The Drip

26
Written by cabanisi

The above image shows a Cardinal in the Arizona desert.

A month ago I was traveling through Arizona and New Mexico to visit with family. There was some flexibility in my schedule, so I made sure to visit a few of the birding hot spots of the region. One of those places was Madera Canyon in the Santa Rita Mountains of southern Arizona. Having lived in the area once before, I had an idea of what kinds of birds to expect.

My first stop was a trail head near the foothills of the Santa Rita range, just outside of the entrance to Madera Canyon. I arrived early in the morning hoping to beat the heat, and there was only one other car in the parking lot. It warmed up quickly.

The habitat is dry, shrubby desert:

Much to my surprise, the first bird I saw was this lovely Summer Tanager:

Summer Tanagers are not unusual in the Southwest, but they are normally seen among the taller trees that grow along stream and river banks. I couldn’t understand what one of these brilliant birds was doing out there, far from the shade trees in the canyon.

But presently, my attention was drawn to a water pipe with a leaking valve that was set in a far corner of the parking lot.

A Canyon Towhee was checking it out:

There was hardly more than a film of water on the pavement, but it was enough to attract birds from near and far who were thirsty for a sip, like this Cardinal:

Right away, it was obvious that this would be a great spot to stake out with the camera. I decided to stop there again on my way out of the canyon later in the day, when the sun would be in a more favorable position.

I’m glad I did. But by the time I returned, temperatures were above one-hundred degrees Fahrenheit, and I was already hot and tired from hiking in the canyon. Nevertheless, I sat on a curb in the thin, dappled shade of a mesquite and waited.

One of the first birds to come in was another Summer Tanager, a gorgeous golden female this time:

Unlike most of the other birds, her method was to cling to a chain attached to the valve and sip from the source:

The Cardinal shown at the top of the page came and looked things over before taking his turn:

Most of the birds looking for a drink were Mockingbirds, which can be fairly common in Southwestern deserts:

Black-throated Sparrows are perhaps more typical desert birds:

As is this beautiful Varied Bunting, who used the same technique as the tanager to get his drink:

There were a few other species that showed up, like Blue Grosbeaks and more Canyon Towhees. A Hooded Oriole kept away, and after an hour, I decided it was probably past time to back off so that any more timid birds might come in.

Thanks for reading, and may you be at ease.

26 Comments

    1. Thanks, Takami! It did make me think about the beautiful photos you made of Cardinals last winter, and how very different the setting was. It’s funny how they are absent from the western US except for southern Arizona. 😊

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  6. Mike, Thanks for these beautiful shots of the desert birds, and your patience to get these photos. For me, a great vicarious treat!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks, John. I appreciate your comment. I like a saturated, but natural look, and at least some details in the shadows. But I often let cell phone snapshots lean toward more lurid colors.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  12. Pingback: Riparian – Feathers & Leaves

Leave a comment