On the Road: Globe, Arizona to Williams, Arizona

Just read a few back-logged emails and Andree was BORN in Globe!

It was another cool, sunny, lovely morning and the drive today made up for El Paso.

Saw Brewer's Blackbirds in the McDonald's parking lot and a hawk which flew off before I could see it well enough to ID.

The road went mostly north, past Roosevelt Lake (actually a reservoir after the Salt River was dammed) and over passes, with reddish earth and saguaro and prickly pear cacti, and all that other southwest xerophytic vegetation. I stopped at an overlook and a bird was singing on a wire nearby. Through the binocs I could see it was a flycatcher but that was all. So, I set up the scope and saw it very well (this really is so cool) and noted field marks: pale orangey belly, dark tail and not much else. I could clearly hear its very distinct and simple song, as it singing constantly. It was a Say's Phoebe (LB). I couldn't resist and played its song on my Bird Jam app while looking at it through the scope. It perked and looked around, definitely hearing it. I am reluctant to call in birds using this method but many birders do. It seems too high tech and artificial to me, although I am not a purist in this regard. After all, here I was in the wide open with a pricey spotting scope.

Farther down the road, I pulled off for a hawk, which flew and which was a Red-tail, but there was also a Phainopepla (LB) perched on the hawk tree. It took a couple of seconds before I realized it was NOT a Stellar Jay as it had a crest. Phainopeplas are more slender, all black birds. I had never considered seeing one of these and only vaguely remembered from the hundreds of hours paging through field guides that there was a crested black bird with an odd name. Also, I hadn't researched Arizona birds, only the lower Rio Grande possibilities.

This is Mogollon Rim country (pronounced "muggy-own"), a escarpment running across Arizona for 200 miles, bisected by Interstate 17 and is the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau. It is high country and there were snow patches and Ponderosas...beautiful country.

By mid afternoon, I was driving through Sedona, Arizona, which is in the most spectacular natural setting. It is surrounded by red sandstone cliffs of truly stunning beauty. The town obviously has building codes similar to Nantucket as most are muted earthy colors and signage was discrete. I thought of Santa Fe...arts and money. Folks were milling around in the spring sunshine eating, drinking, strolling, visiting art galleries....and I think there was an art fair also. The road north out of Sedona was stunning, through Oak Creek Canyon, rivalling the Going-to-the-Sun road at times, precipitous, winding, narrow, spectacular views. There were creekside cabins and small resorts and B and Bs. Eunice, you camped in Sedona with your kids once didn't you?

I stopped to get oriented and a pair of Western Bluebirds were on a fence.

I thought I would stay in Flagstaff, but it was too busy so I drove west to Williams which was a good decision. Found a nice motel, ate a cheap and tasty meal at Rosalitas and slept 10 hours. Williams is also on old route US 66 and the town capitalizes on this, along with being a gateway town to the Grand Canyon. The main streets (one-way in each direction) were wide with few people this time of year.