St. David & Benson - September 3, 2023

 With a strong desire for a change in scenery, I decided on a loop drive through Tombstone, St. David and Benson, three towns to the northeast of home.  Having no knowledge of birding opportunities in Tombstone, I drove directly to St. David before leaving the highway in favor of back roads.  As usual, I did see a number of hawks perched on power poles along the way, but didn't bother stopping for them.  After exploring some dirt roads near St. David, where I was successful, I then stopped at the Holy Trinity Monastery.  While the monastery was dissolved in 2017, the facilities there are available for folks seeking a tranquil place for meditation and renewal.  Numerous groups take advantage of the opportunity to spend time there.  While they also maintain a bird sanctuary, I did not find any activity on this occasion, but I'm not sure why.  Even the peacocks who live on the grounds were mostly absent.  I only saw one, and it refused to display those beautiful tail feathers.


Holy Trinity Chapel

Holy Trinity Chapel

Peacock

Red-tailed Hawk

Western Kingbird

Lazuli Bunting (F)

Lazuli Bunting (M)

American Kestrel

American Kestrel

American Kestrel

Vermilion Flycatcher (F)

 The main reason I went to Benson was a report of good birding at the town's water treatment plant.  Unfortunately, I learned that the grounds there are closed on Sunday, so I just drove around a bit.

Vermilion Flycatcher (M)

Western Kingbird

Red-tailed Hawk



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