Bird #302 — Bushtit

psaltriparus (from psaltria, player of the lute, and parus, titmouse) minimus (least)

Thursday, April 5, 1984 — 9:30 am

Coronado National Forest, Arizona — Mt. Lemmon

On our final day in Arizona, we drove to the top of Mt. Lemmon.  It was a long, winding trip from cactus desert to evergreen forest blanketed with snow.  Before we were very far up, a Coati ran across the road in front of the car, paused briefly on a rock, then disappeared into the brush downhill.

We stopped at several overlooks on the way and got out of the car to look around.  At one of these stops, after looking at the view over the valley, I spotted two small birds flitting about in the oak/pinyon/juniper belt. They were chasing each other bush to bush on the slope above the parking lot.  I left my family and climbed the slope.  About thirty yards up, I got a good look at two Bushtits.

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