Honeybee Canyon Park was only explored halfway today in our Arizona heat despite starting at 6:30am. I joined birders attending the Southeast Arizona Bird Festival on this hike. We did see many different bird species.

You really do walk in the wash of a canyon at Honey Bee Canyon Park. Shaded by the canyon walls, saguaro and mesquite trees we could spot various birds. They too were deep within some branches or on the ground scratching around.

We identified most birds with the help of our guide and also used iNaturalist app for the lizards we observed. Merlin Bird ID helped with bird songs we heard, when we could not see the bird. Some of us took photos of the habitat, specific plants and animals so we include them on the desktop version of eBird. There are new categories in the media section per checklist. I will be curious if they accept the downy feather of a great horned owl we found trailside. Our guide said great horned owls are definitely here, despite us not seeing one now.

This canyon had a few dams built around 1890. Ranchers wanted to hold some water. One remaining dam now has a walkway through it so we could walk more of the wash. I can imagine the importance of water then, just as it continues to be a concern in the 21st century!

We observed an uncapped pipe which can be a death trap for animals. The location was forwarded to an individual we know who caps pipes such as this.

In the winter, I’ll visit this park again to see petroglyphs and wildlife that time of year. I’m sure to have memories of this hot morning with a nice group of birders.