Another wash day

January 8, 2026

It's laundry day, but that comes later. First I want to take advantage of what promises to be a break in the weather and put in a few miles on the bike. It rained pretty much all day yesterday (so it was no big loss spending much of it at the ER), but by about ten or eleven the sky started lightening up enough that I felt confident starting out. I didn't have any real goal in mind other than to get some fresh air and see the aftermath of the rains - in particular I was curious to see if they'd been strong enough to produce a flow in Rillito Wash.

It's worth noting that I'm not really on the hunt for new birds, and don't expect to see anything new before we leave town next week. When I study recent reports from all the nearby hotspots, there are very few sightings of anything I haven't seen already this year. But I've got the camera along of course, because you never know what surprises might appear; and of course I just like to keep count of how many species I see on the day.

It's cold and still mostly overcast when I start out. It doesn't take long to see that there's no water in the wash this morning, few birds are about because it's so chilly I assume, and it's hard to spot them anyway because my vision isn't the best when there's less sunlight to bring out the colors. After about four miles I'm starting to think maybe this is enough and considering whether to turn back.

There's a fair amount of standing water here and there.

By the time I come to the racetrack though things start looking up. There's the usual flock of a hundred or so Brewer's blackbirds hanging out there, a tree full of house finches, several phainopeplas, and a red-tailed hawk to grab my attention. And a bit of sun starts breaking through to take some of the chill off, so I keep going.

Tucson has the most consistently interesting skies, especially when there's been rain.

Within a few miles I start wondering what the scene would be down at Silverbell Lake, and decide that if the weather holds I'll make it that far just for the view of the mountains across the lake. I check the weather app for the latest line, see that the threat of rain is moving out another hour, and decide to continue on.

Looking back toward the mountains from the Santa Cruz bike path.

Another look west toward the Catalina Range.

I don't really expect much in the way of bird life at Silverbell Lake under these conditions so I'm not disappointed when I find the nice views I'd hoped for but very few birds about. Still, I add a half dozen birds to my slowly growing list as I loop the lake looking carefully as I go for but not expecting to see the night heron that's occasionally been spotted here.

Looking across Silverbell Lake at Mount Kimball (it's about time I learned the name of the peak at the near end of the Catalina Range).

An immature double-crested cormorant I think, but possibly he's a Neotropic.

When I return to the loop I stop to take stock again by checking the weather app once more as well as the time, gauging whether I've got time to add a mile or two and swing by Sweetwater on the other side of the wash and get home before the rains arrive again and without being late for dinner. It looks like I should be fine as long as I keep a reasonable pace, so I head south to the new bridge across the wash and turn north toward Sweetwater and eventually home.

I don't expect to see many birds at Sweetwater either, especially since I'm only going to make a quick pass through the small area there that's open to bicycles; but it's a good sign when I see a roadrunner in the path ahead, the first one I've seen in at least a week.

As expected, there aren't many birds visible ant Sweetwater either, but I do get a nice shot of a pair of flickers as well as a few more water birds.

The real prize for the day, and one that makes the entire outing worthwhile, comes a half mile later when I look ahead and see a lone javelina cross the path maybe a hundred yards away before dropping into the wash. I stop immediately, reach for the phone as my quickest instrument on the draw, but the best I can get is a small, dark profile just disappearing into the brush below. Disappointing, but it's still a thrill just to see one, the first of the year for either of us.

I bike slowly for the next few hundred yards carefully scanning the wash hoping he'll make himself visible again, when I look ahead and see him or a second animal crossing the path again, this time going the opposite direction away from the wash. And this time he stays in sight, stopping about a hundred yards off in the desert where he stands his ground and looks my way, staying posed long enough for me to get off and number of shots.

Javelina! It's the first I've seen this winter.

Yes, I think you're beautiful too. Some pig!

Elated, I return to the bike, stop to take a shot of it posed in frontt of the mountains for posterity, and then head for home. I make good time, particularly because I'm pushed along by a swiftly developing west wind, except for the times when I find one more reason to stop - which happens over and over as I keep finding one more bird to add to the day's catch. For a day when I hadn't expected much it's pretty satisfying to return with a list of 27, far exceeding expectations.

Gamble's quail, looking succulently plump and good enough to eat. Lucky for these guys we have other plans for the evening.

My timing is excellent. The wind continues to pick up, and the skies to the north and east start looking menacing. I'm still dry when I make it home but I don't have much room to spare weather-wise or time-wise. By the time we leave for dinner a half an hour later it's pouring outside our door, but with the sun still shining I know to pull out the phone and look around to the east before we drive off.

Wow. I'm anxious to get out tomorrow after the skies have cleared. I'm pretty sure there'll be snow up there somewhere.

It looks especially dark and wet east in the gap at the head of the wash.

I've been thinking I should stop one of these days for a shot of the units in the neighboring complex. This seems like the right day for it.

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Today's list: Mourning dove, House sparrow , Northern mockingbird, Red-tailed hawk, Gila woodpecker, Brewer's blackbird, Cooper's hawk, Western bluebird, Anna's hummingbird, Phainopepla, Rock pigeon , House finch, Mallard, American coot, Ruddy duck, Snow goose, Swan goose, Double-crested cormorant, Great-tailed grackle, American kestrel, Greater roadrunner , Ring-necked duck, Northern flicker, European starling, Gambel's quail, Common raven, Lesser goldfinch. Northern harrier (27)

Today's ride: 29 miles (47 km)
Total: 120 miles (193 km)

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