With this large mountain range just minutes away from our doorstep, we had to go hiking as much as possible. Having hiked quite a bit in the lowlands we decided to take a loop drive up to Rustlers Park, one off the highest points in the mountains.
Our first stop though was another one of the places where feeders were out for birders to enjoy,. This time it was at the George Walker House a BnB in the mountains. We were greeted by the owner and his friendly boxer when we arrived (along with about 5 wild turkeys)..
The 100 year old home was very welcoming and we were escorted to a beautiful courtyard with multiple feeders. We were encouraged to sit at any of the comfortable benches to enjoy the birds as long as we wanted. We were shown where the restrooms were and introduced to a few of his guests who were already enjoying the birds. What great hospitality.
We saw lots of birds on the feeders but after about 40 minutes it was time to move on up the mountain. The road was a bit rugged but after crossing several creek crossings we came upon a fellow sitting by the side of the road. After chatting with him a bit he pointed out a coatimundi high up In a fir tree.
Sure enough we looked and at the very top of a 150 foot plus fir tree was a fur ball. He/she was actively feeding on what appeared to be either the fresh shoots on the end of branches or on the newly forming cones. We watched for nearly an hour as it slowly descended the tree. Every now and then it would sneak a peek in our direction to make sure we weren’t a threat. It sure was fun watching it work its way down the very tall tree.
Afterward we stopped near Rustler’s Park to hike the road where we saw a lot of different nuthatches. After about an hour we walked back to the car and started our trip down the mountains.
We stopped for one last visit at the South Fork of Cave Creek before heading home hoping to finally see the Elegant Trogon. After birding about 20 minutes we heard one off in the distance. We worked our way over to where the sound was emanating from and finally saw it in a tree about 15 feet off the ground.
We weren’t able to get any pictures of it but we followed it down the road and it would call every now and then. When it did we moved to where it was and caught a glimpse of it again. It was a beautiful male bird with its bright red breast.
A couple was passing us and said that they too were hoping to see one and we explained there was one in the area as we had last saw it about five minutes ago. While we were chatting I looked up and saw a male trogon sitting in a tree about 10 feet off the ground and only about 75 feet from us. I pointed it out to Sharon and the other couple. I immediately snapped off a few photos before it left.
One last little hike before heading back to the RV was a short stroll over to Vista Point, a short hike we passed several times. It was about to rain but we hurriedly hiked the 1/2 mile trial to the vista point. And we were so glad we did what a fabulous 360 degree view this point offered! Lot of photos were taken there…
What a great day this was to see this vista point along with both a coatimundi in the wild and an elegant trogon so close! Our stay is now complete…
Sounds like an excellent day for a couple of outdoor enthusiasts - congratulations on finally checking off your trogon!
ReplyDeleteAnother nice outdoor biking/birding adventure. A coatimundi and the elusive trogon. A very nice outing indeed.
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