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Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) |
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Each guest cabin at Whispering Hope Ranch is named after a bird, perfect! |
Back in mid-August I had the good fortune to spend some time away from the valley of death, and bask in the cool pines of the Mogollon Rim (pronounced mō'gə-yōn'). I stayed with some folks from the Arizona Spinal Cord Injury Association at their annual summer retreat held at Whispering Hope Ranch, near Christopher Creek. What an awesome place and an awesome group of people. The Rufous Hummingbird above was one of many spotted on an early morning nature hike along the Rim Lakes Vista Trail. I've never seen so many hummers in one spot before. Mountain wildflowers were in full bloom, and the hummers flitted from blossom to blossom like bees.
The Rim Lakes Vista Trail is likely the best wheelchair accessible trail in the whole state, providing gorgeous panoramic views of the Mogollon Rim. Paved and mostly flat, near Woods Canyon Lake, it meanders for miles right along the rim. For directions and details see Accessing Arizona's review of the trail here.

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Bald Eagle juvenile at Woods Canyon Lake loudly squawking for mama eagle to bring him breakfast. |