And then there was one - Common Black Hawk!

August 29th, we got up early to go to Montosa Canyon, exit 56, Highway 19, south of Tucson. On the way in, we saw a strange hawk on a post, black back, white streaks on head and neck, finely striped tail, not a short tail which threw us at first, Common Black Hawk, immature! 634 Maybe one of the juvvies from Sunflower!

Montosa is a cool spot. John got pics of the Black-Tailed Gnatcatcher, Warbling Vireo and Canyon Wren. He has a picture list for the year that is up to about 557.

Should I confess? I played the Pygmy Owl down by the stream. In came the Black-Capped Gnatcatcher, but John did not see the tail. Drat! We are going back tomorrow AM to try to get him to see it. Why are gnatcatchers so coy about their tails?

Back up on the road, a Prairie Falcon zoomed over our heads, perched on the cliff and then dived down the canyon. 635 A Cooper's Hawk got all the little birds excited as we drove out the canyon.

We spent the afternoon at the La Cienagas Grasslands. Of course, John could not hear the Grasshopper Sparrow, the Botteri's Sparrow, the Lark Sparrow or the Cassin's Sparrow, but he saw them all and got fair pictures.

At Patton's, we found out about the Plain-Capped Starthroat at Ash Canyon. John has Narba updates but hasn't been going on line. We will go back to Montosa tomorrow morning to give John another try for the Black-Capped Gnatcatcher then head for Ash Canyon.

Groovy!

After we parted in Missouri, John headed down to Texas. July 31st, he went to Laguna Atacosa and saw several Groove-Billed Anis. He returned the next day and saw none there. Such is the hit or miss of birding.

There are several 'missing' birds John could see in Texas. Some, he needs a lead on where they are hanging out. Some can only be stumbled upon, they are so sporadic. Alphabetically, a few 'wanted's are the Aplomado Falcon, Hook-Billed Kite, Muscovy Duck, Red-Crowned Parrot and White-Tailed Hawk.

Friday, August 3rd, John was back in Big Bend National Park. He talked to the rangers and found the Black Hawk's nest but no members of the family. He also took the 9 mile loop up to the Colima Warbler and didn't see it. This time, he didn't even hear it.

In the afternoon, John drove to Christmas Mountain Oasis down a long dirt road with frequent no trespassing signs. He was lucky to have had talked to the owners on the phone and got their permission to visit. He got through the gate and another mile of dirt road. In the middle of miles and miles of desolate, dry and rugged country, the owners maintain several groupings of feeders. A Sharp-Shinned Hawk landed a few feet from John, also attracted by the possibility of many birds. Besides great views of repeat birds, John got the Black-Tailed Gnatcatcher and, after many hummingbirds turned out to be Black-Chinned, male and female Lucifer Hummingbirds showed up. There were also swarms of dragonflies and butterflies. It was a delightful place to spend an afternoon.

John is heading for Arizona and is up to 608.