Butcher Jones Trail #463 Photoset • gummo • 2015-10-22 • HikeArizona.COM

Butcher Jones Trail #463, AZ

	2015-10-22
	11 by gummo

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Butcher Jones Trail #463

Phoenix, AZ

Butcher Jones Trail #463

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking	5.40 Miles	600 AEG

Hiking	5.40 Miles
	600 ft AEG

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I should really explore this area more. I read some triplogs, and the biggest complaint about this area is that it is too crowded and trashy. I've only been here twice. Maybe it was luck, but I've haven't seen it crowded or trashy. This trip, I've only seen 2 people on the trail with a few bird watchers near the beginning.

I was hoping to see some bighorn sheep and a bald eagle or three, but I saw none.

I did hear a bald eagle screeching in the distance. Probably a cold winter day would be best to see them. Instead, I saw a few song birds, more coots than you can shoot, western grebes in large numbers.

The hike was okay. It's really nothing special. I'm sure that this trail does get busy, scaring away the wildlife, except for the coots. The views were great, but I mainly hike to see wildlife. I figured that I'd see more birds at least, but the birds were far and few. I did see my first canyon towhee, my 55th new species seen this year. Thanks Outdoor Lover for identifying it.

I checked out Burro Cove and the other coves. Don't bother exploring all the coves. They all look the same. On the return, I saw a small patchnosed snake. It slithered into a hole before I could photograph it. Then exited the hole as soon as I put my camera away and went back underground when I got my camera ready. :tt:

I didn't want to leave without photographing a snake (not for my sake, but for you all), so I scrambled a bit and almost stepped on a little diamondback. Afterwards, I saw a few more song birds and called it a day and had to rush to work.

I guess I'll have to go to CA to see some bighorns this weekend.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Black Phoebe Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Cactus Wren Canyon Towhee Common Buckeye Butterfly Coot Desert Stink Beetle Empress Leilia Butterfly Western Diamondback Rattlesnake Western Grebe

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Four Peaks

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