A Monsoon Afternoon in Patagonia, Arizona
There is a particular kind of August afternoon in southern Arizona that begins with a building heat and ends beneath a bruised-purple sky. By late morning, the air already felt heavy, and distant thunder started rolling across the mountains before the first drops of rain ever reached the ground.
We reached the Paton Center at exactly the wrong moment, or perhaps exactly the right one. We had barely stepped out of the car when a shocking crack of thunder sent us running back to the car. There was no gradual warning, just a sudden fracture of air exactly where we were. We drove into the town of Patagonia for lunch instead, and by the time we parked, rain and hail were pounding the car hard enough that we were a honestly concerned for our car. We had some food in the car, so we just stayed and ate there so we didn’t have to run through hail.
The hail stopped somewhat abruptly, and the sky slowly brightened. It was still drizzling and the flooded streets were draining well. We gave it a few more minutes, then we returned to the Paton Center. We settled beneath the ramada and watched the birds resume their afternoon at the feeders as though nothing unusual had happened.
The Paton Center
The Paton Center sits on the edge of Patagonia in the Sonoita Creek valley, about an hour south of Tucson.
Wally and Marion Paton began welcoming birders into their yard in the 1970s after Violet-crowned Hummingbirds became regular visitors. Today the Tucson Audubon Society manages the property, but it still feels much the way it must have decades ago: hummingbird feeders hanging throughout the yard, seed feeders beneath the trees, plenty of chairs to sit in, and an open invitation to stay awhile.
August falls in the heart of hummingbird season, and once the storm moved through, the yard came to life with activity.
Black-chinned Hummingbirds were darting between feeders and chasing one another through the trees. Broad-billed Hummingbirds flashed brilliant green and blue whenever the light caught them, while Costa’s Hummingbirds calmly held their ground amid the constant activity, looking like the smallest little birds in town.. A couple of Southbound Rufous Hummingbirds buzzed through get their sips in, too!
The bird we had came here to see was the Violet-crowned Hummingbird. Found mostly in Mexico, it reaches southeastern Arizona in only small numbers. Its clean white underparts, violet crown, and bright red bill make it unlike any of the other hummingbirds crowding the feeders, and seeing one here carries a little of the history that made the Paton Center famous in the first place.
Beyond the Feeders
The yard offers much more than hummingbirds.
Seed feeders attracted sparrows, doves, and quail, while the surrounding trees held flycatchers, woodpeckers, and even passing warblers. After the storm, everything seemed especially active. Birds emerged from cover, water dripped from the leaves, and the briefly cooler temperatures made sitting quietly beneath the ramada feel like exactly the right place to spend the afternoon.
The Patagonia Picnic Table
Before leaving town, we made one last stop at the famous Patagonia Picnic Table along Route 82.
The weather still couldn't quite decide what it wanted to do, and another round of rain encouraged us not to linger. Even so, it was fun to stand beside an ordinary-looking and overgrown picnic table that is a part of birding history.
The rest area and picnic table gave its name to the Patagonia Picnic Table Effect. The story is that one birder spotted a rare bird, drawing other birders to the area. Those birders then found more birds, including other rarities. One bird led to more birds. This happened here at the rest area many years ago, which inspired the name.
We left Patagonia on damp roads with cooler air and the scent of wet creosote still hanging over town. The rain continued to build as we drove north, which rather daunting rain clouds easy to see in the distance. Patagonia promised hummingbirds and history, and it provided both, with some memorable weather, too!
