Canyon Towhee - Photo by Rebecca Purvis
“I always check out these trees for sapsuckers,” Rebecca said as we headed down the paved remains of the old road. “See the sapsucker holes? We have found Red-naped Sapsuckers here in the past.” However, no sapsuckers today.
Western Wood Peewee Photo by Rebecca Purvis
An American Robin called from the trees on our left, as did a Bewick’s Wren. We continued walking down the old road.
A Plumbeous Vireo was singing as it gleaned insects in a shrub on the hillside to our right. When someone commented on its slate-gray plumage, Donna explained, “plumbeous is from the latin word meaning gray or lead.”
Further along we heard a Spotted Towhee calling. It was one five that we saw during our time in the canyon. And then a Hairy Woodpecker flew across the road and landed in a tree.
Near the top of the cliff on the far side of the arroyo, two Black-throated Green Warblers flitted in a conifer.
Large yellow butterflies floated from plant to plant. When I caught a glimpse of yellow movement out of the corner of my eye, I kept expecting to see a bird and was surprised when it was a warbler-sized butterfly.
Next we headed down to the Cedro Creek Nature Trail. Brown-headed Cowbirds swooped through the canyon. Since 29 people were participating on this walk, it was too large of a group to follow along the trail together, so we broke into two groups.
Movement in a low juniper caught the attention of those in our group. Two Juniper Titmice were foraging. In the same area we could hear a warbler singing. It almost sounded like a Yellow Warbler, but was a Virginia’s. Our group never saw it; however, those in the other group were lucky to spot it.
Another warbling song emanated from the trees above the trail. “A Yellow-rumped Warbler,” Boyd said. “That’s the second one so far.”
At the fork in trail, trip leader Lannois took our group up the Tunnel Trail. As we headed up towards the ridge we saw first a female and further along the male Western Tanager. Its red and gold plumage was like a small beacon in the trees. A Mountain Chickadee called from a conifer, and a White-breasted Nuthatch scavenged insects under the bark. Before we headed back, we stopped to watch a Red-tailed Hawk circling over the canyon below.
Gray Flycatcher - Photo by Rebecca Purvis
When we were almost back, a rapid warbling song alerted us to a Warbling Vireo. There were two of them foraging in a large scrub oak, occasionally popping into view.
We stopped to see what Kirstoff, an archeologist from Switzerland, had found. He pointed out rocks with creolite.
Another great day of birding.
