Monsoon Season In Arizona, Part 4: The Chiricahuas

September 3, 2024

It was another beautiful day in paradise, and all of us were up early to watch the sun rise over the desert. The active bird feeders gave us something to study while we drank our coffee and ate our egg sandwiches that Nikki had crafted for us. 

Black-throated Sparrow - Portal, Cochise County, Arizona

House Finch - Portal, Cochise County, Arizona

We had a full day planned in the Chiricahua Mountains, but our first stop was a dry wash in the small town of Portal. This is often a reliable site for Lucy's Warbler. Unfortunately, our Lucy's quest was unsuccessful (it is getting late in the year for them, after all) but we still tallied 30 bird species in 45 minutes. New trip birds included Inca Dove, Bell's Vireo and Black-throated Gray Warbler. 

Northern Cardinal - Portal, Cochise County, Arizona

I photographed this cottontail at the edge of someone's lawn. I expected it to be the widespread Desert Cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii), but this was actually the scarce Holzner Cottontail (Sylvilagus holzneri) due to its relatively small ears. 

Holzner Cottontail (Sylvilagus holzneri) - Portal, Cochise County, Arizona

From here, we continued westward into the Chiricahua Mountains. I will be a little vague as to the exact locations that we visited, so as to not reveal the precise locations of any rare snakes. 

Yarrow's Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus jarrovii) - Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona

Our goal for the morning was to search for a species of rare montane rattlesnake called the Twin-spotted Rattlesnake. Without giving too much away, I will say that we were successful after about 15 minutes of searching at the location which I had scouted out online. Interestingly, the snake wasn't even on a talus slope, but was crawling through the shrubbery at the base of a talus slope. 

Twin-spotted Rattlesnake (Crotalus pricei) - Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona

Full credit to Dan for finding this beautiful snake! It was one of my top targets for the trip. Dan had seen this species many years ago, but that snake had vanished before any photos could be taken. We rectified that situation with a productive photoshoot of the Twin-spotted Rattlesnake when it coiled up under a bush. 

Twin-spotted Rattlesnake (Crotalus pricei) - Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona

What a rush! Otherwise, the rest of our morning was productive from a birding perspective. We encountered many of the higher-elevation species, including Pygmy Nuthatch, Mexican Chickadee, Red-faced Warbler, Grace's Warbler, Hermit Warbler and Yellow-eyed Junco. 

Red-faced Warbler - Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona

A friend of mine had previously given me a tip about a Spotted Owl location. We came across some friendly birders during our wanderings, and they also mentioned the Spotted Owls and gave us precise directions to the tree where one was roosting. Even though we had stumbled across one a few days earlier in Miller Canyon, we are not the type of people who ignore another chance at observing this species! And like the previous Spotted Owl, Nikki was the first one of us to locate this one roosting in a big pine tree. 

Mexican Spotted Owl - Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona

Mexican Spotted Owl - Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona

It was attempting to expunge a pellet but it didn't seem to be having much luck. 

Mexican Spotted Owl - Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona

Mexican Spotted Owl - Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona

The mountains in this corner of Arizona are absolutely beautiful. Quite a few wildflowers were in full bloom, with some being attended by various bees, beetles and butterflies. 

Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona

Mountain Saucerflower (Crusea simplex) - Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona

Acmaeodera decipiens - Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona

Mountain Oxeye (Heliopsis parviflora) - Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona

On our way back into Portal we made a quick stop at the Visitor Center, since the girls still needed Blue-throated Mountain-gem and this hummingbird is regularly seen attending the feeders here. We were successful as one flew in almost immediately. 

Blue-throated Mountain-gem - Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona

It had been a productive morning and so we treated ourselves to lunch and cold drinks at the Portal Cafe. Afterwards, we decided to hike alongside a gorgeous stream that we had passed earlier in the morning. Though it was now early afternoon and quite hot out, we remained hopeful for snakes and lizards. 

Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona

We thought that this particular area looked great for Banded Rock Rattlesnakes and kept a vigilant eye (and ear) out for them as we explored. 

Yarrow's Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus jarrovii) - Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona

Despite our best efforts, we were unable to turn up any snakes. Earlier in the day would have been much better, I think. However, lizards were very active and we found our first Striped Plateau Lizard (Sceloporus virgatus), several Clark's Spiny Lizards (S. clarkii) and quite a few of the ubiquitous Yarrow's Spiny Lizard (S. jarrovii). 

Striped Plateau Lizard (Sceloporus virgatus) - Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona

Clark's Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus clarkii) - Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona

Striped Plateau Lizard (Sceloporus virgatus) - Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona

We also noted a few butterflies and damselflies alongside the creek. 

Unidentified dancer (Argia sp.) - Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona

We made it back to the Airbnb in time for a couple of cold beers on the deck while we watched the sun set behind the Chiricahua Mountains. I set up my moth light once again, and at dusk the four of us departed for our final road-cruise in the Portal area. 

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) - Portal area, Cochise County, Arizona

Early on we found a neonate Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, pictured above. But the real heart-breaker occurred just a few minutes later. 

As much fun as road-cruising can be, an unfortunate aspect of looking for wildlife along roads is that quite a few road-killed specimens are also encountered. It is never fun finding a mangled specimen of a species that had been alive just minutes earlier. If only we had been the vehicle that came across this Green Ratsnake when it decided to cross the road...

Road-killed Green Ratsnake (Senticolis triaspis) - Portal area, Cochise County, Arizona

Thoughts of the dead ratsnake were put to the back of our minds when a sleek, black and yellow snake appeared on the road up ahead. A Desert Kingsnake!

Desert Kingsnake (Lampropeltis splendida) - Portal area, Cochise County, Arizona

Desert Kingsnakes feed mainly on snakes, and the most common snakes here in the desert are several types of rattlesnakes. This strategy seems rather risky, but kingsnakes have some sort of immunity to rattlesnake venom. This takes away the rattlesnake’s superpower and makes dining on rattlesnakes a little less complicated!

Desert Kingsnake (Lampropeltis splendida) - Portal area, Cochise County, Arizona

While we were admiring the kingsnake, a bus-load of students and their professor from the United Kingdom stopped to check out what the commotion was all about. These students were part of a herpetology course and on a field trip to Arizona. What a neat opportunity for them! 

Desert Kingsnake (Lampropeltis splendida) - Portal area, Cochise County, Arizona

One of the students pointed out this scorpion that they had found with the assistance of a black light. The exoskeletons of scorpions glow under black light, making them much easier to spot. This is a Russell's Scorpion; this species was described from specimens found here in Portal.

Russell's Scorpion (Chihuahuanus russelli) - Portal area, Cochise County, Arizona

The rest of the evening was rather slow-going and we were unable to find any additional snakes. We did see a few toads, tarantulas and kangaroo rats to keep things interesting. 

Sonoran Desert Toad (Incilius alvarius) - Portal area, Cochise County, Arizona

Desert Blonde Tarantula (Aphonopelma chalcodes) - Portal area, Cochise County, Arizona

Upon our return to the Airbnb, Dan and I stayed up far too late photographing moths and other insects. It was somehow already our second last night of the trip, and our final chance to set up the moth light. We made the most of the opportunity. After all, we could sleep upon our return to Canada...

Prothrinax luteomedia - Portal area, Cochise County, Arizona

Snakeweed Borer Moth (Pelochrista ridingsana) - Portal area, Cochise County, Arizona

Diabrotica longicornis - Portal area, Cochise County, Arizona

Acacia Aristotelia (Aristotelia corallina) - Portal area, Cochise County, Arizona

My favourite moth of the evening was this spectacular crambid moth called Lythrodes radiatus. It seems to be a rather uncommon species that is rarely reported. 

Lythrodes radiatus - Portal area, Cochise County, Arizona

Similar to our experience at Miller Canyon, the White-lined Sphinx (Hyles lineata) was common here as well. In addition, we also found a couple of Five-spotted Hawk Moths (Manduca quinquemaculatus) which is a species that I am familiar with from Ontario. 

White-lined Sphinx (Hyles lineata) - Portal area, Cochise County, Arizona

Five-spotted Hawk Moth (Manduca quinquemaculatus) - Portal area, Cochise County, Arizona

We located several of these pretty tiger beetles on the ground under the sheet. This species is called the White-striped Tiger Beetle (Jundlandia lemniscata). 

White-striped Tiger Beetle (Jundlandia lemniscata) - Portal area, Cochise County, Arizona

We noted around 50 species of moths along with many other insects over the course of the evening. Here is a smattering of photos of some of them. 

Rufous-banded Crambid (Mimoschinia rufofascialis) - Portal area, Cochise County, Arizona

Mesquite Girdler (Oncideres rhodosticta) - Portal area, Cochise County, Arizona

Purslane Moth (Euscirrhopterus gloveri) - Portal area, Cochise County, Arizona

Pseudohemihyalea edwardsii - Portal area, Cochise County, Arizona

Noctueliopsis brunnealis - Portal area, Cochise County, Arizona

Stenomorpha sp. - Portal area, Cochise County, Arizona

Fissicrambus intermedius - Portal area, Cochise County, Arizona

Hubbard's Silk Moth (Syssphinx hubbardi) - Portal area, Cochise County, Arizona

Sonoran Tiger Mantis (Stagmomantis clauseni) - Portal area, Cochise County, Arizona

Ericydeus lautus - Portal area, Cochise County, Arizona

Notoxus calcaratus - Portal area, Cochise County, Arizona

Southern Emerald (Synchlora frondaria) - Portal area, Cochise County, Arizona

Loxostege albiceralis - Portal area, Cochise County, Arizona

Ponometia sp. - Portal area, Cochise County, Arizona

Lethocerus medius - Portal area, Cochise County, Arizona

Arcobara multilineata - Portal area, Cochise County, Arizona