Archive for July, 2014

Southeast Arizona Wildflowers Bloom After The Monsoons Start In July

Southeast Arizona Wildflowers first blossom are found on the Cactus like Cane Cholla.

Southeast Arizona wildflowers start to bloom in the spring but after the monsoons start, there is a profusion of colors on display across Cochise County. The varieties of colors are numerous and the blooming starts with the cactus and a few varieties of other plants. Driving on the roads and hiking the trails can show you visual delights from the flowers as they bloom. As the spring becomes summer and then fall the blooms will change and you will see different plants that add their colorful flowers.

The Dwarf Morning Glories appear in June and last through the entire summer.

In the spring we have many of the cacti blooming as the nights warm up. The reds from the Cane Cholla, the pinks from pincushion cacti and yellows and oranges from the Prickly Pear give a splash of to brighten the landscape. The Velvet Mesquite adds to the scene with the whitish yellow flowers that hang from the branches of the trees. There are also some smaller clusters of flowers that come out before the rains including the violet colored Wild Dwarf Morning Glory, the yellow and orange Indian Rushpea and the white Spreading Fleabane. The large Jimsom Weed with the white and purple flowers can also be found blooming in the sandy areas.

White Easter Mojave Buckwheat, purple Mock Vervain and yellow Desert Marigolds all add to the colors you will see when you find Southeast Arizona Wildflowers.

But with the monsoons the colors of Southeast Arizona wildflowers explode throughout the county. The ground will get enough rain to germinate last year’s seed and will add many new red, orange, yellow, purples and white flowers. Under the mesquite tree next to the B and B becomes covered with vines of bluish Morning Glories, and red Trans Pecos Morning Glories. Included in the mix are Golden Crown Beards, Globe Mallow and the San Pedro Daisies. The orchid like flower of the Devils Claw is also found interspersed in the vines. We have staked the area with an old chair and limbs to allow the climbers to extend up into the mesquite. It becomes covered by the vines that you don’t dare enter because you don’t know what is hiding in the area. All of the growth is natural as we haven’t planted a seed. We do some trimming to make sure we don’t lose total control. Wandering over the property and along the San Pedro River you will find many different flowering plants that are native to this part of Southeast Arizona.

The red Trans Pecos Morning Glories add color to the purple Morning Glories and Golden Crown Beards.

So if you want to see the beauty of Mother Nature’s garden come to Down By The River and view the Southeast Arizona wildflowers. You can also take a look at our Pinterest page for the flowers that we have photographed around the B and B. The two pins are Bristly Beauty and Petal to the Medal That isn’t as good as seeing it yourself but it will give you a representation of what you are missing. Come join us for monsoon season and see the lightning storms in the afternoon and the wildflowers in the morning.

The desert has a beauty that some people never see. Take to the back roads during the Southeast Arizona wildflower season and you will be surprised with what you find along the road.

Birding at Paton Hummingbird Haven – Put It On Your Bucket List

The White Breasted Nuthatch is one of the many birds you will see at the feeders.

Birding at the Paton Hummingbird Haven is a great activity no matter what type of birder you are. Amateurs as well as the experienced birder will be awed by the variety of birds found at this one location. Click here to see the activity. I did a blog earlier on the history of the Paton Hummingbird Haven. This portion will go into what we saw and did after we arrived. Upon arriving at the property we found the gate open and parked in the shade of a large tree. Arizona people tend to find shade first and if it is close to where you want to be, all the better. Entering the gate we headed toward the unassuming house. The caretaker was watering and we took a little time to talk with him. Angie continued talking while I went on to find the seating area and check out the birds.

Bridled Titmouse were flying in and out of view, They did stop at the tree feeder long enough for me to get this photo.

No one was at the Haven when we arrived so I picked out a spot to set up my camera and tripod then began shooting photos. The layout of the area allows for birding to happen all around you. You are not able to take everything in and so there are opportunities in other areas that you don’t know about. The forest is to the west, and seed feeders are to the north and south. To the east is the house with the hummingbird feeders hanging from the eaves. You are within 50 feet of seed feeders in the seating area under the tent. The hummingbird feeders are closer and if you wish you can get a chair and sit within 5 or 10 feet of the hummingbird feeders.

There are three more areas that you might miss when birding at the Paton Hummingbird Haven. The ground has activity where birds have knocked seed out of the feeders. There is also a feeder that is located on a tree that attracts woodpeckers and nuthatches to name a few.  But also look up and you will see hawks and vultures flying overhead. Great photos are yours for the taking just have a little patience because Lady Luck is sitting right there. In the first 20 minutes I was having a field day with shooting pictures. I didn’t know if these birds were here for a little while and then would leave not to be seen again for hours. After that I tended to focus on more quality photos.

Northern Cardinals were in the area. Both the male and female made an appearance

This Broadbilled Hummingbird was one of 5 species we saw at the Paton Hummingbird Haven during our time there.

As people arrived to the tent, the birds would fly off but return relatively quickly once they are seated. We met several other birders during the time we were there and everyone was pointing birds out to others. Identification was easy for many birds but in my case I would rather take the pictures and then sit at the computer so that I can see and compare. For me it is much easier to find a bird when you have time and aren’t savvy enough to pick it quickly out of a book. I believe that we saw almost 30 different birds along with 5 different hummingbirds while we were birding at the Paton Hummingbird Haven.

The Blue Grosbeak was easy to spot at various locations while we were view the birds at Patons.

200 + photos and three hours later we were starting to get hungry. We decided to go out to get lunch. We wanted to go to the Velvet Elvis for pizza since we have heard so much about it. But alas they are open Thursday to Sunday only. Instead we went to the Gathering Place. The sandwiches were very good and for dessert get one of the homemade cookies. They were oh so good!  After lunch we decided to take another route home to Down By The River B and B. The next blog will be about the San Rafael Valley and our adventure there.

I photographed four different species of birds all in a tree at the same time. White winged Dove, Brown headed Cowbird, Blue Grosbeak and Bronze Cow Birds

Paton Hummingbird Haven – A Birders Paradise

The open gate at Paton Hummingbird Haven

Paton Hummingbird Haven  is a short day trip from Down By The River B and B that will take you through wine country and into the rolling hill country of Patagonia. This drive is very scenic with scattered oak trees dotting the landscape after you leave Sonoita.  The Paton Hummingbird Haven started as the home of Wally and Marion Paton in 1974. They found this ideal spot located on a quiet back street with a wooded area surrounding the property. Over the years the Paton’s developed the site to attract birds and butterflies. The property was covered with hummingbird and seed feeders.

Over the years bird watchers would gather outside the yard to look at the birds. The Paton Hummingbird Haven was a draw and the Patons finally allowed the visitors to enter the property to better see the birds. They installed a tent cover

The Paton Home at Paton Hummingbird Haven

and placed seating under it to give the birder some shade and allow them to relax while viewing the activity. The Haven also had a plastic tote that contains birding identification books for the use of the birders. That is a nice thing to have if you forgot your copy. There is also a white board where people put down what they have seen. The site became famous all over the world for the opportunities to see a large variety of birds in a single setting. With reports of over 200 species of  birds having been seen in the yard over the years, this location is probably the highest number that have been recorded anywhere.

The tent awning and seating are for birders to use at Paton Hummingbird Haven.

When Barb and I opened the B and B in 2005, we had heard of the Paton’s site in Patagonia but with all the things you have to do to provide a good B and B experience for your guests we never were able to visit the location. Many of our guests have told us about this venue and raved about the many birds that they had seen. This past year I  had heard that the American Bird Conservancy, The Tucson Audubon and Victor Emanuel Nature Tours were working together to purchase the site from the Paton heirs. The goal was to purchase the property and to be able to maintain this fantastic birding experience for future birding enthusiasts.

White board Bird List is available for birders to add their sightings at Paton Hummingbird Haven.

Recently Angie and I decided to plan a day when we had no guests and make a day trip to Paton’s and see exactly what everyone was talking about. With that in mind we set out early one morning to head for Patagonia. The trip took us a little over an hour but the scenery is magnificent. We enjoyed the drive and once we were in Patagonia we looked for 4^th Ave, made a right turn and went to Pennsylvania St. Turning left we drove to 477 Pennsylvania and parked in the shade of a large tree. The Haven has a caretaker that waters the yard and keeps the feeders filled. This is a constant job for one person. He told us that he goes through more than 20 pounds of seed a day.  There is more to learn about this great place and so the next blog will go into the experience that we had looking at the birds during our stay at the Paton Hummingbird Haven.

Birders at Paton Hummingbird Haven taking their pictures.