November/December 2003

Safford, Arizona

A relatively short but fairly scenic drive eastbound on US60/70 passing through Superior, Globe and Wullies favourite – Geromino inside the San Carlos Indian Reservation. Yep this here is Injun country so you tenderfoots from out east, hold onto your hats & your scalps. Lexington Pines Mobile Home & RV Park (Passport America discount), situated on the Thatcher end of Safford (Not called after the Iron Lady) is a really nice tidy and spacious park with large spaces and only $105 a week. Farming seems to be the main industry in the area with Cotton dominating. This is harvest time as evidenced by the bales of cotton lining the roadside awaiting pickup. We did see one field being harvested by a large harvester, very similar in appearance to the corn harvester we rode on the Wilson's spread in Waltham, Illinois. Safford/Thatcher (almost joined at the hip nowadays) is a nice quiet western town with 2 supermarkets and a Walmart Superstore.

Pinaleno Mountains – These were part of the reason for visiting the Safford area, with Mt. Graham at 10,717 feet the biggest in the range. About 8 miles out of Safford a very winding road ascends, in 30 miles, from the valley floor (3000 feet) to the Webb Peak trail trailhead (9,000+ feet) the last few miles on a dirt road. The dirt road actually continues on for another few miles to Riggs Flat Lake. This hike is just over a mile to a fire lookout, but it ascends to 10,025 feet and the temperature was around 40 degrees (cold for us). Linda only managed to go as far as the first platform (steep, cold metal ladder) but Wullie managed up to the second platform which offered 360 degree views of the surrounding mountains and the valley below.
We stopped at trailhead in a canyon with small waterfalls and a few birds. The noisy Canyon Wren was the first to greet us, along with Junco's and Orange Crowned Kinglets. Even the Marmots were out, feeding up for the winter. We walked a short way up the canyon and saw our first Abhert's Squirrel, one we had been hoping to see for quite a while. This gray squirrel has very long ear tufts, a reddish back and a white belly.
During our slow winding descent we encountered lots of white tailed deer feeding at various spots along the roadside. When we arrived at the bottom a beautiful sunset in the valley was accentuated by the the backdrop of the mountains. Today was a very good day, and at the top - Cool Man!

Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area/Bonita Creek – This area like much of the open land around is administered by the Bureau of Land Management, a federal agency. Bonita creek is reckoned to be a good birding spot making it quite an interesting place to visit. However no one told us that this is quite the wrong time of year for birds. The BLM have made an excellent job of building a shaded platform overlooking the river, with a paved path leading from the parking area. It stands out in contrast to the surrounding desert and the miles of winding, up & down, dirt road we drove to get there. The drive was quite exciting, although in places too exciting for Linda as a passenger, so she drove on the return journey allowing Wullie to be excited.

Black Hills Back Country Highway – This 21miles of dirt road is a scenic highway built by prisoners between 1914 and 1920 to link the Copper mines in the Clifton area to Safford in the south. We stopped alongside the Gila River for lunch and enjoyed the activity of a few birds. Continued on to Clifton looking for a viewpoint of the huge Copper Mine but we couldn't find the viewpoint. Evidence of the Copper mine is everywhere in Clifton, the ore is conveyed over US 191 to the crusher?

Safford, Arizona to Davis Mountains, Texas

A long but easy drive, 75 miles on US 70 to join I-10 at Lordsburg, New Mexico which would take us across west Texas to the Davis Mountains (the only significant mountains in Texas). We omitted to account for the one hour time change when we decided on the 400+ mile trip and as a result we arrived in the dark. The office was closed but we had stayed here at the Prude Ranch before, knew the layout and chose our spot with birds visiting the feeder in mind. As it turned out most birds had plenty of food during our stay so only the Scrub Jay visited us which pleased the Brown Towhee's as they fed from the mass of seed deposited on the ground by the clumsy Jays. Prude Ranch was awash with birds, especially Acorn Woodpeckers who occupied most of the utility poles on the ranch, burying their nuts in the top of the poles. We also saw a Roadrunner, our first for a long time (Beep Beep!).

Davis Mountain State Park - We visited this park on our first visit and just loved the bird/wildlife section. They have created a hide plus an interpretive area for wildlife and birds. On our last visit we added quite a few new birds to our list. This time no new ones were added but we enjoyed watching a variety of birds feeding from the feeders. We also had the good fortune to see two foxes who were visiting the water hole, little wonder all the birds had vanished. Cactus Wrens, Towhee's, Thrashers, Sparrows and Junco's, plus the uncommon (although prolific hereabouts) Acorn Woodpecker making holes in the nearby utility poles.

Davis Mountains to Concan, Texas Hill Country

Made an early start for the long trip to Parkview Riverside RV Park for an overnight stop (Passport America discount). We arrived in brilliant sunshine and were advised by the owners that this was the first clear/sunny day for the past 10 days. As we had brought this sunny weather with us we were asked to stay longer but we had to decline as we had reservations in the Rio Grande Valley. Our very large site overlooked the Frio River and once set up we wandered along the river bank. Garner State Park is located on the other side of the river and stepping stones allow you to cross the river, although at this time of year some of the stones were under water. The park owners, who were exceedingly friendly, had large bird feeders distributed all around the park and all the visitors could enjoy the feathered wildlife.
This park has no major roads or railway tracks nearby to keep us awake at night. What it did have was squirrels and birds sitting on the tree above the RV, dropping nuts on the roof early in the morning! Ah well you can't have everything? This fairly new site is really delightful and well worth a visit. We chatted to two Texan visitors who said they were trying to keep it's existence as secret as possible so they could enjoy the peace & solitude.

Concan to Mission

Up before the sun rose and away just after. The first part of our 300+ mile journey took us through some of the beautiful Texas Hill country. As we passed through Crystal City we had our first long awaited sighting of a Scissor Tailed Flycatcher. This bird has normally emigrated by now so we were lucky to see three sitting on the utility lines. We successfully negotiated our way around Laredo despite badly signed roadwork's. It helped that we had passed this way before as you don't want to get lost in Laredo. On our last visit, around local elections time, one candidate for Sheriff exhorted the citizens to vote for him if they wanted law & order returned? About 20 miles from Mission we encountered one of those tropical rain storms that always seem to welcome us to Texas, although it was a bit later this time. The visibility was so bad that we had to pull over until it calmed down. The Americana RV Resort in Mission was chosen due to it's proximity to Bentsen State Park, renowned for its birds, and the Passport America discount for our 8 night stay. The description in the book was favorable and the RV Park certainly lived up to it being situated in an old citrus grove. Once again we had a very large site surrounded by grapefruit/orange/lemon trees - very attractive for the birds.
Bentsen State Park on the banks of the Rio Grande we had been told by numerous people is the best place to see migrating birds and thos who have a day pass from Mexico. We were hoping to add some new species to our list.

Bentsen, Rio Grande State Park - This used to be a favorite spot for RRVers/birdwatchers from all over the US. However the RV park within the State Park has been discontinued. All the infrastructure is still in place so it seemed strange that such a popular park should close? During one of our visits we discovered in conversation with a local lady how this came about. The World Birding organization wanted to build a headquarters near the State Park, and entered into an agreement with a local landowner. The local council backed the plan for the headquarters building (lots of visitors) but unbeknown to them an agreement had been struck with the landowner that the State Park RV park would close as he was building a new one opposite. By the time this became common knowledge it was too late to stop? As our informant said it wouldn't seem quite as bad if they were constructing a classy headquarters but it looks like a big nissan hut, with which we tend to agree.
So many varieties of birds were attracted to the RV park because the RV'ers fed them on a regular basis. We hiked a couple of trails and also visited the old campsite where birds still come to feeders now provided by the State Park which is attempting, via a few projects, to maintain its excellent reputation as a birding paradise. We made many visits to Bentsen and added the Black-Throated Green Warbler to our list. These small birds were feeding from a very popular tree along with Black & White Warblers, Black Crested Titmouse and Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers to name but a few. We also spotted our first Gray Hawk. The good thing about birding in this area is the brightly coloured birds such as the Great Kiskadee, Couch's Kingbird and Altamira Oriole. The peculiar looking Chacalaca were abundant, and we were fortunate to be upwind when encountering a family of Javelina's (wild pig).

Santa Ana NWR - The last time we visited was during a drought and only one of the ponds had water, where all the birds congregated. This past year there's been lots of rain but still only one pond had water. Unfortunately the day we visited there was not many birds, just a few woodpeckers and a lot of mosquitoes as it was rather hot and humid. The hot & humid weather prevailed for most of our stay sometimes necessitating the utilization of the dreaded airconditioner.

Los Ebanos Ferry – This is the last hand drawn ferry on the 1,800 mile length of the Rio Grande. The crossings first recorded usage was by Spanish explorers and colonists under Jose de Escandon in the 1740's. The ford was also used by Mexican war troops in 1846, Texas rangers chasing cattle rustlers in 1874, and by smugglers in many eras, especially during the 1920 -30's American prohibition years. The current ferry and inspection station were established in 1950 and is the only government licensed hand pulled ferry on any boundary of the United States.
We were told that the rare Ringed Kingfisher may be seen here but all we saw was this very old and somewhat dilapidated ferry. We paid our 50 cents to view the ferry crossing the Rio Grande - for that money we could also have had a trip across into Mexico, but we decided against it (passport & visa issues being non American/Mexican). Linda took a picture of the Border post but was asked to delete the picture from her digital camera. Not one bird was seen near the river. Took a slow drive back to Mission on a rough road on the birding trail. Did not add any new species but got good photo's of the Scissor Tailed Flycatcher and Couch's Kingbird.

McAllen Parakeets - Each evening at dusk hundreds of Green Parakeets come to roost on utility cables and trees near a shopping mall. The noise as all these birds chatter on their perch must be a nuisance to the nearby houseowners not to mention the droppings? As we were watching a local man told us how these Parakeets ended up in this area. Their ancestors were being imported into USA from Brazil. A box of 50 birds was dropped and they escaped, bred and stayed in this area as it has food they like. In the summer they go along the coast as far as Corpus Christi.
After the excitement of the Parakeets we went to TGI Friday's for a meal (Bar/Grill). We ordered a couple of Microbrew beers (Surprise, Surprise) and Wullie ordered fish & chips. We waited and waited for our meal which is very unusual here. Finally the waitress came to the table and told us that they were out of Fish & Chips but Linda's meal was ready. We communicated our displeasure, saying that if we reordered, Linda's meal would no longer be freshly made. We considered walking out (a first during this trip) but the manageress offered us the entire meal and drinks on the house to compensate for for their mistake. An inexpensive meal to end a perfect day.

Mission to Port Aransas, Mustang Island

This short journey delivered us to Surfside RV park our home for the next 3 months, 1 block from 15 miles of Gulf of Mexico beach – life is tough sometimes? Lots of faces from our previous visits made us so welcome. Home from home!!
A few days after our arrival Linda went home for a planned two weeks holiday. It turned out to be very hectic as our friend in Lochgelly had been admitted to hospital so she offered her services as taxi driver, then it was off to Yorkshire for three days visiting another friend who had a recent bereavement. A very enjoyable trip back to Scotland but it was so good to be home with Wullie, especially as he had created so many good recipes while I was away. A way to a woman's heart is through her stomach.

Highlights – During one of many trips to the beach saw a human fisherman catch a 38" black drum which he had to return to the sea as it was above the legal limit.
White & Brown Pelicans, Great Blue, Tri-Coloured, Green & Night Herons, Spoonbills, Great, Snowy & Reddish Egrets, Ospreys, Hawks, Kites, Falcons, Kingfishers, various Ducks & Teals, Geese and lots more birds.
Took a trip to South Padre Island, visited wildlife refuges, RV & Park Home show and South Padre Island Brewing Co.
Participated in the Surfside Olympics but only achieved Silver Medal status.
Wullie created a dish yet to be named but the main ingredients are FRESH Red Snapper & King size shrimp (Prawns in English) in a tangy white sauce.

We are leaving the island on 21^st of February and heading for the Hill Country around Austin the State Capital. During our month stay we will take a trip to Waltham, Illinois, for our annual Curling Bonspeil.
The plan then is to visit the Phoenix area of Arizona and investigate the feasibility of leaving the RV on site for a year. We are going home in April, still without any clear idea of what to do next. One thing we do believe is that since we don't have to suffer a winter in Scotland why should we? Hence the RV in Arizona idea as it would provide us with a winter home.

Our next Web page will not be publised until we have made a decisiton about Arizona.

Miles travelled in November: 2,152

Miles travelled in December: 296

Total miles traveled since May 1999: 105,250

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