I headed toward Miller Canyon and Beatty’s to see all the wonderful hummingbirds that were reported there as well as the Brown-backed Solitaire that had been seen two days earlier. All of the sanctuaries in the canyons and private yards charge $5 to access them… but it didn’t seem excessive because I was expecting it in advance.
I drove up Miller Canyon and got to experience better looks one of the life birds I had seen the day before, Mexican Jay, a whole flock was flying back and forth across the road. My first life bird of the day was a Hepatic Tanager, which didn’t quite get close enough for a really good view. While I was trying to photograph the bird a nice Border Patrol agent came up and started chatting it up. Seems illegal aliens use these wonderful birding canyons to cross the border that is at the summit of the local mountains. I do wish the people coming into the United States could do it legally and respect our laws and culture. I feel sorry for the individuals but after seeing what the illegals growing pot in Fay Canyon did with all the environmental damage they did with absolutely no conscience, I am less sympathetic. After I saw 9 illegals get picked up by two coyotes in a van, I wished I had paid more attention to the agent when he yelled out his number.
There were plenty of cars at the end of the canyon next to Beatty’s with people looking for the solitaire (which BTW, I found out later was seen in Ramsey Canyon that day, but alas not by me).
I decided not to hike up to try to see the solitaire… just went and enjoyed sitting around the feeders and meeting the interesting Beatty patriarch and his son. They were really helpful in identifying the birds. They had some great dogs to pet too! After taking many photos of hummingbirds, I walked around their trail and saw a few life butterflies. I took a photo of a Bordered Patch butterfly and was readjusting the camera when the endangered Huachuca Mountains frog jumped up and ate it! So much for that butterfly.
Overall, I really enjoyed Beatty’s the best and makes me want to emulate the welcoming atmosphere at the Kern River Preserve. The opportunity to peacefully photograph birds was really great. I scored five (maybe six) life hummingbirds here: Broad-billed, Broad-tailed, Violet-crowned, White-eared, Berryline, and Blue-throated (which I believe I actually saw in Kern but didn’t see it long enough or have anyone else see it to verify).

After Miller I went off to Ash Canyon Bed and Breakfast to try for the Lucifer Hummingbird. I did get to see the bird but it was not as fun as the Beatty’s. Knowing that the day was getting short, I needed to keep moving so I headed up Carr Canyon with the goal of finding a Red-faced Warbler, alas, I never found one, but I did find two more life birds, Buff-bellied Flycatcher and Yellow-eyed Junco.
I headed to one last place before leaving southeastern Arizona, the San Pedro River, I was hoping for a Gray Hawk, but seemed when I went somewhere with a target in mind I left empty binoculared… I did see the rare Varied Bunting that had been reported… my last life bird of the trip.
I reluctantly left birding paradise to head home. I intended to get as far as possible and stop and sleep at a rest area as I had the entire trip. There were thunderstorms looming so I headed out with an eye to the sky. I would stop this time if rain threatened again. Although I encountered no rain the most bizarre weather crossed my path, I can only call it ground turbulence. The winds were whipping back and forth causing the car to rock back and forth which felt just like turbulence I had felt during several plane rides.
I finally ended the day in a rest area in Tonopah or so I thought… I slept an hour in the car before the oppressive heat had me awake and on the road again. I couldn’t keep my eyes open so I stopped again for an hour in Quartzite awaking an hour later to continue the journey.
370 miles

Ramsey Canyon Sanctuary didn’t open until 8 a.m. so I patiently waited to take a hike up the canyon. Breakfast was to be served at 9 a.m. so I luxuriated for several hours wandering around the lodge.
I had heard there was an Elegant Trogan which was my target species for the day. The hike proved to be full of life bird experiences. The first new species of the day was the tiny Bridled Titmouse. This species was one that I had hoped to find and I wasn’t disappointed except photography proved challenging to impossible in the heavily shaded forest. It seemed almost every bird I encountered was a life bird, the most beautiful was the Painted Redstart, but like all warblers, it flitted about so rapidly, I couldn’t get a decent photo. The deer in the canyon were almost tame and just lazily moved off when I came near. I hiked up to the area where the trogan was spotted and sat down to enjoy the little creek and photograph damselflies. The trogan started calling and I tried to get up but it seemed the trip was finally catching up to me and my legs wouldn’t budge. I looked over my shoulder to see the lovely bright red chest of the trogan. I got great views but alas no photos.
Continuing on I found the Huachuca (Ramsey Canyon) Mountains Leopard Frog. An endangered species that was reintroduced from Miller Canyon after the chitrid fungus wiped it out in Ramsey Canyon. While wandering about I met some really nice people and started chatting about nature. I mentioned my adventure and how I had been sleeping in my car for most of the trip to save money, they wandered off and then came back and invited me to stay over at their house. I thought about it and realized I really wanted to bird the area for another day and decided to change my final itinerary leaving out Salton Sea and San Diego and just finishing in Southeast Arizona. Off I went to Glen and Julie’s in Sierra Vista. They immediately left to go to a party, leaving me alone to catch up on Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann before falling asleep.
I had a small problem at their house which I never did find a solution, the TP holder fell off and I searched high and low to find a screwdriver small enough to fix it, but alas I felt really weird looking through all their kitchen drawers, so I left it unrepaired. I wish I could have told them about the little problem. I hoped to see them in the morning but I woke at 4:30 a.m. and left around 5:30 without being able to say goodbye. If you read this entry… thank you!
10 miles

I awoke in the morning and immediately called Triple-A. I could have changed the tire myself, but figured I had just upgraded to AAA Premier and thought why not have someone with all of the tools change the tire instead of me getting dirtier while on the road.
A mistake; AAA calls back telling me they can’t get in touch with the contract station and they said they would look it up in the phone directory and find someone. Well, after about a half hour of explaining that I was in the first rest area in New Mexico at the border of Texas in the westbound land of Interstate 10, they finally figured they might know where I was… maps they are a marvelous thing AAA dispatchers should try using them sometimes… not too hard to figure out large ribbon of asphalt that goes from the Atlantic to the Pacific! Anyway, they get in touch with Happy Towing… it will take an hour.
OK, never disappointed with extra time I can spend exploring the area with my camera; I took off on the paved trail around the rest area. I get a call on my cell from a guy who sounds decidedly annoyed that he couldn’t find me. I asked him if he went to the section of the rest area where the cars were parked and he said no he only saw the big rigs. I told him to drive and look for parked passenger cars which was where my SUV would be found.
Funny I thought, I would have heard a tow truck and immediately gone to where my truck was parked. No wonder, this guy drives up in a mid-80’s sedan with disabled plates and starts staring at me with disdain. Incredulous that this might be the tow truck, I asked who he was and he barked Happy Towing! Shudder, I watch as he begins to get an old scissor-jack out of his trunk as his son (who I mistook for his grandson) wandered aimlessly about not helping at all. I told the guy who smelled awful of booze and stale cigarettes that I had a floor jack that he could use; he refused until he realized that his jack would not lift my truck.
The whole time I am thinking this guy is going to keel over while changing my tire, so I am almost changing the tire myself in an attempt to keep him alive through the procedure. After a while I couldn’t stand the smell of the guy so I backed off and let him just do what he was getting paid to do.
Ewww, I called AAA and let them know there was nothing Happy nor Towing about this company and they should never call them again.
Finally after three hours, I was back on the road and determined to head toward Ramsey Canyon, Arizona, where I hoped to do some real birding. I drove quickly through New Mexico and immediately upon entering Arizona started looking for a Visitor’s Center… the rest stops didn’t have such places and found one listed as being in a town called Willcox. I arrived about 3:30 in the afternoon and the visitor information center turned out to be a Chamber of Commerce that did have some birding information. They even hold an annual Birding Festival called “Wings over Willcox”. I finally got to bird my first sewer ponds of the adventure. Non-birders might think, what the heck! But birders know that birds love these places. I immediately discovered another life bird; Cassin’s Sparrow lurking in the mesquite. Each little puddle on the way to the spreading ponds revealed a few ducks and shorebirds. A tour around the ponds was filling my bird list quite nicely and the next life bird a Scaled Quail soon popped up. I was having an amazing time but knew I needed to get to Hereford and see if I could get a room for the night. I figured this was going to be my last indulgence of the trip and this was going to be the best birding I had experienced.
So, trusting my GPS, I set it for Ramsey Canyon. My sister and Internet navigator looked up B&B’s for me and prepared me for the shock of the price of staying in luxury. For some reason I felt that I really needed to stay at the Ramsey Canyon B&B even though it was the most expensive… little did I know that my experience in Trigger Point massage therapy would help me lower the price to less than half.
It is a beautiful place right next to the Nature Conservancy’s Ramsey Canyon Preserve. I looked forward to birding the next day while luxuriating in a beautiful room and taking a wonderful shower. I enjoyed my first life bird, a Magnificent Hummingbird, before settling down for the night.
308 miles

I awoke as light was just revealing the landscape of plowed fields I was parked near. Immediately drove back into Carlsbad Caverns National Park, where I would have to wait until 8 a.m. before I could begin the exploration of the caverns. But I am infrequently bothered with delays as there is always something interesting to see.
I stopped to photograph the entry sign and found Northern Mockingbirds, Canyon Wren, and Black-chinned Sparrows singing their hearts out as the first blush of the sun was peeking over some distant mountains. I continue driving up the 6 mile road toward the entrance to the caverns.
There were a few little trails along the way but I only hiked one short trail to a bluff overlooking the valley below. I really enjoy interpretive trails and hope to emulate them soon at the Kern River Preserve; a Blue Grosbeak was singing his heart out trying to attract any female who might listen. All he seemed to do was annoy a rival male who gave chase. The trail was short but full of interesting information about the Chihuahuan Desert flora.
Soon it was closing in on the opening time to the caverns so I drove the rest of the way up the hill. I had heard of these magnificent caverns from my first husband as we hitchhiked our way across the country back in 1976. He spoke so glowingly of their magnificence, I have been anxious to go ever since. Pretty timely eh… only took me 33 years to finally get there!
I stood in line and found although my Interagency Passport allowed me to go through the Big Room, I wouldn’t get to explore the rest of the caverns, so got a ticket for the 10 a.m. Kings Room Guided Tour. A first for me on my Grand Adventure; I allowed someone else to control my time. As I was standing in line to go down the elevator, I noticed that several people were carrying jackets, which in 100º heat made me think, oh, cool in caverns. I asked and the guide said it averaged 56ºF in the caverns. Out to the car to grab a jacket and shed the binoculars and long lens, which made me miss the first elevator. Not a bad thing though the second elevator contained only me and the operator not the huge crowd that rode the first one down.
Grabbed a snack at the 750’ deep cavern and then ran off to explore the public cavern, the Big Room. It said it took an average of 1.5 to 2 hours to explore but I only had 43 minutes so I moved really quickly. The caves are full of amazing stalactites and stalagmites, well worth visiting at least once. Not at all claustrophobic as I had feared. I found it interesting seeing a Mennonite couple exploring the caverns dressed fully in the required clothing of their faith and looking very much like people out of the past while they were listening to their I-Pod. I smiled at the incongruity.
I then went on the paid tour with two Park Service employees. I find it interesting how depressed many of these employees seem. My dream job (besides the one I already have) would be to work at a National Park. I guess managers of Parks were most likely like the managers I had at the Forest Service, really didn’t care about the constituents, just about making sure their butts were covered. The Parks should really hire bright people who are interested in sharing information about the park that goes beyond the script.
It was interesting to listen to the story of the fellow who first explored the cave and how he almost killed himself groping in the pitch black when his coal oil lantern sputtered out while he was exploring a niche away from the light, but it seemed there were so many stories beyond the first explorer that could have been shared. I was taking loads of photos and a couple noticed I was shooting timed-exposures with a hand-held lens and they graciously offered to let me use the monopod they weren’t using. It came in quite handy but afterwards I noticed that even the shots I hand-held for up to 4-seconds came out pretty nice.
I spoke with our non-speaking guide after the tour about looking for birds and she brightened up so much, it was great! She told me about the Rattlesnake Spring area within the Park, which I went to after exploring the natural opening of the cave.
For adventurous souls, you can walk the mile and a half down into the cavern. Now it is paved and has handrails, but it still looked like quite a haul and I was happy to enjoy the caverns without an exhausting hike. The entrance has a seating area above it where the Park staff give a nightly program on the millions of Mexican Free-tailed Bats that exit the caverns. I didn’t stay around to watch that phenomenon but did enjoy a show of Cave Swallows that were nesting on the rocks at the entrance. A family was excitedly explaining all the bats flying about in the middle of the day, when the naturalist in me jumped out and corrected them and explained about the difference between diurnal, nocturnal and crepuscular animals. They seemed quite happy to learn something new which made me feel good. I stopped and took lots of photos for couples entering the cave, which also make me feel useful.
After leaving the main park, I went in search of the Rattlesnake Spring. What an amazing place to bird and naturalize! I saw many life dragonflies, butterflies and birds at the small area. I highly recommend it to any birder that goes to Carlsbad Caverns. I saw a Bell’s Vireo feeding a Bronzed Cowbird chick (a sad way to get a life-bird). After a really satisfying visit I was leaving and heard what sounded like a strange grosbeak or bunting… I looked and there was my life Painted Bunting. A flock of Wild Turkeys escorted me out of the park.
From there I drove to Guadalupe National Park in Texas. The skies were looking really ominous and I thought I might just stop for a while but looked at my schedule and against my better judgment drove into the thunderstorm. It was a decision I almost regretted later as the storm was beautiful with lightening striking all around but then the rains came and poured. The road was very wet and I hit a patch of road that was completely overwashed with rainwater. The tires, which I still hadn’t found a place to get replaced, lost traction and I went into the opposite traffic lane and then back across into the traffic lane next to me before I regained control. Fortunately, they were repaving the outside lane and the surface was extremely roughed up so my tires were able to regain traction. I drove along in the rough lane until the road was completely dry. Either during the lost traction time or on the rough road, my tire got a hole punched in the sidewall, which leaked out very slowly. I continued on keeping close watch on my low tire and stopped in Anthony, New Mexico to spend the night until I could get a hold of AAA in the morning.
170 miles

I met Liz at 7:30 a.m at Huntley Meadows Park in Alexandria, VA. This was a great park where I saw so many great birds and several lifers. The park has a trail that leads to a boardwalk along a marsh. I was so impressed with Liz’s love for nature and her brilliant observation skills, she saw so many things that I would have missed had she not pointed them out. It was such a thrill to bird with a true naturalist, a first since I left California.
I reluctantly left Liz’s company for lunch with my brother and his family. I rendezvoused with Margot at Rich’s house where I saw my nephews for the first time this trip. Alex and Zach certainly have grown. They are such cute kids and Kate and Rich are wonderfully doting parents. Rich and Kate recently bought this house after selling their condo with the help of the HGTV program “Get it Sold”. The ever passionate homeowner, Rich after giving us a quick tour of the house showed us his project… the backyard! His goal is to make it really kid friendly so tree removal, shrub relocating and land leveling are parts of the process. Margot and I helped do some weeding and raking before the rain put a stop to the project. After the rain shower, we all got some great Thai food and went to the local park with the boys. What a great playground. They played and played while we visited a bit. Then Margot and I returned to her home where packing for the continuing journey was on the agenda.
75 miles

I had always wanted to visit the White House but it was one stop I had never had the opportunity. My sister-in-law works for the Office of Management and Budget at the White House so I finagled a tour from her.

White House from Pennsylvania Avenue, no cameras are allowed inside the building.

A leisurely morning led to the Sunday morning Butterfly Ramble where I took a group of 15 enthusiastic nature lovers out butterflying. There were few butterflies, although on the trip down the Lee Vining Creek trail several Behr’s Hairstreak were found on their hostplant “Bitterbrush”. I then led the group to Mono County Park where just a few more butterflies were found. The weather just wasn’t cooperative for butterflying ; it was too cool and breezy.

I saw many year birds and mammals at Mono Lake Visitor Center and Mono County Park, but didn’t spend enough time to really bird well.

The end of the festival picnic was fun with a group selling delicious Indian tacos as a fundraiser for their group. There was music in the park which was OK but a bit loud for my taste, then a bird and other things calling contest… that was fun… lots of great imitations and then some not so great… I won second place for my imitation of a Spotted Owl. As a prize I received a book on Peregrine Falcons.

I didn’t take too many photos of Mono Lake this time. Just photographed the critters encountered during scouting and a few during the field trip to try to ID after. Seems not enough time to focus on good photography, too much ground to cover.

Leaving California behind for the next month, I entered Nevada and drove for what felt like billions of miles. Some amazing views of geology and desert vegetation. Mostly Great Basin Desert, was surprised to see occasional pockets of Joshua tree. I guess the Mojave reaches far up the state in some places.

Badger along Highway 6 in central Nevada

A surprise lake appeared in the middle of nowhere where I saw the only ducks in Nevada. This was a pretty spot to stop but a pair of Prairie Falcons found it to be annoying that I would do such a thing and became pretty agitated, I quickly shot a few photos and left so I wouldn’t continue disturbing their very apparent nesting area.

Almost out of Nevada, I stopped for gas and then headed down the road toward Bryce Canyon, thinking little towns are notorious for speed traps, I slowed to the requisite 25 mph albeit slowly in Panaca, NV, when the local sheriff quickly stopped me for going 27 mph. Still smiling over the horse, pronghorn, badger incident, I refused to let it bother me and related the story to the sheriff. He actually let me go with a warning (this was the first ticket I have ever talked a cop out of giving me even though no real cop would have given a ticket for that). The last thing I did before leaving Nevada was to insist that the gopher snake in the middle of the road find safer accommodations.

Finally arrived near Bryce at around 3 a.m. and stopped. I slept in my front seat on the side of the road because I was too tired to do anything else.

531 miles