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Birding Mt. Lemmon |
Towering over 7,000 feet above Tucson at an elevation of over 9,000 feet, Mt. Lemmon is a cool oasis in the heat of the Arizona summer. Reportedly named after Sarah Lemmon, who reached the peak on foot in 1881, the mountaintop is a gorgeous day's drive today.
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First stop is a fee booth. Given the amount of construction required to keep the road open, I think the fees are probably much needed. You can also pay your fees at local retail outlets, including gas stations, which is a good idea on weekends if you can't plan your trip for a much preferable weekday. |
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The road snakes up the mountain through some pretty interesting passes. I took this shot through the windshield of the car. The road is narrow and slow-moving. |
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The scenery is gorgeous. The mountain itself is geologically interesting, and the rock outcrops are stunning. |
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There are views across the Tucson area, and out across the mountains. You drive through all kinds of habitat, with all kinds of birds, as you ascend. |
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My first destination was Incinerator Ridge, a turn-off on the right side of the road just about half a mile before you get to the Palisades parking lot. |
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I was looking for a red-faced warbler. Having spent many hours hiking and unsuccessfully searching for this Arizona specialty, I was determined to give it another go. Locals in Arizona had suggested Incinerator Ridge as a good spot. It was still early in the morning when we parked and started hiking. |
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There were warblers high in the treetops, and yellow-eyed juncos closer to the ground. |
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The first flashes of red were bee-like insects feeding on trailside flowers. I obviously need a new insect guide -- because I haven't yet identified this one, |
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or this one, either. Searching my books I found a picture of a Bumblebee Moth that looks something like this. So, is it a bee, or is it a moth?
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Extraordinary numbers of lady bugs were gathered in colonies. These are Convergent Lady Beetles. Locals told me that they cluster at higher altitudes every summer. |
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Hope you're not bored with my bugs -- the birds were all high and/or fast moving, and I didn't get any pictures. Happily, we did get a real good look at a single red-faced warbler.
There were lots of these butterflies. This is some kind of "blue", but I'm not sure which one. |
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We went further up the mountain after hiking Incinerator Ridge, just escaping being drenched in a tremendous downpour. I don't mind getting wet, but digital cameras just hate it. I pulled over a bit later when I saw this fringe of flowers on the road. |
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The butterflies were enjoying a break in the clouds. See a great collection of them in the Arizona Digital Gallery. |
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Some of the lady bugs were converging here, as well. |
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There were some stunted trees just beyond the roadside flowers. This brown creeper was working over a fallen log. Unusual angle for this bird, isn't it? |
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There was a small flock of Mountain Chickadees working over the trees, moving with characteristic speed. I managed to get one frame with my video camera! |
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This yellow-eyed junco was showing deep rufous on its back. |
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After taking pictures for some time, I made my way to the ski area near the peak. It's well-known for the hummingbird feeders at the year-round cafe. |
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The most common hummers were the broad-tailed, |
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but there were plenty of Magnificent Hummingbirds around. They insisted on feeding with their backs to me! |
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I'll let you work on this one a bit. Calliope hummers are also in the area. What do you think we have here? |
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The view from the ski area is luscious. As we left, the clouds closed in around us and let loose with some torrential rain. Quite a day, and it was just early afternoon. We headed out to Miller Canyon, stopping at French Joe Canyon along the way. |
