eutamias dorsalis
Thursday, April 5, 1984 — 9:50 am
Coronado National Forest, Arizona — Mt. Lemmon
We stopped at an overlook about halfway up the mountain. The chipmunks were standing upright just below us at the base of a 4’ rock wall. When I first saw them, they were looking up at us. We threw out some bread crumbs to attract (successfully) some Steller’s Jays. The chipmunks ran rapidly about the rocks on the slope eating the crumbs.
psaltriparus (from psaltria, player of the lute, and parus, titmouse) minimus (least)
Thursday, April 5, 1984 — 9:30 am
Coronado National Forest, Arizona — Mt. Lemmon
On our final day in Arizona, we drove to the top of Mt. Lemmon. It was a long, winding trip from cactus desert to evergreen forest blanketed with snow. Before we were very far up, a Coati ran across the road in front of the car, paused briefly on a rock, then disappeared into the brush downhill.
We stopped at several overlooks on the way and got out of the car to look around. At one of these stops, after looking at the view over the valley, I spotted two small birds flitting about in the oak/pinyon/juniper belt. They were chasing each other bush to bush on the slope above the parking lot. I left my family and climbed the slope. About thirty yards up, I got a good look at two Bushtits.
nasua narica
Thursday, April 5, 1984 — 9:10 am
Coronado National Forest, Arizona — Mt. Lemmon
On our last day in Arizona, we spent the morning on Mt. Lemmon. We had just started up, passing through the pinyon/juniper level when I spotted the Coati.It was standing in the road as we rounded a bend. It ran to the side of the road, climbed on a small boulder and looked at us for a moment. It then turned and ran downhill into the trees and brush.
It was the size of a medium dog. It held its very long tail straight upright. It had a long, pointed nose and long legs. It was tan-brown overall with some white on its face.
parabuteo (from para, near, and buteo, hawk) unicinctus (from unus, one, and cinctus, girdled)
Wednesday, April 4, 1984 — 7:00 pm, just a few minutes after the sun dipped below the horizon
Saguaro National Monument, Arizona — West Unit
My mom, my wife and I drove to the West Unit of Saguaro.
We drove around a bit, looking at the saguaros, then sat in a picnic shelter on a small rise and took in the sights and smells of a desert sunset.
As we were driving slowly toward the park entrance, I spotted a Harris’s Hawk perched on top of a saguaro in a thick stand. I set up my scope inside the van and got a good look. The hawk was scraggly looking, like it was molting, and it had almost no feathers on its head. It sat looking around for a few minute, then flew off out of sight.
molothrus (vagabond) aeneus (of bronze)
Tuesday, April 3, 1984 — 12:30 pm
Amado, Arizona — Cow Palace Restaurant
We stopped before we got to the Mexican border at the Cow Palace Restaurant. This place is right off Interstate 19, surrounded by scrubby desert. After I ate, I wandered outside into the parking lot.
A Bronzed Cowbird was sitting high in a tree right in front of the parked van. I had no trouble identifying it in spite of the fact that it was missing most of its neck feathers.
