s. Navajo County

Back on August 20, 2011, my family and I went down to Black Canyon south of Heber. Lots of wildflowers were out at that time following the monsoon precipitation and migrant birds were moving through. On my way back to Flagstaff I birded along Zeniff Rd. northeast of Heber, where I found a silent Cassin's Sparrow, a species which unexpectedly expanded up to southern Navajo County this year. Here are photos from that weekend:

Black Canyon:

pinesap (Monotropa hypopitys, Family Ericaceae):

Red-breasted Nuthatch:

Hermit Warbler:

butterfly species:

aster species (Machaeranthera sp.??, Family Asteraceae):

narrowleaf tick-clover (Cologania angustifolia, Family Fabaceae):

Canada violet (Viola canadensis, Family Violaceae):

goldenrod species (Solidago sp., Family Asteraceae):

Scouler's catchfly (Silene scouleri, Family Caryophyllaceae):

southwestern lobelia (Lobelia anatina, Family Campanulaceae):

Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) cone, chewed off prematurely by a red squirrel:

Eva taking a break for belly-rubs:

deers ears (Frasera speciosa, Family Gentianaceae) ??:

mushrooms:

Fendler's meadowrue (Thalictrum fendleri, Family Ranunculaceae):

mixed conifer grove near Baca Meadow:

Spring-fed stocktank near this mixed conifer grove:

water smartweed (Polygonum amphibium, Family Polygonaceae):

evening primrose species (Oenothera sp., Family Onagraceae):

pale agoseris (Agoseris glauca, Family Asteraceae):

phacelia speciea (Phacelia sp., Family Hydrophyllaceae):

phlox species (Phlox sp., Family Polemoniaceae):

pinedrops (Pterospora andromedea, Family Ericaceae / Monotropaceae):

wild potato (Solanum jamesii, Family Solanaceae):

ragleaf bahia (Amauriopsis dissecta, or Bahia dissecta, Family Asteraceae):

red cinquefoil (Potentilla thurberi, Family Rosaceae):

Bill Williams Mountain giant hyssop (Agastache pallidiflora, Family Lamiaceae):

unknown flower (Family Asteraceae):

moss species (including Polytrichum sp.):

Lots of wildflowers were on our property in Heber too following all of the monsoon precipitation, including rain that fell that weekend. The monsoons into early-mid fall is definitely my favorite time of year in northern Arizona! Here are some of our yard flora:

scarlet lobelia (Lobelia cardinalis, Family Campanulaceae):

ponderosa globemallow (Sphaeralcea fendleri, or S. parvifolia ??, Family Malvaceae):

hairy golden aster (Hetertheca villosa, Family Asteraceae):

Carruth's sagewort, or wormwood sage (Artemisia carruthii, Family Asteraceae):

western dayflower (Commelina dianthifolia, Family Commelinaceae):

western spiderwort (Tradescantia occidentalis, Family Commelinaceae):

morning glory species (Ipomoea sp., Family Convolvulaceae):

fernbush (Chamaebatiaria millefolium, Family Rosaceae):

plains beebalm (Monarda pectinata, Family Lamiaceae):

blanketflower species (Gaillardia spp., Family Asteraceae):

pink coneflower (Echinacea sp., Family Asteraceae):

Fendler's flat-sedge (Cyperus fendlerianus, Family Cyperaceae):

rattlesnake weed (Chamaecyse sp., Family Euphorbiaceae):

Rocky Mountain beeplant (Cleome serrulata, Family Capparaceae):

purple geranium (Geranium caespitosum, Family Geraniaceae):

foliose lichens:

skunkbush, or three-leaf sumac (Rhus trilobata, Family Anacardiaceae):

western yarrow (Achillea millefolium, Family Asteraceae):

rock mosses (Grimmia sp.) with foliose lichens:

scarlet gaura (Gaura coccinea, Family Onagraceae):

pink windmills, or slimleaf plainsmustard (Schoenocrambe linearifolia, or Sisymbrium l., or Thelypodiopsis l., Family Brassicaceae):

cudweed species (Pseudognaphalium sp., Family Asteraceae):

harebells (Campanula rotundifolia, Family Campanulaceae):

horseweed (Conyza canadensis, Family Asteraceae):

hawkweed species (Hieracium sp., Family Asteraceae):

false mesquite (Calliandra humilis, Family Fabaceae):

plantain species (Plantago sp., Family Plantaginaceae):

penstemon species (Penstemon sp., Family Scrophulariaceae):

On Zeniff Rd. off State Route 377, northeast of Heber, on my drive back to Flagstaff I found a silent Cassin's Sparrow and other birds in the agricultural fields and poplar groves.

Cassin's Sparrow:

Peregrine Falcon:

Olive-sided Flycatcher: