Part 2: Silver City, NM, and the Road to Portal

The drive into New Mexico from Arizona was not for the faint of heart.  True, for the most part the greatest danger along I-10 was slipping into a hypnotic state from the sameness of the desert landscape.  But there were enough changes along the way - mountains rising from the desert floor, rock formations that looked impossibly tenuous but had stood for thousands of years - that I easily maintained concentration.  The real trouble came from that odd-looking curtain drawn across the terrain in the distance.  I had seen something like it once before, but where?  It wasn't a rain storm.  It certainly wasn't snow or ice.  Then a photo from an old National Geographic leaped to mind bringing one word with it: Sandstorm.  Soon the digital signs along the highway began blinking out a warning.  "Dust Storm Ahead.  Proceed with Caution."  Heck, it didn't say to stop and go back, so I went on.

Red-faced Warbler

As I recall, the storm slammed into me as I entered Texas Canyon.  A hot, ferocious wind staggered the Ford Expedition I had rented.  Quickly I regained control and held it on course, continuing eastward at a markedly slower pace.  Tumbleweed and other debris dashed across the road, but always ahead of or behind me, never right into me.  Smaller vehicles gathered on the road's edge, but the larger trucks kept going, and I stayed with them, the lessened visibility made less problematic by their glowing tail lights.  Then the air rippled with thunder and lightning.  I thought, "What fresh hell is this?"  But it turned out to be a good thing.  The rain cleaned the air and dampened the dust enough to keep it from blowing quite as much.  Visibility improved considerably, and then I was out the other side.  The curtain was in my rear view mirror, and I was clear of the storm.  And as a sign of good things to come, just as I crossed into New Mexico, a Lesser Nighthawk flew across my path, kept with me for a few marvelous seconds, and then disappeared to the north.  Welcome to the Land of Enchantment.

"Red-backed" Dark-eyed Junco

When I retired in 2012 after 41 years as a teacher, one of my goals was to try to spend some time birding in all 50 states.  Across the southern US border, I had birded at least a little in every state from Florida to California except New Mexico.  I planned to fix that on this trip.  I spent the night in Lordsburg, got up early the next morning, drove to Silver City and then took Route 15 toward Pinos Altos and the Cherry Creek and McMillan campgrounds, two spots mentioned on the New Mexico Birding Trail website.  They proved to be both beautiful and birdy.  At Cherry Creek, I walked across the rocks of a dried stream bed and stood peering up toward the towering hills and pines overhead.  Then I heard a warbler-like sound just above me.  I looked up and right into the gorgeous sight of a Red-faced Warbler (above, left).  I think I actually did a little dance of triumph right there in the picnic area.  Back in the parking lot I saw movement in the trees that bordered the highway.  There posing nicely was a "Red-backed" Junco, my third subspecies of the Dark-eyed Junco in the past year or so.

Painted Redstart

I left Cherry Creek intending to drive immediately to McMillan, but didn't get very far.  After just 50 feet or so, I noticed a lot of activity on both sides of the road.  I pulled off to the side, got out, and was surrounded by at least a half-dozen more Red-faced Warblers.  They seemed to be everywhere!  Joining them was a mixed flock including Pygmy and White-breasted Nuthatches, an Arizona Woodpecker, Mountain and Black-capped Chickadees, and another bird that kept darting from view just as I put my binoculars on it.  Then I got a brief but complete view - a Painted Redstart!  I fumbled for my camera and snapped away, getting a series of photos of lots of sticks and a part of a bird.  My best effort is here, on the left and there is another shot below.  I stayed with that flock for quite a while, enjoying their frenzied movement and playful chasing.  It wasn't easy tearing myself away from that spot, but eventually I headed north to the McMillan Campground.

Rocks towering over Cherry Creek Campground

This place was gorgeous!  I felt like I could camp there for days without ever tiring of its beauty, its peacefulness, its clean-smelling, invigorating air.  However, at first there were no birds to be found.  I searched and pished until I was tired and dry-mouthed.  Then I heard a peculiar song of three notes separated by short pauses.  Not for the last time on this trip, I was glad that I had spent some time listening to bird calls in preparation for this trip.  I pulled out my iPod and played the song once or twice to confirm my hopes ... a Cordilleran Flycatcher.  I'd like to say I skillfully tracked it, but the truth is it landed right above my head buried.  Unfortunately, the photos I snapped of the bird proved to be useless. 

The Cordilleran seemed to bring other birds with it.  Here was an American Robin collecting a tasty morsel for breakfast.  There was a House Wren working its way along yet another dry stream bed.  And over there was, well, what is that?  I scurried over to take a better look.  It was a Yellow-eyed Junco, a life bird, my fourth of the day.

I knew I had a long drive ahead of me.  I had to reach Portal, Arizona, where I was to spend the next three nights, so once I again I had to drag myself from a spot I felt reluctant to leave.  I drove south heading toward Silver City, but took a wrong turn.  I found myself on one of the more memorable streets of this or any other trip I've taken.  I was on Main Street of old Pinos Altos.  I wished my camera weren't on the floor behind me and that I had more time to spend.  I passed the old Opera House, the Buckhorn Saloon, and what was once a fortress during the Indian wars.  I read that the town survived a series of attacks by Apaches to produce over $8,000,000 worth of gold, silver and gemstones.  I was fascinated, but in a time crunch, so I kept driving.

I restocked my supplies in Silver City, drove south to Lordsburg and west to Exit 5, then turned south on 80 toward Portal.  Along the way I came to realize that the desert has a beauty all its own, a beauty that may be different from my own frame of reference, but was breath-taking nonetheless.  Some of the photos taken along the way are at the bottom of this blog.  I wish they could do justice to the truth.

I stopped along the way to search for birds a few times, but found only a Red-tailed Hawk and a Black-throated Sparrow.  In Rodeo, a Gambel's Quail was perched high in a tree bereft of its leaves.  Gin Road was reputed to have Cassin's Sparrows, but I saw none.  Stateline Road was also birdless as far as I could tell, so I turned west and headed for Portal and three fabulous days of birding in the Chiricahua Mountains.

Red-faced Warbler

Painted Redstart Trying to Hide

American Robin with Breakfast

The Desert in New Mexico

The New Mexico Desert