Ferruginous Hawk!

For some reason I was awake at 6:15 a.m. Shocker there. I made it to the Government Canyon park by 7:30. This is an 8 mile drive for me. I paid 6 dollars to get in. I ask the woman in the booth where I can see a road runner. She says on the road. Makes sense why they call it a roadrunner. Did you know that armadillos are almost blind? No wonder they get killed by cars. I saw a dead deer on the road this morning.

I walked around the birding area for an hour. When I got back to the visitor area an older man approached me. He told me some things like he is sure a golden cheeked warbler is in here already because they don't read the guide books. He said this area is like the toilet bowl of the world for birds. I have thought about this for more minutes than I wanted to but I still have no idea what that means. This former green beret who had a hunk of his ear sliced off with a machete in Kenya by a poacher is a talker. He said some veterans have PTSD. He has too much coffee and too much talking!

The speed limit here in 20 miles per hour. I drive with the radio off and the passenger window open. I hope to see a crested caracara, a roadrunner, a coyote, a bobcat and an armadillo. I drive through the campground. This would be a swell campground to be a host. Guldarnit! There he is again and he is waving me over. He talked for another 10 minutes. I am so avoiding him from now on.

I hike the Lytle trail for 5 miles. I am liking the lichen. Would I like the lichen? No I would not lick the lichen.

My boot still has mud from the Colorado River on it.

A black tipped titmouse! I also saw white throated sparrows, white crowned sparrows, Carolina wrens, Northern Cardinals, vultures, a ferruginous hawk, a white eyed vireo and tufted titmouse's (titmice?)

There was a beginner bird walk for women tomorrow morning but the class was already full.

I would have voted for this guy.