NAMC: Pinal County, Arizona

Darlene, John, and I spent Saturday morning in southern Pinal County as our contribution to the North American Migration Count. It was a beautiful desert spring day, chilly in the morning down in the washes and hot-hot-hot by 8:00 am.

Our route took us from the bottom of Willow Springs Road to the top of grandiosely titled Black Mountain, across State Trust land and past private ranches. By the time we were done, we’d come up with 65 species, including a surprising Pine Siskin. More expected migrants included the usual Western Tanagers, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Lazuli Buntings, and Townsend’s, Wilson’s, and MacGillivray’s Warblers.

The birding was fun–when is it not?–and there were some nice bonuses from the other realms of nature, too. It was still early and cool when a smallish Western Diamondback came onto the road in front of the vehicle; we ushered it into the ditch, worried that another driver might be less solicitous of a rattlesnake’s well-being. Zebra-tailed Lizards and various whiptails were everywhere on the roads and trails, and one stop gave us this fine fellow.

If I can find my field guide, I’ll try to figure out just which Phrynosoma this was. After carefully moving the cholla joint out of the way, I put my hand on the ground and he scooted onto it, docile as they usually are.

Photo by John Harned

Higher, on the flank of Black Mountain, Darlene spotted a pinkish snake–perhaps a Coachwhip–as it disappeared beneath a stock tank. When we wandered over to look for the serpent, we found a leak in the tank and a small party of puddling spring azures, marine blues, and pipevine swallowtails.

The most amazing insect I saw all day, though, was a bright pink wasp nectaring in the mesquite flowers.

Mark my words: the next big thing in natural history hobbies is going to be waspwatching!