If I Were Going...: A Southwest Trip

Male Broad-billed Hummingbird

This bird photography thing may be getting out of hand. I spend most of my free time at home looking for and photographing wildlife, much of which happens to be birds. When I had a bird picture from New Mexico that I couldn’t identify, someone suggested that I join the Birding – Arizona and the Southwest Facebook Group (I already belong to the Front Range Wildlife Photographers). Then, I started seeing photos of fantastic birds, including Elf Owls, Elegant Trogons and lots of hummingbirds. I have already taken a few trips south – one to PatagoniaLake (didn’t see a Trogon) and one to Chiricahua National Monument (that was really a National Monument trip, but I did see some great birds), so you would think I had had enough. I hadn’t.

I kept seeing posts from Battiste’s Bed Breakfast &Birds, a birdwatchers’ bed & breakfast in far south Arizona.

House Finches

I just had to go. Scott had been wanting to do a trip, so he agreed to go (he’s not into birds, so it was a nice gesture).

Me in Monument Valley

I had one other thing I wanted to do, so I added that in.

Although I have been to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park in northern Arizona several times, it was always just as a quick pass-through.

Often, the light wasn’t right for photos.

And, I never had enough time to drive around inside the park.

So, I decided I wanted to stay overnight so that I could catch sunrise and sunset.

Then, I added in the Grand Canyon just for a night, mainly because Scott likes to go there (OK, I do, too!). I mean, seriously, is it possible to have too many pictures of the Grand Canyon?

Grand Canyon

And, to keep the driving from being too taxing, I added in a night in Mesa, Arizona, so that I could check out the Gilbert Riparian Preserve, from where I had seen lots of great bird shots (including Black-necked Stilts, which I hadn't ever seen).