Listing Through Life

spizella (finch) atrogularis (from atri, black, and qula, throat)

Saturday, March 31, 1984 — 4:30 pm

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

I left my wife and mom chatting in the picnic area and wandered.  I saw three lifer sparrows in such quick succession, and for such a short duration, that I don’t remember much.

I was strolling through a wash/valley between rocky, scrub-covered hills in a saguaro forest.  I spotted a female Black-chinned Sparrow foraging on the ground.  As I watched, it flew up and perched in a nearby bush.

zonotrichia (from zone, girdle, and trichos, hair) atricappila (black-haired)

Saturday, March 31, 1984 — 3:40 pm

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

Mom brought us to this particular picnic area to see this particular bird.  It had been there all winter long, and she and Dad had seen it several times.  Southern Arizona is out of its range, and birders had been coming from miles around to see it after it was reported on the hot line.  Mom was very proud that she had pointed it out to some pros.

We sat down at one of the picnic tables in the midst of a saguaro forest in a rocky, hilly area with a lot of scrub and prickly-pear cactus.  Mom crumbled cookies on the ground and moments later a flock of White-crowned Sparrows showed up. Sure enough, with all the White-crowns was a lone Golden-crowned Sparrow, foraging for the crumbs.

Our cookies also attracted Rock Squirrels, Harris’ Antelope Squirrels, Cactus Wrens, Northern Cardinals, Curve-billed Thrashers, and Gambel’s Quails.

colaptes (hammer, to peck with bill) chrysoides

Saturday, March 31, 1984 — 3:40 pm

Saguaro National Monument, East Unit, Arizona

When I saw this bird, it was considered con-specific with the Northern Flicker.  When it was made a species in its own right (again) I decided it would be easier to add it here than to renumber my entire list.

My mom took my wife and me to Saguaro where she had spotted the Golden-crowned Sparrow earlier in the year.  While we were feeding cookie crumbs to the White-crowned Sparrows, the Golden-crowned, and a variety of squirrels, I spotted the Gilded Flicker.

It was perched on the side of a saguaro in the picnic area, in a hilly, rocky saguaro forest with a lot of scrub and prickly pear cactus.

ammospermophilus harrisi

Saturday, March 31, 1984 — 3:30 pm

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

Mom took us to the desert picnic area to see a Golden-crowned Sparrow. We brought cookies and scattered the crumbs to attract birds. We also attracted several squirrels.

citellus variegatus

March 31, 1984 — 3:30 pm

Saguaro National Monument, Arizona — East Unit

Mom took us here to see a Golden-crowned Sparrow that she discovered earlier in the winter. We sat on a picnic bench and threw cookie crumbs on the ground. The sparrow came, and so did several squirrels, this Rock Squirrel with them.

I later saw another one sitting upright on top of a 20-foot rock on a hill in the nearby desert.