January 25

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Time to pack up and head north. We checked out of our very-comfy-bedded place S. of Tucson and headed for the Sweetwater Wetlands to try our luck again. Not as many birds as before, but plenty of birders! The unspotted "spotted sandpiper" was making most of them quite excited. We also saw a very healthy looking coyote. We found a lake across from there that had many ducks. Nothing new, but it’s fun to realize when we can identify them without checking the book every time.

Then on a tip of one of aforementioned birders, drove about 15 mins to a bridge over the Santa Cruz river to find a barn owl nesting under the bridge in a pipe. Believe it or not, we found the bridge and the pipe and an owl, but it was a Great Horned owl, and not the one we really needed. Still it was a fun scavenger hunt. We also saw Roadrunners #5 & 6 nearby.

Drove on to Saguaro West National Park on a round-about route, and only did the walk around the Visitors Center. It was the middle of the day, and the birds were hiding. And unless one is committed to a long like, there’s not much to see except for the fabulous Saguaro cacti. I took some photos of the ones with downturned arms, which happens when a frost hits the cactus at the wrong time. Also, note that the skin on the cactus is "pleated" like an accordion - this is so it can expand and contract, depending on the availability of water. It can weigh many tons when hydrated. It doesn't form arms until it's like 50 years old, and then only on good wet seasons.

Then to the flats Santa Cruz Flats again (which we saw on the way down) to search for a Mountain Plover. At first we thought we did find them, but sadly, the Merlin App said they were female lark sparrows and American pipits. So it was a bit of a bust day for adding numbers, but it was fun at the time. It’s always an adventure. those giant "logs" are full of cotton. The flats were full of huge fields of cotton - though it looked like they had already been harvested.

The traffic increased as we approached Phoenix, esp as we were arriving during rush hour, but we made it at last to our Blue Green resort in Peoria. By the time we had checked in and gotten into our room, and went out for sushi, it was 8 pm. No wonder we were hungry, having only eaten an apple with cheese. I had a spicy poke bowl, and it was SO hot that my lips burned. Maybe I look like Pamela Sue Anderson now. David’s sushi roll was good however. I’ve learned my lesson -ask how spicy spicy is.

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