Crested Saguaros east to Buenos Aires NWR

Discovered many cristates or crested Saguaros along the way to Buenos Aires NWR (National Wildlife Refuge).  I’m not ready to go “home” so am exploring new places while the temps in southeastern Arizona hold mostly below 90°.

It finally got too hot in the Sonoran Desert but I wasn’t ready to go home.  So after Easter weekend I left the Bates Well camp and headed east filled with breakfast from Granny’s in Why, going for higher elevation and cooler than 90° temperatures at the Buenos Aires NWR.

I also had a new to me two-lane highway to travel through the Tohono O’Odam reservation, SR86, with sights along the way including wildflowers.

Richard sent me a list of mile markers for crested Saguaros and I found four out of five.  One sat below the Kitt Peak National Observatory which was currently closed to the public.  Besides, without camping at the top of that 6886 foot peak I wouldn’t want to drive up or down in the dark of night.

Baboquirvari Peak 7733 feet

Though I didn’t climb that high in elevation the landscape changed to a semidesert grassland with mesquite trees from 3200-5000 feet in Buenos Aires NWR.

I drove south almost to the Mexican border to the visitor center located in the original ranch house built in the 1860s of adobe bricks covered with plaster.  I took video of the inside that will show up on my YouTube channel eventually.

The volunteer, Noel, not only knew the natural and cultural history but led me outside to a Great Horned Owl’s nest where we could see a pair of adult-sized ear tufts.

I asked him to recommend a campsite either at elevation or with shade.  I didn’t have far to go and parked under some huge oaks along a dry wash in site #76, with absolutely no signal.  But that was OK as I had many photos from the day’s journey to go through and even processed a few for future posting.

I spent the chilly morning writing a blog post in between my window wildlife views.  First being greeted by a small herd of Mule-deer less than 100 feet away.

Small birds flitted in and out of nearby branches until a Red-tailed hawk came to roost.

Blue dots on map mark camps, #76 south & #40 middle

By 10:30am I was headed back to the Buenos Aires NWR visitor center for better light on the owl but could barely see feathers.  I was the first person to the visitor center that morning.  The previous afternoon I was the 14th visitor.  I spoke quite a while with 3rd-winter volunteer Barb who plans to stay through the summer to experience monsoon.  WOW!  This awesome 83-year old lives in her 25 foot Airstream on the refuge.  We spoke at length about the natural history of these grasslands and their wildlife.

In 1864 Pedro Aquirre Jr created Buenos Ayres Ranch.  Over 100 years of overgrazing, erosion, and fire suppression, mesquite trees gained a foothold reducing habitat for native animals.  In 1985, US Fish & Wildlife bought the land and with later additions Buenos Aires NWR now protects 117,000 acres.  They now do prescribed burns and reduce the mesquite trees while reintroducing Desert pronghorn and protecting endangered bobwhite quail.  Over 325 species of birds are found on the refuge along with mule and white-tailed deer, javelina, coatimundi, ringtail cats, and mountain lion.  I saw scat from the last near both my camps.    

Barb recommended I stop at the nearby, small, human-made Triangle Pond to watch birds before driving to the High Gates Road in search of another designated dispersed campsite with a better possibility of signal.  I worked for US Fish and Wildlife in 1976/77 and saw the potential for more education and interpretation at their hatcheries and refuges along the Columbia River.  As a land management agency they really haven’t embraced that or advertised their locations, and now I am glad of that as they are not so crowded.

I spent an hour by myself sitting in my bird-hide/truck along Triangle Pond watching birds.  Dark black Coots spent so much time diving they would be almost invisible without their contrasting white beak.

The large bright yellow beak on what looked like a duck confused me until I dug out the field guide and discovered the Sora Rail, a lifer.

No surprise to see Blue Herons around but I think they look gangly landing in trees.

I saw many Grackles at Mittry Lake, and here too.

My happiest sighting was the Redwing Blackbirds because I grew up watching them in wetlands, and those are few in Arizona.

I chose site #40 up on a little ridge in the Altar Valley with views of the Baboquivari Mountains to the west and Las Guijas Mountains to the east, and even had a signal.

A 360° sunset confirmed my site choice.

The next day’s wind blew in lenticular clouds and kept me inside watching the light and shadow change colors on the land.  Perfect because I needed a down day to observe my new viewshed.

And edit video from a few weeks previous at my Darby Well camp.  I take about an hour per finished minute to edit videos that run from :15 to 25:00 minutes to start.

Only one vehicle went past all day, and what might be a Swainson’s hawk, feel free to correct me.

In the morning I finished the Darby Well camp video, even though I was sitting in Buenos Aires NWR.  Sometimes I confuse myself.  Good way to clear my head is go for a walk.  I never have to go far to be gone for sometimes hours.  I moseyed north on the High Gates Road passing two other designated campsites within less than half a mile and out of sight of each other, all large with fire rings.  The Mesquite barely showed small green leaves so their skeletal shape was distinct.

                                                         Barrel                                                                                             Prickly Pear

Cactus were in various stages of bud and fruit.  I picked one of the fruits and took video removing the millions of poppyseed-sized seeds out to taste the rather lacking fruit.  May not be ripe yet.

Fairyduster

Two vehicles went by, busy Friday.

Weekends are a time to stay put, not travel.  It’s also a good time to look ahead, for me that’s not more than about a week.  I made a plan to visit a friend in Bisbee the next weekend.  So I looked at a map for route according to what’s to see along the way.

                                                                                          Ash-throated Flycatcher

I watched birds because that’s what you do at Buenos Aires NWR.  And because I would be busy for the week edited and scheduled a trail-cam video of the coyotes in my Darby Well camp.

Curved-bill Thrasher

Truck towing a trailer with one horse went by this morning and two more rigs in the afternoon. Damn freeway.

Morning can start at a cool 50° headed to a high of 80°.  That’s not hot but my temperature rises thinking I’m so organized but got flustered when I couldn’t find the Old US 80 videos.  I spent wasted the morning doing computer housekeeping.  Finally feeling blind and fatigued, I went outside into the shade to relax and read.  A bicycle rider went by, later a side-by-side playing loud polka music and kicking up dust.

Helicopter flew very low over the ridgeline above camp just before the gorgeous sunset.

Life is good at camp Buenos Aires NWR.  However, I paid a price for sitting outside, in shorts, because tiny black flies of some sort bit the shit out of my lower legs.  I welted to dime-size from every bite, and even with cortisone creme itched all night.

Black-throated Sparrow

Must need more birds around here to eat the bugs.

In the morning, windows and door open, something sweet in the air.  Ah, the scent of Buenos Aires NWR.  Except for itching, I happily stayed inside working on blog posts, photos, and videos.  Planning the next leg of this journey, researching online because I could.

Plus I made it out for another sunset shot of Baboquivari Peak framed in a Mesquite tree with the soft light of Fairdusters at its feet.

I stayed through Tuesday, absorbing my little part of Buenos Aires NWR.  I could have seen more by driving to other parts of the refuge but will leave that until next time.

Yet in the morning I continued east making a stop at Arivaca Creek trail.

Sadly no water to nourish the towering Cottonwood trees and riparian area.  I did meet two wonderful “local” ladies along the trail.

Wandering off the main path lead to the old Cruze ranch (according to the ladies) but I couldn’t find any more information.  The arbor, walkways, and shop/barn looked stout built.

Though quite deteriorated, the house appeared to be a decent sized 3-room adobe-mud brick covered with limestone plaster that had seen fire as all the wood lintels and roof were burned.  There was evidence of electricity and piped in water.

One more Buenos Aires NWR sunset

I left there about 10:30am and driving the slow rolling hills and curves at mostly 35mph it took me two hours to get to Tubac and Interstate 19 where I headed south to my next stop for the day.