Today we returned to a lady’s backyard where the owner feeds the birds in a canyon southwest of Sierra Vista. We were here in 2015 and this place, actually called Ash Canyon Bed and Breakfast, is run by a lady called Mary Jo Balllator. She has organized the area behind her house with chairs in shade, chairs in the sun and numerous sources of food for the abundant variety of birds indigenous to this area.
There is a plastic jug on her gate where guests that have come to see the birds can deposit the $5 entry fee. We give a bit more but just because this place stands out in my mind as one of the best places in the U.S. to spend the afternoon wild bird watching. There are probably 20 varieties that Peggy and I spotted in a few hours and we are very lowbrow bird watchers. The only person around us was an elderly deaf guy who came over and asked if I had seen a white breasted hornswoggle or something and I indicated I had not. I would be unable to identify most of the birds here if we had not taken our Peterson’s Bird Guide with us.
This is a great place to spend the afternoon, particularly if you are the type that can refrain from making sudden movements and loud noises. Since I am as big as a tent and clumsier than Gerald Ford, I have to creep into and out of this great spot to avoid there being a big exodus of songbirds that won’t return until I sit and shut up for a while or leave. The sounds the birds make are fascinating. Each species has its own call and, after a while, you can hear who is close, even when you can’t see them.
Pix can be seen by clicking here