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Critters of Cave Creek, AZ [1]

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Date: 2023-10-28  

So last week Ms Canyon and I took a “short” trip (350 mi each way) from our home in Albuquerque to Cave Creek, near Portal, AZ. Cave Creek is in the eastern art of the Chiricahua Mountains, a “sky island” rising up from the arid playas of southwestern New Mexico.

This is the view from our room at the Cave Creek Ranch. The Ranch is very popular with birders, as the place is maintained as a bird and animal refuge inside the Chiricahua National Monument.

The Arizona White Oak and Emory Oak trees were shedding fresh ripe acorns, so the Acorn Woodpeckers were abundant, busy, and noisy.

They cache acorns in tree cavities, as well in nooks and crevices in buildings.

Other woodpeckers include Arizona Wodpeckers and Hairy Woodpeckers.

Arizona Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

The fall migrarion is pretty much over, but a few of the more southern hummingbirds still were hanging around (free food?). A Bluethroated Mountain Gem was a regular visitor, who liked to perch and sip along the ranch house porch.

Most of the following images were taken from the ranch house porch.

Ranch House Porch View

Immature Male Mountain Gem

The only other hummers we saw were Anna’s Hummingbirds.

Adult Male Anna’s Hummingbird

The Jay tribe was represented by Mexican and Woodhouse’s jays

Mexican Jay

Woodhouse’s Jay

Other feathered visitors included:

Curved-Billed Thrasher

Cactus Wren

Painted Redstart

Pyrrhuloxia

Cardinal

Mourning Doves

Lesser Goldfinch

Bridled Titmouse

Bushtit

Merriam’s Turkeys were in the front yard every day.

Merriam’s Turkeys

On the second day there was a short thunderstorm, and one poor turkey stood under a tree and was soaked by the rain. There was a porch 10 feet away but he stayed in the rain the whole time.

Four-legged critters included the Coues Deer, a small subspecies on the more common Whitetail.

Coues Deer

Deer like to raid bird feeder too.

Orange stealer

But the stars of the porch show were the Coatimundi. Related to ringtails and raccoons, these little thieves are found in SSW New Mexico and S Arizona. Our regular visitor is an adult male who loves to raid bird feeder.

The Ranch folks tried to suspend some feeders from a wire clothesline, but El Coati is a good as a circus acrobat.

He slides along the wire and feasts on the sweet jelly in the jar.

Then he swings around to have a taste on the suet block.

Chirichaua Mountains

Alas, we headed home after 3 days of quiet, peaceful birding and critter watching. Highly recommend Cave Creek for anyone looking for a great nature spot in the NM/AZ area!

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