Earlier this week I was at home reading when I heard my wife call to me, asking me to bring a piece of paper and a cup. Usually when I get such a request it is to capture a spider. I went into the laundry room, and there was a centipede on the floor! I dutifully caught it, took it outside, and released it.
Just the day before, I was working at organizing the backroom of our new store, and I found a tree lizard in the stockroom. I was able to catch it, and I took it outside and put it on a tree.
And last week I had a breath-taking discovery while leading a bird walk at Date Creek Ranch. Our group was birding in a sandy, riparian habitat when I heard some rustling in the leaves. I looked in the direction of the sound and discovered a Gila monster. I was so excited!!
I love all of the different critters in nature (not just birds,) and finding a Gila monster was, in my opinion, the best find of the day—better than any of the birds we spotted. The Gila monster was actively foraging for food, using its tongue to collect chemicals from the air and ground to find potential prey. We gave the Gila monster a wide berth, and it didn’t seem the least bit concerned by our presence as it went about its business.
Why was I at Date Creek Ranch? I was privileged to be a part of a group from Prescott visiting the ranch to formally kick off a fundraising effort by the Central Arizona Land Trust (CALT) to create a conservation easement for a portion of the ranch. The goal is to permanently protect 645 acres along Date Creek, including the property immediately surrounding the ranch headquarters.
Many people in the Prescott area are familiar with Date Creek Ranch, having gone there in years past to pick peaches in summer and apples in the fall. The ranch also specializes in raising grass-fed beef that is hormone- and antibiotic-free. They have also raised chickens and turkeys in the past, and they raise some sheep and pigs.
The area surrounding the ranch headquarters is an interesting juxtaposition. The rugged landscape is primarily upland Sonoran Desert habitat with a mixture of sahuaros, chollas, prickly pear and hedgehog cacti, and thorny desert trees and shrubs. However, running though the middle of this arid desert landscape is a ribbon of green—a lovely riparian habitat with old-growth cottonwood trees, willows, and other vegetation supported by the creek.
The ranch was originally founded in the 1870’s. The Knight family purchased the Ranch in the 1960’s, and has been living there since, with three generations currently living on the ranch.
CALT is working with the Arizona Game and Fish Department and private donors to preserve this property in perpetuity so it may never be developed. This is a great example of a public/private partnership working together to protect a habitat that is quickly vanishing throughout Arizona.
I have been visiting the ranch for more than fifteen years, and I whole-heartedly endorse and support this effort. If you are interested in getting involved, or in making a donation, please contact CALT at https://www.centralazlandtrust.org.
Wednesday through Saturday of this week I will be at the Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival at Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood. I will be teaching a workshop on beginning bird identification, leading a field trip, hosting the arm chair birding field trip, and staffing our vendor booth where we’ll be selling Swarovski and Vortex Optics. Come join me!
Until next week, Happy Birding!
Eric Moore is the owner of The Lookout, in Prescott, where you will find a Hallmark Gold Crown Store, wild bird products, and Vortex and Swarovski optics. Eric has been an avid birder for over 55 years. Eric can be contacted at eric@thelookoutaz.com.
