Sequestered in (almost) Paradise

March 12 – 23: Drove out of Phoenix (with a not so brief stop at Whole Foods and Trader Joes) with no idea where we were headed.  We only knew it was sunnier and warmer down south so south we went, aiming for Wilcox and its great birding spots. We let the family know we might be out of range for a while and not to worry and drove east at first, staying off the interstate for a change, all the while admiring the roadside flowers that (as a result of the recent rains) were vibrant and lush, mostly yellow rabbit bush with a few barrel cactus starting to bloom as well. We made a quick lunch stop at Meg’s Place in Ft. Thomas, Navaho burgers on fry bread, and read about some BLM land outside of the nearby town of Safford.

After a false start or two we found our way to a winding (!) canyon road leading to Riverside Campgrounds in the Gila Box National Riparian Conservation Area just before dark.  We grabbed the first site we saw, paid our $5.00 – for two nights! – and settled in.  The following day we realized just how beautiful this place is.  The sites are large and spread apart, overlooking the Gila River and surrounded by wildflowers – yellow, orange, purple, white, pink – unbelievably bright and abundant.

The following day we decided to spend another two nights, then another two; the longest we’ve ever stayed in one spot. We spent our days walking the trails and taking pictures, looking for birds wherever we could find them. The short list:

• Three wrens: Canyon, Cactus and Rock
• Vermillion flycatcher – gorgeous
• Pair of House finches that share our site, building their nest in a corner of our ramada
• Black-throated and Rusty-capped sparrows
• Black chinned (and possibly Ana’s) hummingbirds
• Zone-tailed hawk
• Red-tailed hawk
• Golden eagle
• Peregrine Falcon
• Gambel’s Quail
• Gila and Ladder backed woodpeckers
• Verdin
• Black tailed gnatcatcher
• Phainopepla
• Northern Mockingbird
• Northern Cardinal
• White throated swifts
• Green-violet swallows (maybe cliff swallows, too)

AND a group of five female big horned sheep, grazing on the hills across the river right in front of our campsite. We figured there were no males around because it’s just about time for these ladies to drop some lambs.  We hope to still be here when that happens and that they will be on our side of the canyon when it does.

View from the van.

My favorites.

Mexican poppies (I think).

Many trails beckon us.

Now although we are pretty far from civilization and the COVID 19 pandemic panic, we are not unaffected.  Even the stores in this little town are stripped bare of water, toilet paper and cleaning supplies.  We finally got a message – delayed by days – from Deirdre and on our way into town found a spot where we received a cell signal, however faint, and were able to touch base. Everyone in New York is self-quarantining; schools, libraries, bars, theaters, et al are closed at least until the end of the month, sports events have been cancelled, stores are limiting purchases and panic is spreading. Hopefully everyone will stay healthy and the virus will either run its course or a vaccine will be found soon.

On the plus side: the campground is beautiful, quiet and drinking water is both readily available and great tasting.  The campground hosts are super-friendly and informative and while there has been some coming and going, most of the sites remain empty so there is no hurry for us to vacate ours, despite the official 14 day maximum stay. On the minus side: pretty much no cell service throughout the campgrounds except for a spotty signal by site 10,  although I get some notifications (but can’t open them) at night, and the drive in and out can be pretty hairy, with the narrow road, switchbacks and steep drops on either side for several miles.

Tonight we drove into Safford to spend an overnight at the Best Western so we can do laundry, shower and buy whatever supplies are still available at Walmart and Safeway to see us through the next few weeks.