Wilcox Settlement Ponds

Wilcox is a town along I-10. It has an old train station and a major east west train line runs through the south side of town. It is located at the northern end of Sulphur Springs Valley. There is a golf course on the south side of town and behind the golf course are some settlement ponds for water reclamation. In the winter this area is used extensively by the Sandhill Cranes that winter over here. We had an earlier post about this location and we really enjoy visiting the area.

We decided to take a look around the area in early May, the cranes had left but there might be some other birds found in and around the settlement ponds. It is a fun place to look for birds.

This map shows the location of Willcox. It is about 83 miles east of Tucson along the Interstate heading to Lordsburg and El Paso.

One of the first birds we found was this Blue Winged Teal accompanied by this Long-billed Dowitcher. Note the distinctive white crescent on the face of the teal. There were several Dowitchers on the pond but we saw only four Blue Winged Teal.

There is a pond adjacent to the golf course and there are cattails around part of the pond. We saw this White-faced Ibis and Cinnamon Teal resting and or feeding along the edges of the cattails.

Here is a more definitive picture of the Ibis. They are called White-faced Ibis because in their breeding plumage they have a white line on the face outlining the base of the of the large, curved bill. It does not appear that the Ibis are regular breeders here in Arizona, there have been scattered and isolated records of such activity but not common. These birds are all most likely migrating north.

Here is a Black-necked Stilt walking behind an Ibis. At the settlement ponds there is a sand road that encircles the ponds and you drive around the large pond to view the birds.

This image shows what are possibly a male and female Black-necked Stilt. The silt on the right is probably the female. Note the duller coloration on her back which is one field mark for female stilts, while the stilt on the left might be the male as he has a more glossy appearance to his black back.

Here is a solitary Black-neck Stilt, note the very straight bill. There were several of the stilts scattered around the lake.

The bird on the left is another Long-billed Dowitcher probing for something to eat while the other bird is a Wilson’s phalarope. The Phalaropes will spin around in the water rather quickly to stir up any bugs or edible items that are in the area, then they pick the bugs off the surface as they continue to spin. We watched many of them spinning round and round rather quickly.

Here is a clearer image of a Wilson’s phalarope. This bird does not appear to be in breeding plumage. The Phalaropes have an interesting breeding process. The female lays the egg and then takes off and leaves the male in charge of caring for the eggs and raising the young while she heads off to find another possible mate.

This Wilson’s phalarope is a bit more in the brighter colored breeding plumage. They will molt their feathers and develop the brighter coloration during their migration north.

We were surprised to see this Cattle Egret; it just seems a little out of their range which is typically further south and east. They are a little smaller than the Great Egret, have a shorter stockier neck and feed mainly in fields rather in streams or water areas. They also show some buffy-yellow coloration on the head and body when in breeding plumage. Notice the large foot up in the air as it walks forward, maybe the bird should have been named big foot.

We saw a Cinnamon Teal in an earlier picture asleep in front of a White-faced Ibis. Here they are moving across the shallow water and we see the contrasting plumage of the pair. The female in the backgound is the drabber color and that attribute holds true for many waterfowl. When she sits on the nest to incubate the eggs, the darker colors make it harder for predators to find her.

At one point along the drive there is a pipe and wooden walk way structure. This Loggerhead Shrike was sitting on the pipe as we drove by.

Here is an American Avocet. This is another wading shorebird on its migration north. They have fairly long curved bills with which they probe the mud and sand for food.

Here it seems either the long bill is just not long enough or the Avocet wanted to cool off on a warm morning. Maybe there are some good morsels down there somewhere.

We have moved on a bit from Wilcox and just wanted to show you the differences in one sparrow. This image shows an adult Black-throated Sparrow. They are very common here in the southwest and easily identified by the distinctive black throat markings and white lines above and below the eye.

In this image we have a juvenile Black-throated Sparrow only the black throat markings are not there. You can still see the white lines above and below the eye but no black throat patch. Many of the sparrows will look really different depending on whether they are a juvenile or an adult.

We hope you enjoyed this brief visit with some of our feather friends that were in Willcox. The settlement ponds are sometimes called Lake Cochise but it is a stretch to call it a lake. the birds do seem to like it regardless of the name, they are there in all seasons. Many of the birds in this post are already a long ways north and heading to their breeding grounds.

Please let us know if you have any questions or comments.

All the best – Stay Safe - George & Deanna

The Architecture, Some Wandering, and a Magical Stairway - Bisbee, AZ

Bisbee is a free spirited town with lots of art and music located in south eastern Arizona close along the border with Mexico. It was once a large copper mining center and a huge open pit mine can be found here. We have visited the town on several occasions and this visit was before the impact of covid-19. We are sure Bisbee is really hurting, as are many predominantly tourist driven locations, due to the pandemic. We wish them all a quick recovery.

In this blog post we will look around at a bit of the sights and architecture that you will see in Bisbee and walk along a Magical Art Gallery stairway.

Welcome to down town Bisbee which is loctated in the Mule Mountains at about 5,500 feet elevation. The town is known as the “Queen of the Copper Mines” because during its mining heyday, it produced nearly 25 percent of the world's copper. There is a mine tour and a large open pit mine that we did not visit this excursion. We are, on this trip, looking at downtown Bisbee, perhaps the mine and the open pit will be visited next time.

This old ore train is in front of the Mineral Museum. The Museum is a fascinating place to visit to learn about the mining history of Bisbee.

This is one of several large mineral specimens on display in front of the museum. They are gorgeous rocks and a most fascinating method of presenting them.

On the front corner of the mineral museum you can find these three flies. They are most curious and the next image and section of writing will describe what they represent.

This is a placard along the side walk in front of the three flies shown above. So you don’t hurt your eyes trying to read the fine print here is what it says:

“In August, 1912, the Commercial Club of Bisbee went public with a novel method of fly control. The seriousness of the continuing typhoid problems experienced in Bisbee around the turn of the century found some relief in humor as well as creativity.

“The rules for a “systematic campaign of extermination” against those “advance agents of pestilence” were quite straightforward… and the pestiferous little nuisances must now take the consequences. “They will be bottled and trapped and caught, done up in packages and duly measured up and counted….

It makes no difference how the dead flies are obtained or where within the district. The may be killed either with sticky fly paper, caught in traps or just swatted with a swatter, folded newspaper, or any other fly-killing devise.

If caught on sticky paper, however, they must be picked off, the committee not volunteering to do this work for the contestants.

“When a contestant desires to turn in his or her proof of prowess as a fly exterminator, the files are to be placed in… a pasteboard box. The county health officer will be the judge of the contest and will count and measure flies that are killed.”

“Bisbee has taken a position at the front in advance of all other cities in the southwest in war upon the fly and typhoid fever germs….” Bisbee Daily Review, August, 1912

“The anti-fly crusade is at its end. Richard Phillips was the winner of the competition, exterminating within 5,000 of 500,000 flies.” Bisbee Daily Review, September 3, 1912

The effectiveness of such a campaign? Alas, “more flies this year than last, despite a more aggressive fly swatting campaign among the public generally….”

Here is a fascinating metal sculpture on the grounds in front of the Mineral Museum, the same structure where the flies are located. It is quite fascinating and rather free flowing but the cactus plants seem to distract from the object.

As you walk along the street you can find a wide variety of architectural details. Here is a neat object that is on a column for one of the buildings.

In front of one of the clothing stores they had these samples on display. It did not appear they would fit me and Deanna did not care for the style. Tie-Dye anyone?

Here is a look up one of the main business streets in Bisbee. There are a lot of old and fascinating buildings.

A closer look at the stained glass detail on the building across the street

There are a lot of architectural touches and interesting paint schemes. Bisbee is known as an artist community and as you look around you can see the free spirited, artistic influence.

For those who like bicycles there is a uniquely named bicycle shop to provide whatever your cycling needs might be.

Looking back along the street we see more of the old architecture. It is very fascinating and enjoyable to see all the old detail on the buildings in this modern day of malls and sterile looking shops.

Looking down an alley we find more detail. It is all not just on the front along the main street but it is part and parcel of the fabric in this town.

Another example of an old building being put to a new use in this case as Bisbee Realty. Note the detail work and paint scheme across the top.

As you wander main street towards the south end of Bisbee you will see this sign point up a street. Yes there is a brewery in Bisbee. Take this street to wander further around Bisbee.

There is an open stairway that climbs the hill between two buildings. Both sides of this narrow stairway are home to a fascinating art collection called the Bisbee Artway Stair Gallery. It is a fascinating walk.

There is a lot of art presented in this narrow passageway. We will just show some of the objects as we wander up the stairs. This is by no means a definitive presentation of the works of art, rather only a small sampling. It is a really fascinating place to see.

We hope you enjoyed this brief saunter around Bisbee and the fascinating magical stairway. It is a small town that you must visit and wander through to really appreciate. We will get back there again and if we find something new we will send that information along.

Please let us know if you have any questions or comments.
All the best – George & Deanna