Listing Through Life

aphelocoma (from apheles, smooth, and kome, hair) ultramarina (blue)

Sunday, April 1, 1984 — 9:45 am

Coronado National Forest, Arizona — Road between Continental and Sonoita

We continued along the dirt road through the scrubby, rocky Santa Rita Mountains. The road cut through a pass along the edge of a canyon, with a drop of 150 feet on the right and a wall of rock on the left. In the foothills on the east side, we spotted some large, blue Mexican Jays flying through the scattered oaks. We pulled over to watch as they flew tree to tree, calling loudly.

pyrocephalus (from pyros, fire, and kephale, head) rubinus (red)

Sunday, April 1, 1984 — 9:00 am

Coronado National Forest, Arizona — Road from Continental to Sonoita

This is an incredibly beautiful bird. We were driving along the same road where I had seen the Phainopeplas. It had turned from blacktop to gravel as it cut through the scrubby foothills of the Santa Rita Mountains.

I spotted the Vermilion Flycatcher as it flew past the van and landed on a low branch in a mesquite about 15 yards away. I screamed for Mom to stop, and we watched it for a few minutes. It then took off and disappeared.

phainopepla (shining robe) nitens (shining)

Sunday, April 1, 1984 — 8:35 am

Pima County, Arizona — Road from Continental to Madera Canyon

My family and I got up early and headed south to do more birding. The areas we visited this day are among the most famous birding areas in the country, and I was excited just thinking about birding there. They didn’t disappoint.

We were driving along a narrow road near Florida Wash through flats covered with mesquite dripping with mistletoe. Mom pulled the van to the side of the road, and we got out to watch a pair of Phainopeplas. They were flying tree to tree, stopping very briefly between flights. The male was very beautiful, a shiny jet-black with large white wing patches that flashed in flight. It had a pointy crest, a thin bill and red eyes. The female was similar, with slate gray replacing the black.

amphispiza (from amphi, around, and spiza, finch, “finch on both sides”) bilineata (two-striped)

Saturday, March 31, 1984 — 4:40 pm

Saguaro National Monument, Arizona — Rincon Mountain Unit — Javelina Picnic Area

I was still in the same rocky wash/valley where I saw my lifer Black-chinned and Rufous-crowned Sparrows when I saw this Black-throated Sparrow.  It was further up the side of the scrub-covered hillside, foraging on the ground underneath a prickly pear cactus.

aimophila (from haima, blood-colored, and philos, loving) ruficeps (from rufus, red, and caput, head)

Saturday, March 31, 1984 — 4:35 pm

Saguaro National Monument, Arizona — Rincon Mountain Unit — Javelina Picnic Area

I spotted this Rufous-crowned Sparrow in the same rock-strewn wash/valley where I saw the Black-chinned Sparrow, but this bird was down at the very bottom.  It was perched in a small tree about twenty yards away from me.  It ducked down into the brush, and I couldn’t follow because it was on the other side of a fence.