jbnbsn99 goes to Arizona, California, etc.

Day 2: The Last Texan Zoo

Sleep was well needed and well had. Eleven miles takes its toll. I bummed the wi-fi at the Motel 6 and wrote the first day’s summary. I’m writing the second day’s summary on day three.

El Paso Zoo has one of the latest opening times of any zoo I know, especially in the summer: 9:30. This meant I could sleep in. I thought about some early morning El Paso birding, but it looks like that region just isn’t heavily birded. Or at least, the county isn’t well represented on eBird. Either way, I got a little later start to the day that I otherwise intended. (Had I followed my original plans, I would have driven the distance from Big Bend to El Paso that morning. I’m glad I didn’t.)

I have now visited all the Texan Zoos (except for Amarillo, which isn’t AZA). El Paso is by far the hardest to get to. Unlike Brownsville’s Gladys Porter, there are no real rarities to draw in the weary traveler to visit.
Overall, I really enjoyed the zoo. The newest section was the African section, which honestly, I found to be the weakest part of the whole zoo. There are two barren hoofstock yards with your typical mix. One yard for giraffes, Greater Kudu, and Thompson’s Gazelle, while the other held about 8 Grant’s Zebra and a couple of ostriches. Honestly, with that mix, they could have all be in the larger yard, and the smaller yards (zebras) could have been used for a more conservation dependent species). The lion exhibit was quite spacious for the two females there. The overly large moat though seems to really stick out. There is one final exhibit that is curiously still empty. I think this was originally supposed to hold Red River Hogs, but it was left unfinished. The highlight of the area was the ranger station. Typical African terrarium species and meerkats were visible, and to my gleeful surprise, a poster talking about the species concept in giraffes citing the newest literature. Finally, a zoo that doesn’t stick to the same old story. I immediately forwarded a picture to our friend DavidBrown.

The rest of the zoo is divided into two sections: the Americas and Asia. Americas was fairly nice. There were two big mixed species exhibits: one for guanaco, cavy, and screamer, while the other was for Peninsular Pronghorn, Sandhill Crane, and Collared Peccary. The later was really a wonderful mix. I was happy to see four pronghorn calves (which also meant the peccaries were off exhibit). Sharing this exhibit were wild Rock Squirrels. There was also a small native village that was really well done and showcased some of the local culture. The main exhibit here was for California Sea Lions. The animal space was really too small, but the visitor viewing was ample and multi-level. For a zoo of this size, it was probably one of their crowning achievements. Asia is well-done as well. You could really call it the highlights of Asian zoo animals. For me, the best exhibit is the Siamang/Malayan Tapir exhibit. The Siamangs are on a typical gibbon island, while the tapirs have a large area with the water that surrounds the gibbon island.

The whole zoo can be seen in an hour. I was in at 9:30 and out by 10:45.

Easy peasy.

On the road again.

I now was leaving the great state of Texas.

New Mexico has a stark bleakness all its own. It also has drivers that constantly drive 5 miles under the speed limit. So after cruising at 80 through west Texas, New Mexico crawled to 55 m.p.h. Grumble. Luciky, I was going through the shortest part of New Mexico, and 2 hours later, I enter Arizona.

After entering in Arizona, I headed south to the Chiricahua National Monument. It is the only spot in the U.S. to find a couple of species: the Mexican Chickadee and the Mexican Fox Squirrel. I didn’t have a lot of time here, and thankfully, it was all driving – well except for the copious trails. I really knew nothing about Chiricahua, let alone how to pronounce its name (chee-ree-ka-wa). There is a stunning beauty here that I have never seen before. Were I to dip on my target species, I would feel happy just seeing the stunning landscape. The most famous structure here is Cochise’s Face, a huge rock formation said to resemble the reclining head of the Native American leader Cochise. When I say huge, I mean it. What appeared to be a mere eyelash was in actuality a 100 foot tall Douglas Fir. Sadly, I did dip on the Mexican Chickadee, but I picked up the Mexican Fox Squirrel and a Cliff Chipmunk, both life mammals for me.

From Chiricahua, I meandered through southeast Arizona until I reached the promised land of Madera Canyon in the Santa Rita Mountains. I had visited this spot back in November with ituri. There I met up with his best friend from Arizona, Keith. Keith met me in Madera Canyon that night after I had set up camp.

As were drifted to sleep, we were serenaded to sleep by Common Poorwills, Elf Owls, and Whiskered Screech Owls.

I added 4 mammals to the trip, and three of those were lifers. I added 6 birds to the year list, 5 of those lifers.

Mammal Trip list

6. Rock Squirrel
7. Mexican Fox Squirrel
8. Cliff Chipmunk
9. Arizona Pocket Mouse
- Coue’s White-Tailed Deer (endemic dwarf subspecies)
 
Day 3: Madera Canyon

Back in November, when ituri and I visited, we made the grievous mistake of spending only 2 hours in Madera Canyon near sunset. It wasn’t ideal. We’ve both been kicking ourselves for not doing the canyon right for months. I hereby rectify that problem. Well for me. Not for ituri…

We awoke at a little before 5. The sun rises early in Arizona. The do this weird thing where they don’t actually use Daylight Saving Time like most of the rest of the world, so the time it is is really the time it is. Our goal was all of the endemic species of the canyon. We would spend our entire day (or most of it) in between the walls of the canyon. It was a good choice. We immediately headed to the feeders at Santa Rita Lodge, which never disappoint – and they didn’t. Hummingbirds were swarming. Four different species (Black-Chinned, Broad-Billed, Anna’s, and Magnificent). One-by-one, I ticked birds off my year and lift lists. We visited other spots in the canyon, and ticked off a bird here and there, but we kept coming back to the feeders at the lodge. They’re a birding treasure. On the day, I added 11 birds to the year list and 6 to the life list.

As I type this, there is still one more bird to get at the foot of the canyon. My battery is about to die, as is the sun, but down below, is a rare bird, just waiting to be had. Ituri will be jealous…

Update - after I wrote this last night, we headed down the canyon. Having precise instructions in hand, we proceeded to search for the rare Buff-Collared Nightjar. This is a Mexican species that only occasionally crosses the border, and even then, being a nightjar, it is difficult to find. Our directions said be just past the cattle guard at 7:30 when the sun is setting. Listen for the bird calling up the trail. We did just that. A few minutes later. I had my first ABA Code 4 bird.
 
I am very happy for all your finds, as long as you do not see the lone male Santa Rita jaguar without me. If that happens I will have to make you mysteriously disappear, steal your camera card, and take all the credit myself! ;)

Peninsular pronghorn is a nice addition to El Paso Zoo. They were not there on my visits.

Not that anyone else cares, but in case you were wondering, yes I am meeting up with jbnbsn99 in a little while for the evening opening at Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. (He also went there this morning on his own - watch for the forthcoming report).
 
I can scarcely believe that you toured El Paso Zoo in an hour. Seriously? Did you run through the place? Ha!

Some of these obscure places in Texas might not be open any longer or might not be open to the general public, but have you visited any of them?

Cockrell Butterfly Center at the Houston Museum of Natural Science
International Exotic Feline Sanctuary
Frank Buck Zoo
Primarily Primates
Wild Animal Orphanage
Wildcat Bluff Nature Center
Clearsprings Aviaries and Zoological Gardens
Austin Nature and Science Center
Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary
 
snowleopard said:
Some of these obscure places in Texas might not be open any longer or might not be open to the general public, but have you visited any of them?

Cockrell Butterfly Center at the Houston Museum of Natural Science
International Exotic Feline Sanctuary
Frank Buck Zoo
Primarily Primates
Wild Animal Orphanage
Wildcat Bluff Nature Center
Clearsprings Aviaries and Zoological Gardens
Austin Nature and Science Center
Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary
Click to expand...

There are scores of smaller zoological facilities (I could list two dozen) in Texas, but I am sure jbnbsn99 is not counting those. He only means major zoos. Of those on your list, the last one is the only one I would count as a zoo by any definition (and perhaps Int Exotic Sanctuary). Wildcat Bluff has NO live animal exhibits, Austin Nature Center has very few, Wild Animal Orphanage no longer exists, Primarily Primates may or may not exist but was never open to the public, Clearsprings Aviary is a private breeder not open to the public.
 
Day 4: Two trips to the Desert Museum? Yes, please.

After a fruitful day at Madera Canyon, we had a well-needed night of sleep. Early that morning, we decided to head up to the top of the canyon’s accessible area and make a search for the Elegant Trogon, the only species of trogon/quetzal that regularly occurs in the U.S. They were supposed to be calling around six in the morning. We arrived there and listened for a good 45 minutes to no avail. Alas, I missed out on a good bird.

We headed from there directly to the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. As I did a full review back in November, I won’t do one here. What I can say, is that even with the early opening time of 7:30, it gets hot quickly. Really hot. I was able to add most of the common desert species at the ASDM to my year list without too much problem, plus I was able to get one lifer there (Bullock’s Oriole). All told, it took only about 2.5 hours to go through the place. By 11:00, it was getting hot.

From the desert museum, we headed out to grab a quick bite to eat, and then headed up to the top of Mount Lemmon. Mount Lemmon is one of the tallest peaks in Arizona just outside of Tucson. It is so high that there is a ski resort there in the desert. The goal here was to get some of the higher elevation tropical birds that exist at Madera Canyon but require hours of hiking up the mountain to obtain. Through winding mountain roads, we climbed. We were looking for a little road called Incinerator Ridge, which I assumed meant it would be just as hot as the desert floor. On that assumption I was wrong. It went from being nearly 100 degrees on the desert floor to in the lower 60s or upper 50s on top of Mount Lemmon. It was glorious. More glorious was the setting. Tall pine trees in an old growth forest. As we got out of the car, we just had to stand still and the birds came-a-comin’. Within just a few minutes I was able to tick off four lifers including some very difficult birds like Red-Faced Warbler.

From here, my friend and I departed. We had done everything within reason in Tucson. We were tired, and I really wanted a shower. I found the cheapest hotel in town and cleaned up. By then, it was close to 3 in the afternoon. I was way ahead of schedule. I got a message from ArizonaDocent saying that I should meet him and go to the evening event at the ASDM. Of couse I obliged. Of all the ZooChatters, I’ve met and hung out with AD the most.

The night time at the ASDM is absolutely glorious. As the sun sets, it turns into a place a supreme beauty. As we wandered around, I made a startling discovery. The people who visited the Museum were the most well-educated, curious, and sophisticated group of zoo goers I’ve ever seen. Most zoo visitors go “Ooh, look at the monkey” and walk off. Here, the visitors were walking around with flashlights discovering scorpions, questioning what species of yucca this particular plate is, and totally soaking up nature. I then ask myself, why isn’t every zoo like this? This is what every zoo should strive to be – connecting people with nature. Nobody does it like the ASDM. In fact, nobody really does it at all. I can count on no fingers the times I’ve come away from a zoo and seen people genuinely curious about the world around them.

So I put this question to you good ZooChatters – what is ASDM doing that other zoos aren’t?

I bid AD good night when he returned me to my hotel. I fell asleep quickly ready for another day and a new state.
 
My friend left out two events that I think worthy of inclusion (and which I am sure he will not mind me elaborating upon).

1) As we were driving home on a sparsely populated road, the moon came rising over the horizon. We stopped for a few photos, which was easier for me because I had a tripod. Jbnbsn99 tried bracing on the car door, but I think with little success. I posted my photo in the general USA gallery, but will attach it here as well.

2) We just missed what would have been an amazing wild mammal sighting. We did see its captive brethren in Life Underground. However, as we were watching the wild scorpions with black lights on our way out, a couple said they had spent ten minutes in the outdoor patio of the café watching a ringtail on the wall. We rushed back to the patio - actually both patios as there are two - but alas no sighting. I did see a wild ringtail at night once when I first moved to Tucson twenty years ago. But I would have loved to get a photo of this one and I think it would have been a life mammal for jbnbsn99.
 

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Day 5: California and the Stench of Perilous Death

Due to Arizona not using Daylight Saving Time, I awoke again at 5 in the morning. It was not something I understood until I visited. The heat of the day means it is better to start early and finish early (compared to the rest of the world that is) to make the high temperatures more comfortable.

Why doesn’t everyone do this?

I was on the road by 5:30, and arrived at Yuma, Arizona around 9:10 – 6 hours before the fabled train. My final destination, well really final isn’t the right word – my next stop was the Salton Sea in southwest California. Here I was to meet my fellow American moderator, mstickmanp. We plotted on who to ban next. Bwahahaha…

The Salton Sea is an odd place. It is not a natural body of water. It was formed in a low valley (below sea level) when the Colorado River flooded back in 1905. At one time, the Sea was the playground for southwest California, today it is a barren wasteland. At least people-wise. For the birds, it’s a paradise. There is one major reason to visit the Salton Sea for birds – the Yellow-Footed Gull. This is a species typically found only in the Sea of Cortez, but has made its way north to Salton.

Before we went looking for the gulls, we drove along some of the side streets west of the Sea. Here we found some great birds, Western Grebe, Gull-Billed Terns, and loads of herons and egrets. The highlight of these back roads were Burrowing Owls. I knew that the area housed a large group of owls, but knowing my luck, I would miss them entirely. We didn’t. As we drove on, we found nearly a dozen owls popping up at random. It was really the highlight of the day.

After traveling these roads, we headed to the Sonny Bono National Wildlife Refuge. Yes, it is indeed named after Sonny from Sonny and Cher. He evidently did a lot of work while a congressman for preserving the Salton Sea. The refuge’s visitor center was closed, so we couldn’t get directions to find the gulls. Instead, we started walking. About half a mile later, and in 106 degree heat, we came across the Yellow-Footed Gulls. The only ones in the U.S. Score. Amongst these gulls, were several Heermann’s Gulls, a charcoal gray colored gull. Really quite a beautiful bird.

From here, we headed back to McDonald’s to cool off and get some beverages. And we headed back to mstickmanp’s place. He wanted to try one more spot on the Sea to see if there was anything else that could be gotten. We drove through some groves of citrus and came to a beach. Except this beach wasn’t sand, but the rotting corpses of uncountable and untold numbers of rotting aquatic creatures.

And it stunk.

The smell of corpses permeated the air. I had to fight retching.
We left. Mstickmanp had one more place to try. He had heard about a group of breeding Brown-Crested Flycatchers just off the road on the way to his house. I had missed the species in Arizona, so I was anxious to get it. I was in luck. A few minutes at that spot, and I had the bird. I was my last bird of the day. We headed home for food, bed, and a shower. Oh lord, did I need the shower after Salton.
 
what are all these rotting corpses? Fish, squid, dolphins? And why?
 
Fish and crustaceans. The Salton Sea is 35 times saltier than the ocean and is getting more saline all the time.
 
oh, so as the sea is getting saltier the resident animals are dying off. And soon it will be a dead sea?

Are the fish native to the lake originally?
 
Chlidonias said:
oh, so as the sea is getting saltier the resident animals are dying off. And soon it will be a dead sea?

Are the fish native to the lake originally?
Click to expand...

The Salton Sea has a convoluted history. In the Pleistocene it was part of a massive complex of lakes, but had completely dried up several thousand years ago. In 1905 there was a flood from the adjacent Colorado River and it all flowed into the ancient lake bed, thus creating the Salton Sea. In the ensuing century it has become a sump for pesticide and other toxics. The only fish in it are tilapia. When the lake dries up it strands the tilapia and creates a further mess.

The conservation value is that it attracts a lot of migratory birds. People have been fighting for years about whether and how to restore the ecology of the artificial, toxic-waste filled lake.

[ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salton_Sea]Salton Sea - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]
 
interesting. It would be good if they could find a way to make it a freshwater wetlands.
 
Meanwhile, jbnbsn99 has presumably forgotten all about the stink and is enjoying the pleasant odors of a Pacific ocean breeze as he basks on a campground on the beach near San Diego...
 
Day 6: The San Diego Zoo

I've wanted to visit the San Diego Zoo since I was a little kid. When we bought our first PC, it came with a CD-ROM called San Diego Zoo's The Animals. Here I was to learn all about the wonders that were half a country away. I knew every in and out of the CD-ROM. I knew that San Diego was a special place.

22 years later, I finally got to visit.

I was lucky enough, through the courtesy of fellow ZooChatters mstickmanp (who joined me), DavidBrown (who provided free passes), and most importantly of all Betsy who guided us through the her home zoo. I really cannot praise Betsy enough for her time, upbeat attitude, and knowledge of the zoo.

I don't intend to do a full review of the zoo, that's been done multiple times on here already. I will hit some of the highlights though.

After leaving the zoo, I realized two things:
1. I was dead exhausted.
2. The San Diego Zoo is the most complicated zoo I've ever visited.

We were able to see every single exhibit at the zoo in 7 hours. That might be world record pace.

The San Diego Zoo cannot be fully depicted in pictures. Many zoos are a "2D" zoo where you see an exhibit and you move on. SD is a 3D zoo. You see exhibits multiple times on multiple planes in multiple levels. I had not ever realized this about the zoo. It cannot be fully represented on a standard map.

Exhibit review:
Elephant Odyssey was better than I expected. The lion exhibit was by far the smallest modern exhibit I've ever seen, but I really enjoyed some of the interpretive elements. The structural elements are clearly heavy handed, and the domestic horse is wrong, but it was better than I thought it would be.

The Outback is terrible. I cannot say anything good here with the exception of there being Tasmanian Devils. Otherwise, the design elements could have been done by an over enthusiastic middle schooler.

The central part of the zoo (Tiger Trails, Ituri Forest, Monkey Trails, and the large aviaries are simply fantastic. Some of the best exhibits/exhibit complexes I've seen.

The collection is monstrous. I honestly think to see everything in detail and to savor the experience, a visitor would need three days to fully explore it.

One the clear highlights was seeing the pangolin experience. It is only brought out one time a day at 1:00 in the children's zoo. As disappointing as it not being on exhibit is for most guests, this might be the best way to experience the animal: active, engaged, and with inside information.

So many new species to be seen. So many new experiences. Much wow.

Really, the San Diego Zoo at times feels more like a complex theme park.

Once again, many thanks to Betsy!

We then headed to the San Onofre State Beach for our camping. It was supposed to be the nearest campground to San Diego. 50 miles later we arrived...
We camped by the beach, and listened to the waves crash in.

Well... I say waves. It was really the sound of the nearby freeway and the train track that ran through the park. Also there was a large nuclear power plant at the edge of the park that looked like two gigantic breasts.

We birded a little and watched the sunset over the Pacific. It was a relaxing way to end the hectic day.
 
You are very welcome. It was my pleasure to visit the zoo with people who share my interests. I learned a lot from both you and mstickmanp. I will definitely be paying more attention to my local bird species.
 
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