Listing Through Life

aquila (eagle) chrysaetos (from chrysos, golden, and aetos, eagle)

Sunday, April 1, 1984 — 4:35 pm

Coronado National Forest, Arizona — Ramsey Canyon Preserve

As amazed as I was by the hummingbird show, I tore myself away to watch a Golden Eagle. It was soaring in circles high above the canyon. The walls of the canyon were very high, and the eagle was high above the walls. It wasn’t a great view, but I saw it clearly. After watching it soar for several minutes, I saw it tuck its wings and stoop out of sight in a series of dives.

The next day I got a much better view of a Golden Eagle in Sabino Canyon. I was hiking up the canyon when I saw one soar to a ledge on the cliff side of the road. The group of people who happened to be near me dismissed it as a vulture and walked off. As soon as they rounded a bend out of sight, the eagle took off and circled the valley low overhead, and I had it all to myself. It steadily circled higher until it reached the level of the canyon walls, then it glided out of sight over the ridge.

eugenes (well-born) fulgens (to gleam, glitter)

Sunday, April 1, 1984 — 4:35 pm

Coronado National Forest, Arizona — Ramsey Canyon Preserve

The Rivoli’s Hummingbirds were hovering at the feeders by the cabins and perching in nearby bushes and trees along the creek. They were called Magnificent Hummingbirds when I saw them.

archilochus (from archi– chief, and lochos, ambush) alexandri (given in 1846 in France by Bourcier and Musant for a medical doctor, M. M. Alexandre, who collected birds in Mexico)

Sunday, April 1, 1984 — 4:30 pm

Coronado National Forest, Arizona — Ramsey Canyon Preserve

In all the years I’ve been birding, of all the places I’ve been, this is my favorite. It has to do partly with the birds I saw there and partly with the beauty of the place. We reached it up a rutted dirt road that wound between the narrow, steep walls. A small creek snaked down the canyon through thick woods, predominantly pine. I headed toward two small cabins near the creek where several hummingbird feeders were hanging in nearby trees.

The specialty of Ramsey Canyon is the hummingbirds. We were too early in the year to see it at its best, but it was still impressive. I was amazed. And frozen stiff. It was cold down on the floor of the canyon in the shade but nothing could have made me move. My fingers were shortly numb. There were quite a few people watching the feeders.

Many hummingbirds were in the area. They would dart out of the trees along the creek, hover around the feeders for a few seconds or minutes, then dart back into the trees. This was the predominant species. They were buzzing around and occasionally perching on nearby bushes and tree branches.

junco (rush-colored) phaeonotus (from phaios, dusky, and notan, back)

Sunday, April 1, 1984 — 4:10 pm

Coronado National Forest, Arizona — Ramsey Canyon Preserve

We drove south to Ramsey Canyon which is owned by the Nature Conservancy. As soon as we arrived, I spotted the Yellow-eyed Juncos on a feeder, on the ground, and in nearby trees.

aeronautes (from aer, air, and nautes, sailor) saxatilis (rock)

Sunday, April 1, 1984 — 1:20 pm

Patagonia, Arizona — Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Sanctuary

The White-throated Swifts were flying high over the woods along the creek and over the surrounding fields.  Their wings seemed to flap alternately, like a Chimney Swift’s.