Beatty's Guest Ranch
Miller Canyon, Hereford, Arizona
4/23/2018 - 4/28/2018
Dog hair for hummingbird nests!
Beatty's Guest Ranch is at the end of the Miller Canyon Road in the Huachuca Mountains.
We stayed in one of the Hawk View cabins, which are up the side of the canyon overlooking the rest of the ranch. At night, we were surrounded by the sounds of Mexican Whip-poor-wills and distant owls.
We were first baffled and then amused by the antics of a pair of Hepatic Tanagers that repeatedly flew against the upper windows on one side of our cabin.
When they weren't fluttering around, the birds spent time peering intently at or through the panes of glass. After a full day, we deduced that they preying on spiders and spider egg sacs. They actively grazed the hundreds of cobwebs under the eaves and tried very hard to get at the few sacs that were between two panes.
The Hawk View cabins are uphill, recommended for "adults who can hike uphill and are in tune with nature". Tom Beatty Jr. uses an ATV to help guests cart food and suitcases and other supplies up to the cabins.
The cabins have solar-powered lights and fridge, solar hot water, gas stoves, composting toilets, running water for sinks and shower, and small wood stoves for chilly nights and mornings.
Beatty's website says that ecotourism and geo-tourism are a way of life, a motto that's demonstrated all over the property. Check the link for a list of what the family is doing to protect the environment and reduce their own carbon footprint and that of visitors who stay there.
Like many places in southeastern Arizona, Beatty's Guest Ranch was badly damaged by the 2011 Monument Fire and subsequent floods. There are fewer designated areas for bird-watching than there were before the devastating flood, but it's still a great area for birds!
Fifteen species of hummingbirds have been seen at Beatty's Guest Ranch. The rare Berylline species has visited the ranch several times in the past but hasn't been reported since 2016.
We saw many Black-chinned and Broad-billed Hummingbirds, along with a few Rivoli's and Anna's and one lovely and unexpected Rufous.
Notice the bright yellow pollen on this hummingbird's beak.
Broad-billed Hummingbird males and females have red bills. They seem more comfortable sitting and posing for pictures than many other hummingbirds!
Below: Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black-headed Grosbeaks (male and female), and mystery hummer - The warbler is the Audubon's subspecies, with a yellow throat. The kind we usually see in the east ("Myrtle" warblers) have white throats.
We think this flycatcher is a Cassin's Kingbird, but it was pretty far away for a solid ID.
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| Flycatcher with nesting material |
The Miller Canyon Trail is justly famous. On this trip Bernie found several other trails with lots of birds and great views.
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| Yellow Warbler |
The beautiful Miller Canyon Trail is famous among birders for thrilling rarities, exciting sort-of rarities, and beautiful local birds. Here are just a few of the birds that have been seen and enjoyed on the trail: twenty-two kinds of warblers; seventeen species of flycatchers, including the hard-to-find Buff-breasted; six kinds of wrens; Mexican Spotted Owl, Montezuma Quail, Elegant Trogon, Eared Quetzal, Aztec Thrush, Flame-colored Tanager; thirteen kinds of hummingbirds (including Costa's, Violet-crowned, White-eared and Calliope). For a complete list, go to this e-bird site.
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| Spotted Towhee |
Mexican Spotted Owls have nested in Miller Canyon for many years. Birders and photographers come from around the world to see these birds, so the Beattys put up a sign directing them.
We also saw or heard adult and young Great Horned Owls talking to each other, and Flammulated Owls doing their deep "hoot" that sounds like blowing across the top of a bottle.
Miller Canyon is also famous for many other kinds of raptors. We saw Golden Eagles, Red-tailed Hawks, Gray Hawks, and Northern Goshawks. A pair of Goshawks was nesting not many yards downhill from our cabin. The huge nest, five or six feet across and a yard deep, is visible in this picture:
One day we watched the nest for quite a while before being rewarded by the male returning to the nest and the larger female standing up inside it. Then the male took off, flying right at Bernie with his talons extended! Fortunately, the bird veered off before making contact. It had definitely made its point: Stay a good distance back from a goshawk nest!
Below: Lark Sparrows
Below: Black-throated Gray Warbler on her nest!
Below: Townsend's Warblers were plentiful along the trail!
Below: Western Tanager aglow in the forest
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| Painted Redstart |
Beatty's Guest Ranch offers inexpensive lodging, beauty and privacy. When planning a visit, take the time to read their website. The family is protective of their beautiful land, the birds, and nature in general, and they have several common sense rules.
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Tom Beatty Jr. raises Redbone Coonhounds. The dogs are uniformly beautiful, sweet-tempered and friendly - but they're also noisy! The quiet of Miller Canyon was "seasoned" several times during our stay by the excited baying, yipping, howling and barking of over a dozen dogs.
If you want to walk the Miller Canyon Trail but aren't going to be staying with the Beattys, there's a Forest Service parking area just before the Guest Ranch with trail access.
The white object in the sky below isn't a bird! It's a surveillance blimp. Miller Canyon is near both Fort Huachuca and the Mexican Border.
A male Rufous Hummingbird was a surprise. This species is usually far north of Arizona by late April.
The little gazebo near the parking lot, with hummingbird feeders, a wet area, frogs and irises, provides a bird-watching spot for people who might find it difficult to walk up the steep hill to the main feeder area.
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| Lesser Goldfinch |
Thanks to Tom, Edith and Tom Jr. for their hospitality and conversation!
Find more information about Beatty's @ http://beattysguestranch.com/
For more photos of southeastern Arizona birds, view our Cave Creek Ranch posting.
