I finally did get a good night’s sleep at the Ramsey Canyon Inn B&B and after a short walk near the Inn, I was looking forward to a good breakfast. There were only three guests at the Inn on Monday night and I was the first to get to the table and as it turned out, the other guests came only as I was finished and leaving – just as well in these days of COVID-19. I had taken every precaution I could and felt safe at all times, but the fewer the contacts the better.

The breakfast was excellent and far larger than I usually have. Darrell prepared a main dish of sausage, cheese, vegetables and a scrumptious sauce on a crisp croissant base. There was a fruit, yogurt and granola compote and some yummy banana nut bread. Great Earl Grey tea and a fruit juice washed it down. This was another moment that I knew Cindy would enjoy and I hope we will return someday.

It was time to say goodbye and start working my way back to the Phoenix Airport but with an important stop on W. Ina Road just north of Tucson to try to improve my earlier photos of the Northern Jacana. I birded a bit in a residential area just outside of Ramsey Canyon and while there was nothing rare, there were certainly birds found nowhere close to my home turf in Edmonds, Washington. The first bird I saw was a very hoped for Greater Roadrunner. Not a great photo, but as it had run across the road in front of me and then seemingly disappeared in the brush I was happy to get one at all.

In a shrub not far from the Roadrunner I heard a rattling call that I soon confirmed was a Cactus Wren. On a wire further down the road a perched bird left to pursue an insect and then returned. I counted it as a Western Kingbird forgetting that in this location, it was far more likely a Cassin’s Kingbird so I made the change which made Ebird happy.

A pair of Gambel’s Quail were calling and briefly appeared down a side road and two Curve Billed Thrasher’s chattered at a house with a number of House and White Crowned Sparrows and the only Northern Cardinal I saw on the trip. I saw what I am pretty sure was a Crissal Thrasher, two Canyon Towhees, a Chihuahan Raven and a Phainopepla. The sparrows aside, I would not expect to see any of these species in Washington, although a Phainopepla showed up in Sequim last year. Heading back to the main highway, the last bird seen was a Loggerhead Shrike, a migrant that is now replaced in Washington by its close cousin Northern Shrike.

I was not specifically trying to add birds to my trip list but I had lots of time and seeing these regular Arizona birds was fun. This is a great birding area and unless the pandemic ravage makes it impossible, I hope to get back in 2021. Now, though it was time to take care of business, to return to the Santa Cruz River and improve on my earlier photos of the Northern Jacana. The route was familiar and easy and this time I knew both where to park and where to look.

Just as I started out onto the bridge two more birders pulled into the parking area and were soon following me. I hoped I would see the Jacana and be able to point it out to them. Just as I reached the place on the bridge where the water was visible, the Jacana flew from the vegetation right under me and went down river travelling at least 80 yards. Was it gone? No, it thankfully did a U-turn and flew back towards me landing on vegetation to my left that was much closer to me than when I first came to this spot two days ago, a much improved photo op although not what it would have been if it had not flushed as I arrived. The light was almost straight overhead so not perfect and the bird was still distant but I started snapping photos and was able to catch the Jacana with its wings up as it settled in to begin its foraging.

Unfortunately when the other birders arrived, the wing show was over. But the Jacana spent the next 20 minutes feeding on that same bit of vegetation moving both somewhat closer and somewhat further always in sight and affording us chances for appreciative observations and photographs. I took many and include only one more which shows the enormous toes that allow the bird to distribute its weight so widely and thus be able to walk atop the vegetation. Now I had photos that were worthy of this wonderful rare bird.

Another birder showed up at the bridge. He never said a word; took a few photos and left. I hope that was not a lifer and he considered such a brief view good enough to count it as such. I savored what I expected would be my last ever view of a Jacana and then moved on. Just under 25 years ago on November 29, 1975 I saw a Brown Jay, another then Texas rarity/specialty at Falcon Dam State Park between Brownsville and Laredo on the Rio Grande River. It is another bird on my ABA Life list for which I have no photo. There have been sporadic sightings of this species in the same general since then with the most recent being in 2012. Maybe someday I will be able to scratch that species off my photo needed list. Someday…

I had looked into catching an earlier flight but even without a change fee, it was just far too expensive. It was still early in the day and it was hot and getting hotter – over 90 degrees. It would have been great to go to Mount Lemmon outside of Tucson but there was not enough time for that. I opted to visit Encanto Park in Phoenix where I had added Rosy Faced Lovebirds to my ABA Life list in February 2018. They are a lovely little parrot like bird and would be a fitting way to end my trip. Despite the heat there were many people in the park. Also many waterfowl in the ponds and hundreds of both European Starlings and Rock Pigeons. There were also many Great Tailed Grackles which were also at the Northern Jacana stakeout spot. I finally had two Lovebirds fly overhead and figured that would do it. It was hours before my flight was scheduled to leave and the airport was close, but I decided to go to the terminal which at least would be air conditioned.

I pulled out of the park and saw a large flock of what appeared to be doves feeding in the grass on a lawn. A few birds seemed smaller and I thought they might be some Common Ground Doves which I was surprised I had not seen on this trip. I pulled over to look and among many Mourning Doves were a half dozen Rosy Faced Lovebirds. That’s birding. You just never know. It was a great end to a great trip. My flight home left early and arrived early. Wish I had gone a month ago but sure glad I finally made the trip.