After seeing the Elegant Trogans (no pics worth showing), I was hiking back on the South Fork trail of Cave Creek Canyon, and spotted this very pretty Painted Redstart. The forest was pretty quiet, with few birds about, so I was very happy to have this warbler hop around and pose for me. He has white undertail feathers that he likes to fan and show off. In this shot he just perched out in the open, ready for his portrait. 9/6/21 www.sparhawkphotography.com
One of the special birds I always hope to see when I visit Arizona, is this Yellow-eyed Junco. This species only shows up in the US in a small part of the southeast corner of the state. This little cutie actually showed up on the back porch of the cabin in which I stayed in Madera Canyon. He hopped around just a few feet from me, where the raccoons showed up later in the evening. This was certainly one of the easiest bird sightings of the trip.! 9/4/21 www.sparhawkphotography.com
When walking in a residential street in Portal, AZ, I ran across a family group of Javelinas (pronounced Have-a-leena). the type of wild pigs that are found in SE Arizona. There were about 8 of them in the group, different ages and sizes.. I liked seeing the little baby hanging close to his mother. At this moment someone had yelled at them to get out of their yard, and they were scooting right along. They are considered pests, as they are pretty destructive in gardens, but I like seeing them when I can. 8/30/21 www.sparhawkphotography.com
