Building a Yard List for Guests

Birding is a big deal around here.  With the Chiricahua Mountains and Cave Creek Canyon the area draws lots of birders looking to add to their life lists and as a result the birding season draws lots of visitors.  A number of birding guides (for a list see the side bar) are available locally but many birding visitors just spend time on their own, hiking and birding locally. At the Painted Pony Resort we see primarily groups and not individual birders but some guests wish to participate in the local birding scene while visiting to get an introduction to the activity.  As a result I have started a yard list of local avian species so guests will have easy access to a list of the most common species visiting the estate. 

Not being a birder though it required some preparation.  Binoculars were the first tool needed and fortunately I had a pair I use to check the estate.  The next was a location to bird.  I'm out and about constantly but getting the camera ready and quickly getting an image to document a species is not really a viable option.  I have used the iPhone camera to some extent and with some success but I needed a location that I frequent where I could keep the camera handy and settled on the doorway of the trailer.  I'm frequently in and out of the door in the early morning and with a small mesquite tree which is visible from the door is the perfect location to see local birds.  From the doorway I'm in shadow and do not disturb the bird I'm trying to photograph allowing me more time to catch a usable image.  Then came identification, there are reference books in the main house for guests but I needed something handy and found the Merlin Bird ID and eBird apps which fit nicely on the iPhone.  These tools allow the rapid identification of the local bird species I manage to photograph.  The goal will be to place the yard list some place guests can easily access such as the blog and website as well as adding to the online listings.

The yard list currently sits at about 2 dozen species and I have a long way to go, in both finding and identifying the local bird species as well as photographing examples for guests.  Below I have added a couple if images of birding from the doorway that I've been collecting for the yard list as a taste of the local birding tool being built for guests.

Bullock's Oriole

Wilson's Warbler

American Yellow Warbler

Birding in the Boot Heel

I'm not a birder, but it is an extremely popular activity in the basin and range province of southern New Mexico and southern Arizona.  I have written about the tradition of birding in the area but I must admit, being out in the valley and focusing on landscape restoration leaves little time for birding.  But as the landscape slowly improves the avian fauna are some of the first returning animals I see.  The number and diversity of avian species has slowly increased over time, so perhaps some dedicated study on local avian species is warranted to better understand how the improvements to the land affect which species utilize the available resources.  Since the beginning the most common bird species seen on the estate was the Eurasian collared dove.  The number of doves though resulted in the appearance of raptors such as owls, hawks, and kestrels which have been seen on the estate and I find bits and pieces of doves on occasion indicating a successful hunt.  Since collard doves are an introduced species, I do appreciate the assistance of these raptors in controlling their numbers.  Most recently, a northern harrier has been hanging out and can be frequently seen hunting in the grasslands towards the riverbed.

Below is a another new comer I saw for the first time on the estate, a female Ladder-back woodpecker, Picoides scalaris. Checking online birding sightings, this should be common species around here though the closest sightings are reported from Highway 80 about 1.5 - 2 miles further west.

Female Ladder-Back woodpecker at the Painted Pony Resort.

Advantages to Promoting Other Local Businesses

The Painted Pony Resort with its 756 acres is an estate rental with the aim of providing a large facility for gatherings whether it be a wedding, workshop, or family reunion.  But the estate is not the only lodging business in the area.  Many other businesses offer local lodging targeting different market segments and it only makes sense to provides references to other establishments for online visitors looking for a place to stay in the area.  Both the Painted Pony Resort website and the associated Blogging from the Boot Heel maintain listings of other local lodging resources as a courtesy to online visitors searching for area lodging as well as provide a map showing lodging in the area, see below.

A recent analysis of the blogs quarterly visitor statistics showed that exit links to other local lodging sites comprised 17% (82) of the total exit links (483).  Of the 17% of exit links to area lodging 83% (68) were to other local businesses while the rest were to the Painted Pony Resort.  While the estate is appropriate for groups it does necessarily meet the needs of individuals looking for a place to stay, but the ability to find other more appropriate lodging is important.  Meeting the needs of potential visitors and guests is important not only maintaining the integrity of the area but also in promoting visitation.  Providing tools for online visitors about the Coronado National Forest and other public lands in the area as well as resources for visiting the area will not only encourage visitation but allow visitors to find the specific resources that best fit their needs.

A Tradition of Birding in the Chiricahua Mountains

Cave Creek Canyon and the surrounding Chiricahua Mountains are considered by many to be one of the nations top birding areas.  With 375 documented avian species the area attracts birders from around the world.  Whether searching for Elegant Trogons, hepatic Tanagers or hummingbirds the area is a favorite with many visitors.  The history of birding in western culture traces its roots to the 18th century when in addition to a food source the aesthetics of birds began to gain popularity.  But, is there evidence of other earlier cultures which inhabited the area around the Chiricahua Mountains which also may have valued birds?  The answer would appear to be yes.  Bird motifs are common theme on Mogollon/Mimbres pottery who comprised some of the early inhabitants in the San Simon Valley and Mogollon bird pictographs have also been recorded.  The images below are of a carved stone bird fetish found in the San Simon Valley on the east side of the Chiricahua Mountains (the photograph is of the reproduction made by a local artist from the original).  It was a surface find but came from an area where a parrot cage door had been recovered.  Taken together these 3 lines of evidence would suggest interest in birds (and possibly) birding has a long history in and around the Chiricahua Mountains.

Cave Creek Canyon Nature Trail

A dozen hikers from the  Portal Rodeo Hiking Club visited the nature trail which parallels forest service road 42 along Cave Creek in the Chiricahua Mountains and ends at Sunny Flats campground.  An easy walk along level ground, this mile long nature trail through riparian habitat is a good introduction to the Chiricahua Mountains.  After finishing the nature trail, the group proceeded up South Fork Canyon and was greeted by a male Elegant Trogon who called and followed the group for about 10 minutes.  Returning downstream the group followed the east side of the canyon through the 2 campgrounds with a total distance covered of 5 miles in the canyon.

Below is a photograph of the Elegant Trogon on a tree limb.  The enlargement does not do this beautiful bird justice and the Trogons should  be viewed in person to really appreciate this unique bird. Click on the photograph to see the full size image.  The nature trail route was added to the riparian hike map (blue line).

Elegant Trogon (center) in South Fork of Cave Creek Canyon.  Click on photograph to enlarge.

Christmas Bird Count

The National Audubon Societies annual Christmas Bird Count is underway.  Today, the bird census is taking place in the Chiricahua Mountains and tomorrow the Peloncillo Mountains will be the target of the census.  There are a number of visitors in the area helping with the yearly count.  Cave Creek Ranch has more details.

Immature Heron in Rodeo, New Mexico

Birding is a big activity here.  The sky islands of the Chiricahua Mountains are known for their diversity of avian species with some 375 documented species.  Caught a photograph of an immature heron in a water tank this morning while out on the tractor.  The adult coloration is showing through the downy feathers along the neck and the top of the head is still a uniform dark color.

Immature Heron