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SCHOLARSHIP REPORTS 2006

2006 VENT Camp Chiricahua

6-17 July 2006

By Craig Bateman

Although years of anticipation led to the day I arrived in Arizona, others like me had been experiencing the same anticipation and excitement over two decades. On July 6th, the 20th anniversary of Camp Chiricahua for Victor Emanuel Nature Tours began. I had finally arrived in the birder haven, which was bursting at the seams with biodiversity. David Pavlik, Tim Snieder, Kevin Welsh, and I found one of our counselors, Moez Ali, holding up a VENT sign with a friendly grin. Jessie Barry, another counselor, took us to the hotel where we made acquaintances with future friends. Our leaders were Victor Emanuel himself and Barry Lyon. Soon after, we started to bird the hotel area and scavenge any birds we could find.

The next few days were spent in the Chiricahua Mountains where many of us drew out some of the easiest, but also most intriguing, birds of the trip. We watched in marvel at the thundering monsoon rains as the cumulonimbus clouds dredged across the "sky islands". The first night in the Chiricahuas, we stayed at the Cave Creek Ranch where Elf Owls called by night and Zone-tailed Hawks soared the thermals by day. Burrowing Owl, Crissal Thrasher, and White-tailed Kite were some of the highlights of the mornings spent in the baking desert. While the arid climate kept us out of the desert at high noon, a first-year male Rose-breasted Grosbeak came to a feeder in Portal. Some of the Easterners teased Jacob for seeing a life bird there but it was more like congratulations on another pleasing bird. At night Dave Jasper took us owling while sharing tremendous amounts of knowledge about the area. He also gave us quite a few laughs singing Kumbaya when the Flammulated Owls began to seem imaginary to us. Night drives were also exciting when we saw spadefoot toads, scorpions, and tarantulas. Even more exhilarating was when we found a Mojave Rattlesnake crossing a country road. Although it's one of the deadliest snakes in the world, it was bittersweet as we watched a creation of man run over such a stunning reptile.

At our first camp site, Sunny Flat, Canyon Wrens and Rufous-crowned Sparrows could be seen in spectacular detail with high climbs to where the Peregrine Falcons nest. David Utterback, a local artist, told us stories of the Elegant Trogons, a mere ten feet away, as we watched in awe from his front yard. Just off his property, nesting Northern Goshawks gave the trogons something to look out for. Soon after the ringing of fledging goshawks wore off, the front van screeched to a stop on the road to South Fork - two baby Spotted Owls were perched about 20 feet from the road. The circling and bobbing heads of fluff were soon accompanied by a simply beautiful adult Spotted Owl, which greeted one of the young with a large beetle.

After the low elevation birding of the Chiricahuas, we headed to Rustler Park where we saw what a few thousand feet can do. Red-Faced and Olive Warblers caught the eyes of more birders falling in love with the southwest. Barfoot lookout was being patrolled by a pair of light morph Short-tailed Hawks above some wildfire-swept forest. It also held some of the best butterflies of the country; Orange-headed Roadside-Skipper, Pine Satyr, Arizona Hairstreak, and Chiricahua White were some of the highlights.

From Rustler, we went down to Wilcox to observe some confused ducks and southbound shorebirds. On the way, Montezuma Quail and Prairie Falcons views were treats for us, and we arrived to Wilcox with increasing satisfaction with the trip. At yet another famous spot, Long-billed Curlew, avocets, stilts, and a Baird's Sandpiper, among other peeps, gave us great looks. The next day would be filled with backwards-flying gems of the southwest.

The morning was finally filled with showers at the San Pedro River Inn as everyone got to make their bodies and clothes smell a little less "heavily birded". Everyone was still full of energy and excitement on the eighth day of the trip. Not even being "clothes-lined" by an actual clothes line stopped Tim Snieder from running to the van in time. An hour later, a flat tire couldn't hold us back from birding either. We got great looks at a Greater Pewee and Buff-breasted Flycatchers. While continuing to bird nearby canyons, we gazed at Costa's, White-eared, Lucifer, Violet-crowned, and Allen's Hummingbirds. By the end of the day the shining florescence of all the gorgets were burned into our memories and the next day would be spent at yet another area with its own claim to fame.

Patagonia was not without eminence as we had Varied Bunting singing near a Neotropic Cormorant at Patagonia Lake. The evasive Black-capped Gnatcatcher was next on the agenda, but was no match for 18 birders scouring the area. It gave everyone spectacular looks while defining what a team can really accomplish. Afterwards, Thick-billed Kingbirds called with all their monarchy and a tyrranulet almost hit Danny and me in the face. The next day was not clouded by the fear of the end but rather embraced with anticipation for great birds.

The earliest of all our mornings was still a little late for the Rufous-capped Warbler to be singing, but that didn't stop us from finding it and experiencing another Mexican stray. Soon after, California Gulch was taken on by our tour vans on what some might call a road. Five-striped Sparrows sang once we got to one of their favored spots near a permanent stream. Harris's Hawks were seen before Madera Canyon on the way back to Tucson, and Rufous-winged Sparrows were heard and then seen soon after. In Madera, we saw a brilliant Flame-colored Tanager which provided a climax to the trip as everyone soon realized our time left on the camp was dwindling.

That night, conclusion lingered in the air as people said their goodbyes and made final arrangements for their departures. Everyone shared similar sentiments and looked forward to seeing each other "in the future." Eleven days after we found ourselves scrounging lifers around the hotel, we were back reflecting on our great birds and great times, with our leaders, counselors, campers, and all together friends. A lifetime later we will remember our connection with each other and nature during our unforgettable time in Arizona.

These young birders attended the camps/events they report on with the help of ABA scholarships.