A Scamper of Coatis

After my successful morning with Elegant Trogons, I thought I would spend the afternoon traveling up another Huachuca Mountain canyon. I decided on Carr Canyon, where I got several lifer birds such as Whiskered Screech Owl November 1999. My 4WD stint up the canyon was fairly rugged but generally uneventful. Saw a few Yellow-eyed Juncos which were new for this trip, but no other birds I hadn't seen as recent as this morning. It was on my way back downhill that things got interesting.

I was driving down a switchback and I jammed on the breaks as three Coati Mundis tore out of the bushes on the downhill side of the road, racing uphill. Now for starters, I thought Coatis were nocturnal but though they are related to racoons, they are largely creatures of the day, not of the night. I was excited and already disappointed thinking 'no photos!'  I drove along the road at .001 mph, and looking uphill saw a Coati peering at me from behind a bolder. When it saw I as looking at it, the animal ducked back. I was laughing when I happened to catch a glimpse of movement in my rear view mirror. A herd of Coati Mundis, behind me on the road were racing uphill. Grabbing my camera, and ran back up the road.

Leaping the channel

 As this Coati scrambled up the slope, it stopped for a long look at the weird human.

One Coati was as curious about me, as I was about it

All together I saw about a dozen Coatis. They ran across & over the dirt road, then scrambled up the hill.  I think I got photos of at least 2 different animals but the ones above are likely the same animal. All in all, my trip up Carr Canyon was a success even if I didn't see any new birds. I mean, it's not every day I get to see a 'lifer' mammal.

Canyon Towhee in Carr Canyon

In the afternoon I left my little inexpensive motel and headed for the little town of Patagonia. I visited the town birding back in 1999. Got a room in yet another cute little motel. Here the Barn Swallows dip and dive, taking great gulps of water from the motel pool, and perching on the light sconces. Tomorrow's plan call for birding Nature Conservency's Sonoita Patagonia Creek. 

I Heard the Trogon Call My Name

This morning, for the 3rd day in a row, I entered Fort Huachuca Army base, winding my way up the rough Fort Huachuca Canyon Road. Even before I got out of my car, a Connecticut Birder, also hoping to find an Elegant Trogon came over & spoke to me. We headed up canyon, on the opposite side I'd traversed the previous morning. Soon outpaced, I found myself marching stoically along by myself, when I heard a loud and raucous call echoing on the canyon walls. Huh... oh yeah, TROGON!

The repeated Trogon calls may have come from any of a b'jillion trees that covered the hillside. As soon as I keyed in on a spot, the bird moved, and the call repeated from a different area. Excited I backtracked downhill to locate the bird. I felt a wave of disparagement, I mean, no way I, born a po' Black child in the streets of New York - OK, not exactly born on the streets, more like born in a Brooklyn hospital - would ever see something as cool as a Trogon. In short, the damned bird was toying with me. Then suddenly the calling ceased; the bird had flown. Maybe it would return? I dropped onto a large canyon stone in the middle of what must have once been a riverlet, and waited.

Nothing happened.

Female Trogon - photo
NOT mine

Yeah, no Trogon for me. I slowly headed back downhill, my face screwed up into a frown. Then I heard the Trogon again - was it closer? I looked up, and there it was...  I looked upon the beautiful back of a grayish & coppery tailed female Trogon. This was a landmark moment - I lifted my camera, taking careful aim - gently pushed the shutter, and nothing happened. Stunned I stared at the camera - no flash disk. I tell you, the dark thoughts that filled my mind would have made a banshee cry & bolt.

The female trogon was the prettiest thing I thought I'd ever seen. Her long coppery tail hung elegantly below her gray back and she ignored me. I took out my iPhone, the only other camera I had about me, and frantically took several shots in the direction of the bird who sat on a vertically hanging limb. Here's the shot - promise not to laugh?

Anything in there look like a Trogon to you?

She took off, and though I relocated her twice more, soon she flew off. With unexpected energy I bulleted downhill to my car, fetched the missing flash disk and bounded back uphill. An hour later, I still hadn't relocated the Trogon so gloomily I trudged back downhill; no exciting photo of my 'lifer' Trogon. Woa, is me, eh?

The second time I returned to my car, I again heard a Trogon. Soon I scrambled across a small creek, and treked a short distance uphill, staring eagerly towards the insistent barking of a Trogon. I spotted a bird! This one was a bright irridecent green, a male and though he was a speck in the tree brambles, any photo beats no photo and after I got several shots, as the bird traversed a few yards - called - traversed a few more yards - called - then flew off across the road to the opposite slope.

I followed the bird and joyfully, only a stone's throw away from it. Here are some of my shots.

View of his cherry red belly during take off

It isn't every new species on my life list that leaves me in such a state of HOLY CRAP! Uh... I meant, in such a state of joyful revery. Seeing tropical beauties I'd never thought I see, let alone find on my own, left me feeling like the luckiest grown up Brooklyn street urchin, E-VAH!

Lots of Bridled Titmouses in the Huachuca Mountains