1. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    4/11/2024    Pima Canyon
2. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    12/6/2022    Pima Canyon    I think it was black-t rather than ue-gray
3. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    4/27/2022    Sun Lakes    I forgot I saw this here. Place lifer I guess.
4. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    7/11/2021    Pima Canyon    nice gunnite catcher Desert Classic Trail
5. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    6/15/2021    Pima Canyon    Heard it first. Then saw it.
6. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    5/5/2021    Pima Canyon    Heard one and I went back down in the canyon and saw him. Then they were up by the parking lot with their usual loud call.
7. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    10/16/2020    Sun Lakes    Heard only Mysterious Puddle
8. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    8/22/2020    Sun Lakes    Heard Only Mysterious Puddle
9. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    6/26/2020    Sun Lakes    Mysterious Puddle White outer tail feathers
10. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    6/2/2020    Sun Lakes    Mysterious Puddle
11. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    5/13/2020    Sun Lakes    Mysterious Puddle
12. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    5/4/2020    Sun Lakes    Could have been a blue-gray Mysterious Puddle he was quiet
13. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    4/29/2020    Sun Lakes    Mysterious Puddle Squawking Heard only
14. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    2/16/2020    Geronimo Trail on South Mountain    Heard him first and then saw him—I mean them as there were two.
15. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    10/28/2019    Pima Canyon   
16. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    9/17/2019    Sun Lakes    I think. Heard only at Mysterious Puddle
17. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    5/18/2019    Pima Canyon    making noise
18. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    5/3/2019    Superstitions    several of them not putting down the blue-gray because I'm not sure...
19. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    3/23/2019    Veterans Oasis Park    mallar
20. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    10/22/2018    Pima Canyon    Been a while. The Shhhiiiiiii! The Shhhiiiiiii! could be heard a lot and the tail was seen with the white outer tail feathers and dark center. The blue-gray has white outer and a thin black center stripe.
21. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    2/3/2018    Sun Lakes    Mysterious Puddle Has a chickadee scold and sometimes sounds a little like a cac wren
22. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    2/23/2013    South Mountain    I heard him and thought he was a cactus wren. He flew out and had that loud rasping call. Nice bird.
23. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    1/8/2012    Rillito
24. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    11/23/2011    Pima Canyon
25. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    7/2/2011    Pima Canyon    At Cactus Wren Alley. Two of them with a baby that was begging for food in a cave in the rocks. Also saw one at the BT CLIFFS.
26. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    6/21/2011    Pima Canyon
27. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    6/7/2011    Pima Canyon
28. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    5/26/2011    Pima Canyon    On the roat to the houses. INTREPID. You could walk right up to him. He was in a creosote bush on the side of the road.
29. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    12/28/2010    Pima Canyon    heard only
30. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    11/17/2010    Pima Canyon    noisy
31. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    10/23/2010    Superstitions
32. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    8/26/2010    Pima Canyon    AT THE BT CLIFFS WITH THE OTHER BT
33. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    7/27/2010    Pima Canyon
34. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    6/24/2010    Pima Canyon    At cactus wr alley. There were a whole lot of these. Like eight of them. They were intrepid.
35. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    6/19/2010    Pima Canyon
36. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    6/1/2010    Pima Canyon    At Windy Rock.
37. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    3/6/2010    Usery Mountain Park
38. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    1/30/2010    Greenfield and Guadalupe Roads
39. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    01/02/2010    Greenfield and Guadalupe Roads
40. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    11/26/2009    Usery Mountain Park
41. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    10/16/2009    Superstitions
42. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    10/15/2009    Pima Canyon
43. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    06/14/2009    Pima Canyon
44. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    06/07/2009    Pima Canyon
45. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    05/30/2009    Pima Canyon
46. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    01/24/2009    Superstitions
47. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    07/27/2008    Pima Canyon
48. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    06/21/2008    Pima Canyon
49. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    05/21/2008    Pima Canyon
50. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    08/08/2007    San Pedro River
51. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    01/05/2007    Superstitions    heard him first
52. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    05/29/2006    Pima Canyon
53. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    03/04/2006    Pima Canyon
54. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    12/27/2005    Pima Canyon
55. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    12/21/2005    Pima Canyon
56. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    11/06/2005    Pima Canyon
57. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    10/15/2005    Pima Canyon
58. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    09/17/2005    Pima Canyon
59. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    09/10/2005    Usery Mountain Park
60. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    08/28/2005    Pima Canyon
61. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    06/25/2005    Pima Canyon    Lots of 'em. Seen several places including the BT cliffs where the bt sparrow was also seen.
62. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    06/19/2005    Pima Canyon
63. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    05/26/2005    Pima Canyon
64. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    05/25/2005    Pima Canyon
65. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    05/21/2005    Pima Canyon
66. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    05/20/2005    Pima Canyon
67. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    04/02/2005    Pima Canyon
68. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    03/12/2005    Superstitions
69. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    01/02/2005    Pima Canyon
70. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    12/28/2004    Pima Canyon    Heard Only and sort of saw.
71. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    12/11/2004    Pima Canyon
72. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    09/26/2004    Pima Canyon
73. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    09/11/2004    Pima Canyon
74. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    07/31/2004    Pima Canyon
75. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    07/21/2004    Pima Canyon    at cactus wren alley and BT cliffs both
76. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    07/19/2004    Pima Canyon    at cactus wren alley and BT cliffs
77. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    07/18/2004    Usery Mountain Park
78. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    07/08/2004    Pima Canyon    At the BT Cliffs.
79. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    07/06/2004    Pima Canyon    By the BT cliffs!
80. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    07/05/2004    Pima Canyon
81. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    07/04/2004    Pima Canyon
82. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    07/02/2004    Pima Canyon    At the BT cliffs.
83. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    07/01/2004    Pima Canyon    By the stone houses and very tame indeed. In the arroyo there with the verdin. Nice-looking bird.
84. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    06/20/2004    Pima Canyon
85. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    06/19/2004    Pima Canyon
86. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    06/13/2004    Pima Canyon    Not at the BT cliffs. In a tree nearby but elsewhere.
87. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    06/06/2004    Pima Canyon    At BT cliff where you see BT sparrows and BT gnatcatchers.
88. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    06/05/2004    Pima Canyon
89. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    05/23/2004    Pima Canyon
90. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    04/25/2004    Pima Canyon
91. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    02/28/2004    Usery Mountain Park    very loud hissing
92. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    01/25/2004    Pima Canyon
93. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    01/04/2004    Pima Canyon    On the road out in a tree at the end of the hike.
94. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    12/28/2003    Pima Canyon
95. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    12/07/2003    Pima Canyon    Two very active in a tree and a verdin messing around with them too.
96. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    11/23/2003    Pima Canyon
97. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    11/16/2003    Pima Canyon
98. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    11/02/2003    Pima Canyon
99. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    09/07/2003    Usery Mountain Park
100. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    06/28/2003    Pima Canyon
101. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    06/15/2003    Pima Canyon
102. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    06/01/2003    Pima Canyon
103. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    05/25/2003    Pima Canyon
104. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    05/22/2003    Pima Canyon
105. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    05/21/2003    Pima Canyon
106. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    05/11/2003    Pima Canyon    Saw him up the canyon and later a rattier one nearer the parking lot.
107. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    03/09/2003    Superstitions
108. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    01/05/2003    Pima Canyon    very tame this time
109. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    09/29/2002    South Mountain
110. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    09/15/2002    Pima Canyon
111. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    09/08/2002    Pima Canyon
112. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    07/28/2002    Pima Canyon
113. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    07/22/2002    Pima Canyon    Tame. It was so late in the hot afternoon that there were few birds out.  I was kind of lucky to see this one although I think there was another around that I was chasing but couldn't catch up with.
114. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    6/29/2002    Pima Canyon
115. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    05/12/2002    Verde River    Very active and hissing.
116. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    02/24/2002    Pima Canyon
117. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    02/17/2002    Pima Canyon    ah!
118. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    09/23/2001    Pima Canyon
119. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    09/09/2001    Pima Canyon
120. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    07/21/2001    Pima Canyon
121. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    04/28/2001    Pima Canyon
122. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    04/14/2001    Pima Canyon
123. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    10/6/2000    Boyce Thompson Arboretum
124. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    11/21/1999    Pima Canyon
125. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    4/2/1999    Pima Canyon
126. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    12/23/1998    Boyce Thompson Arboretum
127. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    11/27/1998    Boyce Thompson Arboretum
128. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    6/14/1998    Pima Canyon
129. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    5/17/1998    Pima Canyon
130. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    4/26/1998    Pima Canyon
131. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    4/3/1998    Superstitions
132. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    1/11/1998    Pima Canyon
133. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher    9/20/1987    Pima Canyon    I call them blue-grays but I'm sure I'm wrong. It's in the yellow journal.

On the nineteenth of October of 2012, I found one Jim Greentree who was lying beneath a bush in the desert of the Superstition Mountains of Arizona. He was eighty-one years old. He was a Canadian from British Columbia and never had hiked in the desert.
It was hot. He had gone to the bottom of the canyon and had come back up the steep trail only to walk in circles for hours hopelessly lost. He had brought only a half liter of water which he had drunk hours before.
He told us that he couldn’t swallow the raisins that he had brought because his throat was so dry. He was quite dehydrated and had seen no one all day. (In fact, no one but us was going to walk on that trail the rest of the day.)
We gave him ice water and candy. He vomited it all up, but drank and ate once again.
Two of my companions, one of them a doctor, decided to accompany him to the parking area. It would be a two-hour walk. They told the Canadian that he was going to set the pace, and he agreed. They began to walk and in a little while the old guy rallied and began to walk so fast that the others couldn’t keep up with him.
Meanwhile my brother and sister and I waited. I took of my backpack and put it against a small cliff. A little later, I needed something from the pack and returned to find that I had put the pack next to a black-tailed rattlesnake. I easily could have stepped on him. It was a scare for me.

black-tailedRattlerbig1.jpeg

When our friends returned, they told us that Mr. Greentree got a little choked up saying that his wife had just died.
That night I dreamed that a rattlesnake was coming at me and when I woke up I thought that I could see him. I woke up all of the others when I began to scream, “A rattlesnake! A rattlesnake!”