spizella (finch) breweri (given in 1856 by John Cassin, Philadelphia ornithologist, in honor of Thomas M. Brewer, Boston physician, ornithologist, and friend of John James Audubon)
Monday, April 2, 1984 — 7:30 am
Coronado National Forest, Arizona — Sabino Canyon Recreation Area
My mom and wife dropped me off at the entrance to the recreation area at 7:00 a.m. I was the only person there, and I’m not sure the place was even open. I walked past the visitor center and across the flats toward the canyon. It was chilly that early in the morning, and I had on my heavy green roofing sweatshirt and a down vest. As I started up the trail, a Roadrunner walked ahead of me, keeping about 20 yards away.
I was still on the flats, in a saguaro forest with a lot of scrub, when I spotted the Brewer’s Sparrows. They were perched in a mesquite next to the road. They flew to another mesquite near a small water hole.