Sonoran Connection: To The Mountain and Back

Sunday, November 22, 2009

To The Mountain and Back

It takes me about an hour to walk to the base of Golden Gate Mountain. It's a nice walk in Tucson Mountain Park. This picture is about 30 minutes from the house looking back the way I came.

Approaching the base of the mountain.

The detail is incredible as you get up close to the mountain. It was extremely quiet with very little wildlife evident and no one else on the trail either coming or going. We had a very dry summer as the monsoons never really did much so the desert is dry,dry ,dry.

My house is in the center grouping of houses which is where I started out to give you an idea of the distance to the base of Golden Gate.

It was 45 degrees when I started out and I needed a coat, an hour and half later I'm down to a tee shirt. It warms up quickly and will be a really nice day around 75 or so with no shortage of sunshine.

I sent this picture to the Tucson Audubon Society to see if they could identify it for me as I'm not sure what it is. I thought maybe a Gray Vireo but I'm not really good with desert birds yet.

1 comment:

Whimbrel NatureNovember 23, 2009 at 12:55 PM
Since shots Ray. Gray Vireo looks like the right ID to me. Also right habitat (I assume this wasn't along a stream).
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California Condors in Arizona

VERMILION CLIFFS, Ariz. – California condors will be released to the wild in the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in northern Arizona at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 28. The public is welcome to observe the release from a viewing area where spotting scopes will be set up and experts will be available to answer questions.

http://www.peregrinefund.org/news-release/267

http://www.peregrinefund.org/home-feature/condor

Everything you should know about California Condors. http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/106003821/0

News Release: http://1.usa.gov/QmvwBu

Sonoran Connection applauds the Peregrine Fund for it's efforts to save the California Condor in Arizona.

www.peregrinefund.org/conserve_category.asp?category=California%20Condor%20Restoration

www.peregrinefund.org/press_full.asp?id=192&category=California%20Condor

Check out this update on the Condor program 15 years after it began.

grandcanyonnews.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=9669&TM=53459.1

www.thecondorsshadow.com

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Sonoran Connection does not accept donations on behalf of NPCA or any other group. If you wish to donate go directly to the organizations website. www.npca.com

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2012-2013: 261

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Tuesday October 12 190 sandhills returned to Whitewater Draw.

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