My Winter Trip to Arizona 2018-2019

September 26, 2018  I arrived at Sunny Flat Campground yesterday. I made a quick drive down, stopping at Sidney, NE; Storrey Lake State Park near Las Vegas, New Mexico; and at Valley of Fire National Monument near Corrizozo, New Mexico. I tried some bat photography last night with mediocre results but tonight I'm getting the laser trigger set up and that should make it much easier. I hope. It is green and moist here from recent rains. I paid for five days and will probably stay longer than that. No phone service or internet unless I drive into Portal. I posted some new images at the LINK.

September 27, 2018  Last night I set up my laser trigger. It is a real pain to get everything working, but once it is working, it works great. I can leave the setup unattended and go look for other interesting night creatures while it photographs bats for me. I have to delete a lot of photos, but out of 89 last night, I got about 15 really nice flight shots. I put some new images at the LINK.

September 28, 2018  I will need to keep a close eye on the weather. The remnants of Hurricane Rosa are going to pass over Arizona, probably on Sunday or Monday. It was just a few years ago that a similar event flooded Cave Creek and washed out the road. I don't want to be in here if that happens. The last forecast I saw was for the system to go mainly to the west of here, which would be good for Ajo because the rain is really needed out there. Still likely to get several inches of rain here. Last night I did more bat photography. I think I am done with that for awhile now and will go looking for other creatures tonight. Some new images at the LINK.

September 30, 2018  Still here in Cave Creek. I haven't decided whether to stay or move. Friday night I was out looking for nocturnal animals when a large beetle crash landed on the windshield of the truck. It turned out to be a female Western Hercules Beetle, probably the largest species of beetle I've ever seen. Last night I put out the blacklight hoping to attract a male. I had lots of interesting insects come in, including a male Western Hercules Beetle. Some new images at the LINK.

October 1, 2018  I'm still here, paid for three more days. The rain is mostly out west, Ajo has already got around 3 inches and more on the way, especially tonight. No rain here yet, except for some light rain last night.. Last night I did more blacklighting and had a really good showing of insects. I would have stayed out much later but the rain shut me down. I put some new images at the LINK. When I get to a place with better internet, I will get ID's on these new insects from BugGuide.net and update the photos.

October 5, 2018  I'm in Ajo now. No new photos but I am getting the astrophotography equipment set up for tonight. Might add something later or tomorrow.

October 8, 2018  It has been nice weather but kind of damp. Heavy dew every night and more rain too. Now it looks like another tropical storm will bring rain to the area by Friday. I haven't had too much luck with photography but I will post a few new photos at the LINK.

October 9, 2018  Another nice day in the Sonoran Desert. High around 80. Hiked in McGrady Wash this morning and found another little spadefoot. Lots of lizards but all the same species I see everywhere I go. Zebra-tailed, Side-blotched, Ornate Tree, and Tiger Whiptail. Right now, I've got the astrophotography gear running. Some photos from today and last night at the LINK.

October 10, 2018 Yet another nice day. I went to Highway Tank to look for toads and only found one. But that was enough. More astro last night. I think I'm too tired to stay up again tonight. More photos at the LINK.

October 12, 2018 I set up the black light tonight, mostly hoping to attract some bats to my bat water feature. I was sitting by the black light sheet and shining the flashlight around when I spotted a snake under the Scamp. Closer examination revealed a Sidewinder, a species of rattlesnake I've never seen before. Check the LINK for photos. More rain coming later tonight, it has been a soggy and humid. A Pallid Bat is out there now, scooping up the insects attracted to my black light, I sure hope I can get photos of it eventually.

October 13, 2018  More rain last night and today, about 1/2 inch altogether and might not be done yet. After posting the photos last night I went back out to the black light sheet and found an adult Couch's Spadefoot feasting on the insects. I was hoping for the weather to straighten out so I could try again tonight but it doesn't look too promising right now. I put some new images at the LINK.

October 14, 2018  This morning at Lake Ajo (sewage treatment ponds) there was a large number of swallows and among them some swifts, right away I spotted a Vaux's Swift, a life bird for me. I got the typical crummy swift/swallow photos but good enough to see what it is. It pays off to come to Ajo early, as long as its not too hot. Hiked up in some rocky hillsides this afternoon looking for snakes and did not find any, just more Red-spotted Toads. I have the black light up now and there are bats flying around but none come to my water. I put some new photos at the LINK.

October 15, 2018  I think it has cooled down enough to slow everything down. It is supposed to warm up again later in the week and I hope this brings the herps back out. Hiked around the hills west of Ajo, found a new flower but not too much else. I put some new images at the LINK.

October 16, 2018  Bird migration is picking up, saw my first Red-naped Sapsuckers and Lawrence's Goldfinches today. More ducks at Lake Ajo, but this afternoon, just before sunset migrating Lesser Nighthawks descended on the ponds and were feeding on the midges, there must have been over 100 of them swarming around the area, I was too busy trying to get photos to count them but it would have been impossible anyway. I put a few new images at the LINK.

October 18, 2018  Weather continues to be about at perfect as it can get. The nighthawks show up every evening about the same time, I keep trying for good flight shots but they rarely come close and when they do it is very difficult to keep them in the frame and focused, they flight fast and erratic. But I keep trying. I get about 15-20 minutes before the sun sets. Some new images at the LINK.

October 20, 2018   NASA has a website called Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD). Today's feature is the Cat's Eye Nebula I tried to image awhile back. Check this LINK to see a great image of the nebula. Makes me want to try it again. It is hot today, about 90 F. I did some hiking this morning and have been getting some photos of interesting insects and archnids. See the LINK for recent images.

October 21, 2018  More black lighting last night. Got a few new species and some nice photos. It was still over 70 F. at midnight when I went to bed. I put some new images at the LINK.

October 23, 2018  And even more black lighting. But last night I got caught up in something else too, a little desert mouse. This morning I birded around the golf course and found a Belted Kingfisher, first one I've ever seen around Ajo. I put some new images at the LINK.

October 24, 2018  I had a visitor move into the truck. I started finding mouse turds in the bed of the truck, so I set a trap. I'm pretty tolerant of things moving in, but rodents are not allowed to live in the truck, they might start chewing wires which can cause a variety of problems, not least of which is fires. Anyway, I caught it, a Cactus Mouse, the first one I've seen. Since I saw the Sidewinder, I've been looking for it at night, as I was not too pleased with the effect the ring flash had on the photos I got. Tonight I found a different one. More images are at the LINK.

October 25, 2018  Drove up to Buckeye yesterday to get the truck's oil changed and then stocked up at Walmart. Today I drove down to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and took the Ajo Mountain Loop. I was interested to see what it looked like after all the recent rain. According to the National Weather Service, that area got 5-6 inches of rain from the remnants of Hurricane Rosa. It was sure green, lots of flowers, and some good critters. I hiked Diablo Canyon and Estes Canyon. I put a few new images at the LINK.

October 30, 2018  Seems like things are slowing down as it gets drier again. I did have a few surprises today. Cooler weather is moving in now and I'm ready for that. I posted a few new images at the LINK.

November 2, 2018  I'm still finding nice surprises after sunset. According to the National Weather Service Ajo had the wettest October on record with nearly 6 inches of rain. It shows, everything is green and leafed out, many plants are flowering. I put some new images at the LINK.

November 3, 2018  Black lighting last night wasn't too productive, lots of moths but nothing new. I was hoping for more Calleta Silkmoths but no luck. Best find was a Bark Scorpion. Today, I had a great hike in the Little Ajo Mountains that produced a lifer snake species. Some images at the LINK.

November 9, 2018  Cooler weather is slowing things down but I'm still finding new plants and animals. This has been an amazing fall here in the Sonoran Desert. My bat pond has not attracted any bats so far but lots of birds are starting to use it, including some Lawrence's Goldfinches. I put some new images at the LINK.

November 12, 2018  Cool and windy today, this morning my thermometer read 35 F. That is about 10 degrees colder than it was supposed to get. I have had a couple of nights of astrophotography and today found a Red-breasted Sapsucker at the golf course. This is probably the nicest one I've ever seen and I'm hoping for more photos tomorrow. I put some new images at the LINK.

November 16, 2018 Warm days and cold nights, it got down to near freezing last night but is mid-70's now. My water feature that I hoped would attract bats is becoming a magnet for birds instead. This morning I shot some nice photos right out the back window of the Scamp. I put some at the LINK. I set up a blind by the water and tomorrow I hope for some even better shots.

November 20, 2018  Not too much new here, I've been photographing birds at the water by my campsite. It is really nice to be able to put the 500 f4 on a tripod and use it for close-up birds. I put some new images at the LINK.

November 25, 2018  I've been doing more birding around the area. It seems that birds are not as concentrated since the drought has ended, but are more spread out over the desert, especially in arroyos and washes. A few nice surprises in the last few days, see images at the LINK.

November 27, 2018  Did some astrophotography last night. Otherwise, I've just been hiking around and looking for birds and photographing more birds at my water. Now there is some rain in the forecast, looks like the next week may be cool and somewhat wet. More new images at the LINK.

November 30, 2018  A little rain last night, not enough to do much except keep the dust down. It has been windy and cool. I have mostly been looking for new birds in the area. Now that the full moon is fading away, it seems to be cloudy every night, so no new astrophotography. Some new images at the LINK.

December 7, 2018  It remains cool here, and has been rainy the last day or so. Just light rain, it hasn't amounted to much. There was frost on the pickup several mornings. The Cabeza Prieta Natural History Association has been getting started up for the winter, so there was a field trip and a membership meeting yesterday. I have been getting a few nights of astrophotography and some interesting birds. New images at the LINK.

December 18, 2018  Seems like the days just speed by. I've been busy with the Christmas Bird Counts and today is the last day for count week in the Ajo CBC circle. Picked up a few more count week birds this morning, including the Red-breasted Sapsucker that we missed on count day, four Northern Shovelers, and some Cedar Waxwings. Had a Gray Vireo on count day for the first time in three years. It is the strangest year, there are still Lesser Nighthawks here too. Had a first ever Cassin's Vireo for the Lukeville CBC, in Alamo Canyon. I put some new images at the LINK.

December 23, 2018  The last couple of nights I've been trying for some better photos of Merriam's Kangaroo Rat. I got one tonight that I really like. It looks some much colder weather moving in this week, it will be dropping down into the low 30's at night for awhile. I put a few new images at the LINK.

December 29, 2018  It has gotten pretty cold here. I had ice on my little pond this morning. Only warmed up to around 50 and will be cold again tonight. Could be worse, I know, a lot worse. Nice thing about being in the Sonoran Desert is the cold won't last too long. I finally got a chance to do some astrophotography last night and posted a couple of new images at the LINK.

December 30, 2018  More ice on the pond this morning. There is actually a chance of snow on Monday night now. That would be a first for me to see in the Sonoran Desert. I've always wanted to photograph Saguaro cactus with snow on them. I'm trying to get caught up on a backlog of photos today and have posted some new ones at the LINK.

January 1, 2019  Cold weather continues here. It should start to warm up in a couple of days. I am out doing astrophotography again tonight, the sky is clear as a bell but I don't think the atmosphere is very stable, the stars are twinkling alot. I'll try anyway. I posted a few more images at the LINK.

January 3, 2019  Finally the cold weather is starting to break down, up into the 50's today. I will be glad to see more normal temperatures here. Yesterday I drove north to the Gila Bend area and visited some agricultural lands west of town. I put some new images at the LINK.

January 5, 2019  Warmer weather is feeling pretty good here. Tonight, a large area of rain will be moving in. The spring bloom here should be incredible with all the rain. I've been doing astrophotography every night lately. More images at the LINK.

January 11, 2019  Today I drove over to Madera Canyon to look for the White-throated Thrush that was found there two days ago. This is the first record for Arizona and there are only a few other records north of Mexico, all the others were in Texas. I saw one of those earlier White-throated Thrush in Texas back in 2011, but I didn't get any photos of that bird. I put some new images at this LINK and some new images of a Bell's Sparrow at this LINK.

January 16, 2019  I'm still here. Nothing very exciting going on but the weather is warming and it feels like spring here. There even seems to be some migration of birds but I'm not sure if it birds moving north or south. More Yellow-rumped Warblers and all three species of bluebirds are being seen in greater numbers. I've been doing a little more astrophotography too but now the moon is making its return. More images at the LINK.

January 18, 2019  Today I went back the area where I saw the West Coast Lady butterflies hoping for some better shots and I got them. There are quite a few more in that area now. I put some new images at the LINK.

January 25, 2019  Colder weather again, I've been getting ice on my pond in the morning. But, it warms up pretty nice when the sun comes up. Nothing much new here, I've been doing some astrophotography again now that the moon is waning. I put some new images at the LINK.

January 27, 2019  Tonight I had some great success with the Merriam's Kangaroo Rat. It came out before it was even completely dark and started foraging. I got lots of nice shots. Some astro the night before too. More photos at the LINK.

January 28, 2019 Tonight I had more fun with the Merriam's Kangaroo Rat. At first a pesky Kit Fox kept coming around but it finally left and then the kangaroo rat came back out. Best photos I've ever got! I put some at the LINK.

February 7, 2019  Cold weather is back! Frost and ice everywhere this morning. I've been working on a presentation for the Cabeza Prieta Natural History Association that I will present  tonight on night photography. Otherwise not much new here. I have posted some new images at the LINK.

February 17, 2019 It just won't warm up. Cool and windy. Now the weather is going to turn cold and then more rain. I suppose someday it will warm up again. With cool weather, there is not much for butterflies or herps to photograph. The bright moon has put a stop to astrophotography for awhile. I'm still finding some interesting things to photograph. More images at the LINK.

February 19, 2019  Today Brian Nicholas came out from Tucson to look for the Long-eared Owls and we found them. At one point, one of them flew right past us but the lighting was bad and so poor photos. We also found a Cassin's Vireo today but I did not get any photos of it. Cold and windy today, cold again tonight then it looks like rain moving in for Thursday. Some new images at the LINK.

February 22, 2019  I was beginning to think that it never happened here. Snow! Yesterday and last night Ajo got between 1.5 and 2 inches of rain. Further east and south, some areas received nearly 4 inches. Elevations over 3000 ft. got snow. I took a drive down to the Ajo Mountains this morning to get some photos. See the LINK.

February 24, 2019 Last night I finally got in an evening of astrophotography. It was a bit cold and the dew started to get heavy about 11 PM, but that was OK because the moon started coming up then anyway. Dew makes a mess on my lens since it is pointed pretty much straight up. I posted a couple of new images at the LINK.

February 26, 2019  Warmer weather has arrived, up to near 70F today and not as cold at night. The forecast looks even better. I've had a couple more good nights for astrophotography. This is the galaxy season now, so here are a couple, at the LINK.

February 28, 2019  I've had a few more good nights of astrophotography and I'm enjoying the warm weather. For all the rain we've had here, the flora isn't responding much yet, but I think the warm weather will change that in a hurry. I'm looking forward to a spectacular spring bloom, maybe in a couple of weeks. Some new images are at the LINK.

March 6, 2019  I'm just back from a trip to the Pinta Sands in Cabeza Prieta NWR. I stayed two nights, slept in the back of the truck. This is a very remote area, about 50 miles by desert dirt/rock/sand road to get there. The flower bloom was a little disappointing but the other wildlife didn't disappoint at all. I put some new images at the LINK and more will follow.

March 17, 2019  Finally getting around to posting something, seems like I've been too busy. It has warmed up nicely and more herps are coming out. Tonight I'm going to try photographing bats at a water hole way back in the Little Ajo Mountains. Maybe something exciting will pop up. Some new photos at the LINK. I'm still trying to get flowers identified and will add those when I can.

March 18, 2019  Just back from my bat shoot. Had pretty good luck but it was slow action. I got some nice shots of a Pallid Bat and that made it worthwhile! Photos at LINK.

March 28, 2019  I have been busy trying for more bat photos but it has been difficult. I guess I got really lucky that first night because I have had no good bat photos since. The spring bloom is coming along very nicely. The warmer weather is finally producing some results. I posted some more images at the LINK.

March 29, 2019  Last night I finally got another chance to do some astrophotography. There may be even another chance tomorrow night. It is galaxy season, so galaxies is what I did. I posted some new images at the LINK.

March 31, 2019  Got in some more astro last night but I didn't stay up as late. Managed to quit by midnight, put everything away and get to bed by 1 AM. Today I hiked in Alamo Canyon but it was pretty quiet there. I took a few photos but haven't downloaded those yet so they will have to wait. Some new images at the LINK.

April 3, 2019  I am at Buenos Aires NWR now. I am here to get the Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl  (FEPO) and finally was successful. After years of trying to find and photograph FEPO in Alamo Canyon without success, this morning I used my GPS to walk right up to a previously reported nest site and found two Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls.  I got lots of photos! I will post the FEPO photos at this LINK and some other photos at this LINK.

April 8, 2019  Currently camped near Madera Canyon on Proctor Road. Free dispersed camping on Forest Service land. Before leaving Buenos Aires NWR I found a nice male Spotted Ground Squirrel that much more cooperative than the one I saw last spring. I put new images at the LINK.

April 9, 2019  Today I got a lifer bird, Five-striped Sparrow. Normally they are thought to be hard to find this time of year but some are showing up in Box Canyon. Big change in the weather coming, after a couple of hot days it is going to cool down, lots of wind. New images at the LINK.

April 14, 2019  I'm still camped on Proctor Road at Madera Canyon. Waiting for warbler migration to pick up but it remains slow. I have had good luck with trogons though. Seems like everyone I meet on the birding trails asks about trogons, it is a very popular bird. I will probably stay here a few more days. Some new images at the LINK.

April 16, 2019  Still at Madera Canyon. Yesterday I drove back up Box Canyon Road at sunset to try for Buff-collared Nightjars. No luck with them but I did get a Gila Monster. More Elegant Trogon photos this morning. New images at the LINK.

April 17, 2019  I'm back at Ajo. The weather is supposed to warm up considerably now. I want to be here to look for snakes, especially new species like Rosy Boa, Tiger Rattlesnake, Lyresnake and others that I have never seen. I guess I can put up with the heat for awhile if I can find a few new ones. Tonight I went looking for snakes even though it is still a bit chilly. I found two, a Western Diamondback and a Sidewinder. Nothing new, but photos at the LINK.

April 18, 2019  Tonight I went out looking for snakes again. The Scenic Loop Road, which is somewhat famous for its Rosy Boas, had at least three other vehicles driving back and forth looking for snakes. I realized this is Easter weekend already. One vehicle from California, one from Nevada, and one from Colorado. I gave up on that and went to less well known roads and had better luck. Some new photos at the LINK.

April 19, 2019  It is hot today, about 100 F. where I am. But I am glad I came back for awhile, I've been getting good herps. This morning I got some pretty good shots of a Long-nosed Leopard Lizard. For those who have been following my trip report, I saw one in New Mexico last fall but could not get any good shots. I posted some new images from this morning at the LINK.

April 20, 2019  Last night turned out to be very slow for herps. I did get photos of a new species of pocket mouse. Today was better, nothing new but nice photos and a story to tell. Images at LINK.

April 22, 2019  The question I have now is: How much longer to stay in Ajo? As long as it doesn't get too much hotter than it has been, I will stay until I run out of things to do. I have a list, more bat photography, especially photography of bats at Saguaro flowers, more snakes, lizards, insects, birds. There are several species of nocturnal herps I could find if I look long enough. The weather has cooled down a bit slowing down the nocturnal herps but it is going to warm up soon. Last night I tried bat photography at a pond but all I got were blurry shots. I put a few new images at the LINK. An update for today, I went out to Valentine Well to photograph bats but had no luck with that. A thunderstorm came up and produced a nice rainbow, later I had a strange creature show up. A few new images at this LINK.

April 23, 2019  Got another lifer snake tonight, appropriately a Nightsnake. I saw several different snakes, a Sidewinder, two Gopher Snakes, and the Nightsnake. I met another herper who had a Spotted Leaf-nosed Snake. I put some new images at the LINK.

April 24, 2019   The Saguaros are really blooming now so I tried to find some nectar bats feeding on the flowers, but didn't see any. Might be too early for them. My prize for the day was a Desert Tortoise. A photo is at the LINK.

April 29, 2019  Apparently it is too early for nectar bats, I still haven't seen any at the flowers at night. I've been doing a lot of night searching for snakes but not finding any new ones. I guess I got the easy ones. I do see quite a few Western Diamondbacks and Sidewinders. It has been hot but today windy and much cooler. I put some new images at the LINK. This afternoon I found an Ash-throated Flycatcher nest perfectly situated for photography. I put some photos at the LINK.

April 30, 2019   Much cooler today, I wish it would stay like for a long time! But it won't. So far today, I've got one lifer bird, a Bronzed Cowbird. This is a bird that I've missed just by not being here late enough, most of them leave for the winter and are just coming back now. A few images at the LINK.

May 2, 2019 I'm now at Buenos Aires NWR again. I wanted to find Buff-collared Nightjars but so far no luck with that. Birding in the Arivaca Creek area has been pretty good and there are lots of butterflies. I will probably stay here for a few days at least. Some new images at the LINK.

May 4, 2019  I was hoping for a Buff-collared Nightjar for a birthday present, but still can't find one. It is a little early for them. I have been birding Arivaca Creek and have some new photos at the LINK.

May 5, 2019 More birding along Arivaca Creek today then I drove over to Green Valley to stock up on groceries. I got my best shots ever of Thick-billed Kingbird, but still quite distance out. I guess I need to take the 500 f4 and a teleconverter down there and try that. A couple of new images at the LINK.

May 6, 2019  No new birds today, one new lizard, and a rainbow cactus finally in flower. I took the 500 f4 with 1.5 teleconverter to get the Thick-billed Kingbird and that worked well. I have been seeing lots of whiptails in the creek but haven't been able to get any good shots till this morning. Some new images at the LINK.

May 7, 2019  Today I decided to try for Botteri's Sparrow. I may have seen one before but the view was brief and I had no photos to show. Conventional birding wisdom is that one gets Botteri's Sparrow in summer, after the monsoon rains that usually start in July. Apparently all the rain this winter has moved the nesting season up, because I found several singing males today. I put some photos at the LINK.

May 8, 2019  I went back to get more and hopefully better photos of Botteri's Sparrow. And it worked. I found a very cooperative bird. More photos of Botteri's Sparrow and other things at the LINK.

May 14, 2019 The weather here is so nice I don't want to leave. Today is a bit warmer though. Last night, the astronomical seeing forecast was for excellent seeing so I set up everything for some planetary photography. It turned out pretty good, I thought. I put some new images at the LINK. Tonight I went back to California Gulch to try one last time to photograph a Buff-collared Nightjar and this time I was successful, and quite lucky too. I was there about a week ago but only heard one, never saw it. I got the nightjar on an open branch, perfect pose, and almost didn't get focused in time (I have to use a flashlight to get enough light on the bird to focus) before it flew off into the dark. I got four good shots. I put an image at the LINK.

May 15, 2019 This morning I was hiking along Arivaca Creek when I heard a strange noise, I stopped to look around and saw a rattlesnake off the side of the trail, coiled but not rattling much. It was a Black-tailed Rattlesnake, I've seen this species before but had no photos to show. Now I do. Some are at the LINK.

May 17, 2019 I left Buneos Aires NWR yesterday morning and made it as far as Cave Creek in the Chiricahua Mountains. Got into Sunny Flats Campground and got my favorite campsite, there aren't many people around right now. It has been windy and cool and it looks like it will stay that way for awhile. There were dust storms yesterday, I could see that I-10 towards Lordsburg looked pretty bad. I put some new images at the LINK.

May 19, 2019  I left Sunny Flats this morning and drove as far as Valley of Fire National Monument near Carrizozo, New Mexico. This is a nice place to stay, with electric hookups, water, showers, and only $9.00 a night with my Senior Pass. It has been a long time since I've had non-solar electricity hooked up to the camper! Since last October, to be exact. The weather looks pretty bad for the next few days, I'm not sure where I will wind up, but not here, the wind is going to blow hard and there is shelter from it here. Maybe Santa Rosa State Park, north of here. The forecast is for severe thunderstorms in eastern New Mexico but I think I will miss that here. I put a few new images at the LINK.

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