Mad AZ Monk

Spotted!

Well, for someone who hates to bird in the Arizona summer, I'm having a pretty great time.

Business took me to Flagstaff, so I emailed my friend Tom and he was up for post-work birding. We decided to go after the secret prize dwelling on Mt. Kendrick. This was actually karmic payback. Tom had already located said prize, based on surprise intelligence from a trail worker. He sent me directions, and I drove 55 miles each way, hunted for two hours, and definitely did not share in the prize. Barely saw a junco.

So, on this late, breezeless afternoon, with desultory thunderheads grumbling and spitting in the distance, up we trudged.

At a certain point I said, "Here's where I looked. Squinted at every tiny bit of whitewash. Peered up every damn tree."

"Oh," said Tom, "yeah, that's where [No. AZ legend] Chuck first looked, too. It's much further."

"Ah," said I, and on we trudged.

Mt. Kendrick has been badly burnt twice in recent years, the fires jumping about in a "checkerboard" pattern. After a patch of charred trunks and healthy fern, we entered a robust, mixed conifer grove.

"Here," Tom indicated. "Check every tree."

Roger that. We split up, and after about ten minutes of inspection, a loud, four-note hoot echoed through the grove. We whirled toward each other, our startled faces saying, "Was that you?" We simultaneously realized no, and the hooter helpfully hooted again.

Beaming in, it wasn't hard to claim our prize. There, on a low, exposed branch sat the gorgeous pair of Mexican Spotted Owls we sought. A lifer for me, and a total thrill for both of us. They were so lovely, totally unfazed by our presence. We spent some time drinking them in, a true happy hour.

Wandering back down the mountain, we witnessed a short, fat rainbow linking a black cloud with a distant peak, and for a moment, all seemed auspicious and perfect.

Posted by MadMonk at July 21, 2004 05:39 AM