wilcox, we saw 28 birds - Least Grebe, Pied-billed Grebe, Eared Grebe, Great Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Mallard, Blue-winged Teal, Cinnamon Teal, Northern Pintail (f), Northern Shoveler, Ruddy Duck, Northern Harrier, American Coot, Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Killdeer, Long-billed Dowitcher, Spotted Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper, Wilson’s Phalarope, Ring-billed Gull, Black Phoebe, Horned Lark, Violet-Green Swallow, Barn Swallow and Red-winged Blackbird.

At the Portal and Cave Creek area the birds were Turkey Vulture, White-tailed Kite, Cooper’s Hawk, Swainson’s Hawk (on the way home), Zone-tailed Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk (on the way home), American Kestrel, Wild Turkey, Gambel’s Quail, Rock Pigeon, Band-tailed Pigeon, Mourning Dove, White-winged Dove, Elf Owl, White-throated Swift, Broad-billed Hummingbird, Blue-throated Hummingbird, Magnificent Hummingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Costa’s Hummingbird, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, White-eared Hummingbird, our target bird the Elegant Trogan, Acorn Woodpecker, Arizona Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Olive-sided Fly Catcher, Greater Pewee (h), Western Wood-Pewee, Cordilleran Flycatcher, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Cassin’s Kingbird, Western Kingbird, Cactus Wren, Canyon Wren (h), Bewick’s Wren (h), House Wren (h), Northern Mockingbird, Bendire’s Thrasher, Curve-billed Thrasher, Swainson’s Thrush, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Bushtit, Mexican Chickadee (h), Bridled Titmouse, Juniper Titmouse, Pygmy Nuthatch, White-breasted Nuthatch, Steller’s Jay, Mexican Jay, Common Raven, House Sparrow, Plumbeous Vireo, Hutton’s Vireo, Warbling Vireo, House Finch, Red Crossbill, Pine Siskin, Lesser Goldfinch, Olive Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Virginia’s Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Townsend’s Warbler (h), Graces’s Warbler, Wilson’s Warbler, Red-faced Warbler, Painted Redstart, Hepatic Tanager, Summer Tanager, Western Tanager, Spotted Towhee (h), Chipping Sparrow, Yellow-eyed Junco, Northern Cardinal, Black-headed Grosbeak, Blue Grosbeak, Lazuli Bunting, Indigo Bunting, Great-tailed Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, Bullock’s Oriole and Scott’s Oriole.

On a side-note, our guides Melody and Jackie, informed us that a Plain-capped Starthroat (hummingbird) had flown by us, but none of us knew it.

Besides all the nice birds we saw, we were treated to close up views of Cous deer and a Coatimundi as well as Rock and Arizona Gray Squirrels.