I mentioned in the last post that we were involved in a new, time consuming, project. Actually most of our time.

Bluegrass music is another one of our interests. From listening, to jamming, to attending bluegrass festivals. I forgot how it all began, but I started designing a website back in December. Not for a particular reason other than it gave me something, that was challenging, to do. Like working on a crossword puzzle, or drawing.

To make a short story long, whenever Teri and I were hiking, the topic of the website would creep into the conversation. After a few miles of discussing website design and bluegrass music, we started bouncing “what if” questions off each other. Then we realized, we were actually thinking alike. And the plan emerged.

Well, April 7, 2009, was the official launch date of BluegrassUncut.com. The website is designed to provide the, large and growing, bluegrass music community with pertinent and current information. It includes news, local events, bluegrass festivals, and an interactive blog. There is a lot of information and it is focused on bluegrass music.

Looking for bluegrass festivals, click here!

Bluegrass music news, click here!

Want to post a local bluegrass event, jam, or concert? Click here!

It has been three weeks since our last post. We have been involved in another project that has consumed much of our time, but not from birding. I’ll cover the new project in another post and bring you up to date on our birding experience for the last three weeks (March 26 to April 17) in Southeast Arizona.

These are the places we visited (not in chronological order):

• Huachuca Mountains - Ramsey Canyon, Miller Canyon, Garden Canyon and the Coronado National Memorial
• The San Pedro River Loop Trail several times
• The Cochise Stronghold Trail
• Whetstone Mountains - Karchner Caverns State Park
• The SABO Banning Field Station near Bisbee, Arizona

During the last three weeks the variety of birds has increased.The migration still remains in the early stages and I am sure it will peak shortly after we leave here in two weeks.

The following list represents birds we have seen during the last three weeks and are not difficult to find with a little effort.

Ash-throated Flycatchers, Vermillion Flycatchers (quite common), Says Phoebe, Black Phoebe, Ruby-Crowned Kinglets (many), Huttons Vireos(many), Hepatic Tanagers, Hooded Oriole, Bullocks Oriole, Painted Redstart, Eastern Bluebirds, Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers, Western Wood Peewee, Broad-Billed Hummingbirds, Black-Chinned Hummingbirds, Magnificent Hummingbirds, Anna’s Hummingbirds, Rufous Hummingbirds, Bridaled Titmice, Townsend’s Warblers, Black-Throated Gray Warblesr, Wilson’s Warblers, Yellow-Rumped Warblers and towhees, thrashers, sparrows, doves, etc, etc.

We’re still hunting for a Trogon.

The River Loop Trail located along the San Pedro River near the townsite of Fairbank, Arizona has become one our favorite areas for birding. We have hiked this section at least once a week for the last 12 weeks and have watched the riparian tree canopy transition from bare branches to emerging leaves. We have also watched the bird migration evolve during its early stages. This week we saw 8 pairs of . . . Continue Reading »

These birds were observed in Southeastern Arizona at Cave Creek Canyon in the Chiricahua Mountains and at Miller Canyon in the Huachuca Mountains.  The highlights of the week were the first hummingbirds of the year, 7 species observed in Miller Canyon.  A full list follows . . . . . . Continue Reading »

The View Down Miller Canyon

Miller Canyon is located south of Sierra Vista and is another birding hot spot of Southeast Arizona. We spent the day exploring the first 3 miles of the Miller Canyon Trail and glassing the hummingbird feeders at Beatty’s Miller Canyon Guest Ranch & Orchard.

Access to the Miller Canyon Trailhead is from FR 56 (Miller Canyon Road), about 9 miles south of Sierra Vista. The trailhead parking lot is less than 3 miles from the junction of State Highway 92 and Miller Canyon Road, and is accessible by passenger cars.

The trail starts in the shade of . . . Continue Reading »

Cave Creek Canyon

We spent yesterday birding Cave Creek Canyon on the east side of the Chiracahua Mountains in Southeast Arizona. This spectacular canyon, with dense riparian vegetation including oak, pine, walnut, and sycamore, contrasts sharply with the surrounding desert grassland. Despite being a premier birding destination, we had one of those days where we were only able to identify 14 species. Several people we met along the road and trails during our visit, remarked how quiet it was. Still in the early stages of migration, things will, without a doubt, pick up as the migration progresses. A few of the bird species we saw included Painted Redstart, Acorn Woodpecker, Townsends Warbler, Hermit Thrush and Bridled Titmouse.

Cave Creek Canyon also . . . Continue Reading »

These birds were observed in Southeastern Arizona between Tombstone and Huachuca City, at French Joe Canyon in the Whetstone Mountains, and at Madera Canyon in the Santa Rita Mountains. Among the week’s highlights were Painted Redstarts, Strickland’s Woodpeckers, a Swainson’s Thrush, and a Blue-gray gnatcatcher. A full list follows. . . . Continue Reading »

In Southeast Arizona, when you talk to other birders, Madera Canyon frequently becomes part of the conversation. Madera Canyon, located in the Santa Rita Mountain Range, south of Tucson, Arizona, has easy access, improved trails, picnic areas, lodges, scenic beauty, and an abundance of bird species.

We spent yesterday exploring and birding the canyon along Madera Canyon Road and the Old Baldy Trail to Josephine Saddle. This area will surely end up on our list of favorite places in Southeast Arizona. In addition to the scenic beauty we enjoyed, we were able to add a couple of new bird species to our list.

Recommendation: Just go.

More info: Coronado National Forest

Whetstone Mtns. - French Joe Canyon

French Joe Canyon doesn’t receive the number of visitors as most of the the other hiking/birding areas in this part of Arizona for a couple of reasons. One, the access road to French Joe is pretty rugged and requires a high clearance vehicle, and the second reason is due to the unmaintained trail within the canyon. Access to French Joe Canyon is off . . . Continue Reading »

These birds were observed in Southeastern Arizona at the Sierra Vista Environmental Operations Park, and along the San Pedro River near Fairbank, Murray Springs Clovis Site, and Palominas.