Wild turkeys strutting

Yesterday morning early I visited Ramsey Canyon again.  Sitting by the trail on a rock, I was watching yellow-rumped warblers (Sibley guide says "abundant and conspicuous", so I guess I didn't earn any kudos finding those!) and a pair of lesser goldfinches.  A man walked by carrying a pretty big camera on a monopod, said he was looking for wild turkeys and had I seen any.  I said no, I hadn't, and he walked on.  Pretty soon he was back, no luck, and we talked a bit.  He said the turkeys are supposed to be strutting their stuff right about now and he sure was hoping to get a shot of the larger Mexican species (or variety?) for his photo collection.  About half an hour later, I was trying to leave the parking lot, and there he was right in the way, all excited, shooting pictures of a flock of wild turkeys.  I re-parked and joined the crowd gathering to ogle the seven males and two females who seemed totally oblivious to their audience.  They were magnificent, puffing up and shaking their feathers, doing a little side-step now and then.  Such silly birds, and awfully stupid I guess, but sometimes it's enough to be beautiful.

Along the road leading up to the visitors' center, a female Cooper's hawk was in a nesting mood, trying to break sticks off of trees.  Golden eagles and Arizona woodpeckers were sighted by others, but I missed them.

I left Ramsey Canyon with a guide to birding in southeastern Arizona from the book store and some good tips (from the turkey man) for finding the elegant trogons nesting in May.  I took off to look at adjacent Carr Canyon, which has a long and very narrow six miles or so of switchbacking rutted road to a high point where there are two campgrounds and some excellent rare bird sightings.  My and my citified Prius found the road intimidating, so I stopped at a viewpoint about two miles in (this road is said to offer spectacular views) and turned around.  Next time I'll rent a high-center vehicle and go all the way, maybe even camp up there.

Next was Miller Canyon.  The drive in was short and easy.  I parked and walked just a little ways on Miller Canyon Trail.  It takes about a half mile to work its way around some private property, then takes you to an absolutely beautiful Arizona sycamore bottomland.  I grooved on that a while, then headed home.