Arizona Winter Birds of Prey Seminar
January 2004 - Trip Report

Thursday, Jan. 8 Hereford, AZ/ San Pedro Valley
For the inaugural journey of Sky Island Field Seminars, we assembled at Casa de San Pedro Bed &Breakfast in the early afternoon. Bill and Landra, who had driven down from Phoenix, were already sampling the pecan pie and pouring over guide Bob Chapman's collection of raptor photos. We grabbed binoculars, spotting scopes, and other gear for a river walk and headed for the Hereford Bridge trailhead off of Hereford Road. En route we saw several Redtailed Hawks, including a pair that looked very interested in a big stick nest and in each other. Helen explained that, among raptors, pair bonding increases daily as nesting season approaches. Close to the Hereford Bridge we pulled over quickly - a Prairie Falcon was perched quite close by on a telephone pole. It took flight, showing us all the field marks from face pattern to "dark armpits" - a great way to start the seminar. Peg dropped the crew off and headed for the grocery to cater the night's dinner. The rest of the group ambled along interwoven river trails, seeing a Merlin, several Kestrels, and signs of Gray Hawk habitat that would likely be used later as migrants returned. A real treat was seeing four Lewis's Woodpeckers, which seem more abundant this year than most. Everyone was hungry and enjoyed appetizers while hearing more about the days ahead. Salmon on the grill, lots of fresh vegetables, and au gratin artichokes provided a healthy foundation before diving back into the B&B's wonderful fresh pies. The sky was ribboned with shades of orange and pink as the sun set behind the Huachuca Mountains.

Helen gave a great introductory slide show, first reviewing the major groups of hawks, then sharing stories that dated back to a National Geographic assignment she and her husband took studying Cooper's Hawks in the Southwest. A number of times during the trip, we'd go by a small farm, a lone tree, or a thick hedgerow, and she would tell of a nest where she had photographed and studied the young. "We had a White-tailed Kite here in 1980.." Bob saved his presentation for the field the next day, as he suspected some tired travelers after all this activity. How nice to bird all day and then return to such comfort as the Casa de San Pedro.

 

Friday, Jan. 9 Sulphur Springs Valley / Willcox Playa

We're not sure it should be legal to start the day with Dutch Babies -- an extravagant filled popover pastry - and delicious chicken and apple sausage, but we did. Thus fortified, we ventured forth to find some raptors. The first was right next to the parking lot as we gathered to load the van - a Cooper's Hawk, cold and puffed up in the morning air. An hour and a half later we found ourselves still within a mile of home - an agricultural field off Palominas Road proved to be quite productive. We first noticed a pair of Northern Harriers, feeding in graceful arcs, flying apart and then together with effortless wing beats - the definition of grace and efficiency.. The male was a stunning pewter gray, the female a variegated brown; we had scope views and so could study them in detail. We discussed how the shape of their face serves to direct sound to their ears as they fly, and their often-noted association with Short-eared Owls.

 

Soon our attention was diverted by a large, light-morphed Ferruginous Hawk, which was suddenly pushed off its prey by an even larger, dark-morphed Ferruginous Hawk. John mentioned he'd never even heard of morphology before this day - now he was being immersed in it! We saw lots of Redtails, so Bob helped participants learn the identifying marks for the different varieties in this species. Then a flock of pigeons bolted into the sky - a Peregrine in hot pursuit. The falcon pulled up on a nearby telephone pole and proceeded to preen and bide his time, all while in view of our scopes. We had to peel ourselves away to reach the Sulphur Springs Valley - our destination being an Arizona State Wildlife Area known as Whitewater Draw.

 

We followed a maze of farm roads to get there, stopping for excellent views of several raptors on the way. We watched long lines of Sandhill Cranes flying in, Bob knowing that mid-day was the right time to catch this sight. We saw some 9,000 of these magnificent birds as they took turns resting, preening, calling, rising up into the sky, circling, landing, and then going through the sequence again. At the Draw, a very acclimated Great Horned Owl greeted us under the hayshed. We and several other groups of people walked right under him, and we could set up the scope and study all his adaptations in detail. We did some general birding in the area as well - who could not be distracted by a Vermilion Flycatcher male? He remained Landra's favorite for the trip. We saw several ducks, heard a Sora and a Marsh Wren, and tested our identification skills trying to name raptors some two miles away. On to the valley and its hayfields.

 

A real treat was a pair of Harris's Hawks with a still begging, adult-sized chick. We discussed their social hunting behavior and long-term family associations. This little guy had a long way to go and was quite convincing in his pleas for food. He won Landra over immediately; but the adult birds were less convinced and more interested in getting him to fly farther away from the road. We took a break for some outrageous burritos and burgers, plus Helen's favorite - sour-cream raisin pie at A Family Café in Elfrida. Yum, we were ready for the afternoon.

 

We spotted hawks with abandon for the next few hours. Bill stood at one junction saying, "I have never seen so many birds of prey anywhere.." They decorated telephone poles, irrigation rigs, windmills, power line struts, and even just perched on the ground. A dark-morph Ferruginous kept us occupied for quite some time, especially when a very dark Redtail flew into scope view for a perfect comparison. We stayed out until dusk and stumbled onto a group of several species of buteos coming in to roost in the pecan groves. After such a big lunch, no one was in the mood to visit the bright lights of Bisbee for dinner, so with thoughts of salad and pie at Casa de San Pedro we headed back.

 

Saturday, Jan. 10 Cochise Stronghold/St. David Cienega

We wanted to return to the fields that had been so intriguing yesterday. Bob asked participants to call out the identities of the raptors. Helen smiled, aimed the scope and announced, "now here is a good test bird." It was wonderful to see everyone calling out birds, working through their characteristics, and having time to ask questions. "Why do juveniles have a different plumage? Why are there so many more Redtailed Hawks than the other species? Why are female hawks larger than their mates?"

 

Our destination today was to the cliffs of Cochise Stronghold, where Helen had observed nesting Prairie and Peregrine Falcons. As if they knew our intent, both species appeared just up a farm road north of Sierra Vista, perched next to each other on two towering utility poles! We worked the scopes back and forth to compare the two, pulling out three or four different field guides to review the artists' renditions of plumage. Bob described the different subspecies and what to expect here; Helen narrated the Prairie Falcon's dramatic hunting sequence as it left its perch to work the fields. We learned about these falcons' physiological adaptations to high-speed flight and marveled at their exquisite design.

 

We made a brief stop at the St. David Cienega, but it was VERY quiet. On our March birds of prey seminar, we'll likely redesign this part of the route, but we enjoyed some good scenery. Soon we were staring up at the magnificent granite cliffs of the Stronghold. After a picnic lunch, birding amid the oaks, and a quick perusal of the displays on resident Apache Indians, we set out to examine some features of a Cooper's Hawk territory -- finding nests and pellets, looking at prey-exchange perches, and in general living the life of a hawk researcher for all too short a time. These southwestern forests, where yucca blend with oak and pines, are fascinating to explore.

 

As daylight was fading we returned to the Casa, switching from hawk sightings to Great Horned Owl sightings. Bob was adept at the grill, cooking filet mignon and a great array of vegetables prepared by Helen and Peg, including barbequed Portobello mushrooms. Several other guests at the Casa enjoyed our tales of discovery. We recounted favorite sightings and enjoyed more harrowing tales of fieldwork over yet another pecan pie. Helen even described carrying raptor eggs down from a nest in her mouth!

 

Sunday, Jan. 11 Fort Huachuca and Vicinity

Helen arranged for us to meet one of her colleagues, Sheridan Stone, the biologist at Ft. Huachuca. We first feasted on pancakes, pears with cream cheese and berry sauce, and sausage. While Peg did the paperwork at the Fort's main gate, Bill spotted an immature Cooper's Hawk -- our fifth of that species for the trip -- quite close in some young cottonwood trees. Out came the scope - this patient bird even posed for some digital photographs!

 

At this point we had seen almost all the hawk species possible in Southeast Arizona in winter, but were still missing two. So now Bob was on a mission. While Helen and Sheridan discussed the diverse ecology of these grasslands and mountains, with all their unique, sometimes highly endangered species, he was searching. The prize was a pair of Golden Eagles, flying about a potential nest site while coordinating their flight in a purposeful way. We explored Huachuca Canyon and headed up Garden Canyon, asking Sheridan questions as fast as we could get the words out. He certainly convinced us of the significance of the Huachuca Mountains - in terms of both biodiversity and the pioneering ornithological studies conducted during the first military installations at this site.

 

We were bent on trying to see the elusive Spotted Owl, which meant puffing and panting up the steep ravine of a rugged limestone canyon. After an hour of uphill effort, seeing only Spotted Owl perches dimmed our enthusiasm a bit; but all were experienced enough to know that nature reveals herself only when she wants to. Apparently, Spotted Owl was not on the menu for today. Instead we topped off our list with the distant but distinctive silhouette of a soaring Sharp-shinned Hawk, completing our goal for the day. We had a final picnic lunch, then returned to Casa pack up and be on our way. As the group scattered we heard many thanks to Bob and Helen for providing us with this absolutely outstanding seminar.

 

Raptor biologists Helen Snyder and Bob Chapman share their expertise and engaging tales about their work studying, trapping, and banding powerful and agile raptors. Helen and her husband Noel are the authors of Birds of Prey, Natural History and Conservation of North American Raptors and The California Condor. Bob is a hawk bander and trapping expert who has worked with major zoos in endangered species conservation. He helps birders master identification of these challenging species, which include number of forms, phases, & races.

 

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