Jewel of the Creek Preserve!

We are going to make our second trip to this gem of a birding spot in Cave Creek! A Blackburnian warbler has been present here for the last week or so, and we are going to try to track him down! We'll also be looking for the northern parula, winter wren, golden-crowned kinglet, mountain chickadee, Hutton's vireo, and Hammond's flycatcher that have also been spotted this week. Ebird reports show 68 species seen here so far this January, including other warblers, wrens, thrashers, thrushes, towhees, and sparrows, so hopefully we'll have a good list to show for our efforts.

Jewel of the Creek Preserve is just off Spur Cross Road; as you enter Cave Creek where the road begins to turn east, you'll take a left turn and follow Spur Cross Road for 3.5 miles. You'll come to a small parking area on the left (near a green 2 story house), which is the entrance to the preserve. If that lot is full, there is a much bigger lot another 100 yards down the road. We'll meet at the entrance sign off that first parking lot at 8am and head down the trail towards the creek, birding as we go. There are no facilities in this preserve, but there is a larger recreation area to the north that does have restrooms. (It's in a fee area, but the ranger at the admission shack let us use the restroom without paying the fee when we were there last year.) There is no admission fee for the Jewel of the Creek Preserve.

Afterwards, we will plan on going to the Tonto Bar and Grill for lunch and refreshments. It's in the Rancho Marana resort, which used to be a working dude ranch; the address is 5736 E. Rancho Marana Blvd, which is to the left just before you reach the turn for Spur Cross Rd. I'm not sure of their beer selection, but the food looks good and it looks like a very nice place for a meal. (Got to be better than those other biker bars down the street!)