Bird Watchers, Birdin’ and Twitchers

OK, lets start by talking about the growing enjoyment of bird watching, birding and twitching in the southwest. Twitching has no association with witching, as in water witching, that’s another southwest subject. This whole idea of bird watching began on the east coast. As the English inhabited our land so did their passion for watching birds. In fact, naturalist John Audubon’s art was mainly to inform the English royalty of the newfound birds on this newfound continent called America.

What the English still call Twitchers (or twitchah), came to be known by us as bird watchers and later shortened to birders. Are you a Birder? Then you are into Birdin’, Birding, and Twitching! Whether you drop the ending ‘g’ in your pronunciation, it has nothing to do with your passion. It just identifies where you’re from Son, like the southwest!

It’s like the flap over the pronunciation of bird names. For instance, Lazu-lie Bunting or La-zú- lee Bunting? I have heard this jargon rift between articulate field birders right in the field! I mean; how do you pronounce Lazuli? When you experience seeing this beautiful bird in the field, they look nearly the same as the artwork in the field guide and the page gives no course in pronunciation. Anyway, some fast user of local rare-bird binoculars can always sound more important. When you’re second at seeing anything you must be less than first, right? So, then, that’s proof that you do not know how to pronounce Lazuli Bunting! Then again, you may be a visiting Twitcher, well educated in the kings English and art of articulating pronunciation—My deah, how do you pronounce Lazuli? She answers, “ask any Italian, surely they know Latin!”

But, more to the point about birding—the riparian areas of the entire southwest are hotspots of bird activity during the spring and fall migrations. This is especially true of southeast Arizona and western New Mexico.

I did some serious birdin’ in mid-May in the Santa Rita and Huachuca mountains of southern Arizona. I stayed at a great B&B called The Chuparosa Inn, in Madera Canyon. (Chuparosa is hummingbird in Español) These mountains lie directly south of Tucson when going east on highway 19 toward Nogales. Birding in southeast Arizona is about as good as it gets in this part of the country. Very beautiful, and different birds migrate up from South America and Mexico to places like Madera Canyon, Patagonia, Miller Canyon and Cave Creek in the Santa Rita and Huachuca Mountains. Birders and Twitchers from all over the world seek out these locations in the spring of the year.

In four days I was able to identify over 90 different species of birds. Three were first-timers for me—life listers, which is always a great experience. One was a Violet-crowned hummer and one was a Sulfur-bellied Flycatcher! Both are among the more difficult-to-find, at least for me. I also encountered a pair of Elegant Trogons in Madera Canyon, always a great sighting, since only a couple of pair are thought to be nesting in the area in recent years. The typical beauties like the Vermillion Flycatcher, Painted Redstart, Broad-billed and Magnificent Hummingbirds were fairly common in the canyons. I did miss seeing the Refaced Warbler. Oh well, that’s a good reason to go back!

Many come in search of the numerous species of colorful hummingbirds that show up here during nesting season. The peak time for searching out hummingbirds, if that is your interest, is July and August. There are eighteen species of hummingbirds found in the US. The eastern US has just one species, the Ruby-throated hummer. However, seventeen more species of these flying jewels have been recorded throughout the southwest, including, on occasion, the Ruby-throated.

Here are a couple of hot spots (no pun intended) that might produce some rarities. Try the feeders at the well-known Patton’s residence near the entrance to Patagonia Reserve. The Violet Crowned hummers regularly show up here. Also, a good place to observe many species of hummingbirds, including the gorgeous Blue-throated, is at the feeders at Beatty’s Orchard up in Miller Canyon. That’s off highway 90, in the Huachuca mountains. Bring your marking pen and life journal, you’ll be making memorable some notes!

So whether you are birdin’ or twitchin’, and no matter how you pronounce it, it’s one of the great out-door adventures of the southwest. And as to whether it’s Lazu-lie or La-zú-lee Bunting? Well, find a Twitcher and ask how the king pronounces Lazuli Bunting — or just enjoy the birding experience. There was time that I didn’t even say Twitchah, now I are one!

Ed Keenan © 6-02

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