Date: 6/18/26 3:46 pm From: trochetj (via aznmbirds Mailing List) <aznmbirds...> Subject: [AZNMbirds] CWNM: lower Bluewater Canyon near Bluewater Village, Cibola County
Dear Birders,
This morning I walked the BLM parcel signed lower Bluewater Canyon. This is accessed off Interstate 40 at exit 72 for Bluewater Village. Take the frontage road to the north, going against the east-bound interstate traffic, for about two miles. Turn left on Plano Road and go west about two miles. The road becomes a good gravel surface and shortly you’ll find a fenced parking lot on the outside of a right-hand turn. The trail to the canyon begins here. Often it’s useful to have rubber knee boots but they’re unnecessary currently. I walked up to the 11th creek crossing today.
The highlights were eastern phoebe, summer tanager and at least three gray catbirds.
The eastern phoebe was singing nonstop at 05:50, and still singing intermittently 150 minutes later. Its location is near the end of the first “S” turn in the canyon (as you’re going up), where vertical rock runs right to the creek. There are two nests on the rock wall there, one old and one possibly in use. It was just a bit too high on the rock wall for me to see into it. A 74”-tall birder should easily be able to. There was no obvious mate at hand- black phoebes have territories elsewhere in the canyon, and that’s a possibility here, too.
The summer tanager was singing regularly both on ascent and descent this morning between creek crossings three and four. Two of the catbirds were in this reach, too, the other just above the sixth crossing.
At least two ladder-backed woodpeckers are currently in the canyon as well.
Best,
John Trochet
Sacramento, California
currently visiting the Zuni Mountains
