Tumacacori and its Barn Swallows

There is no shortage of natural history in Arizona, especially with its diverse population of birds and landscapes.  However the state's cultural history is just as rich, especially in the south, where native peoples have thrived for many centuries along river ways.  And also where, starting in the 1600's, Spanish missionaries attempted to convert them to the Catholic faith.

The Jesuit Father Eusebio Kino is known for founding a string of missions in Pimeria Alta, which is now modern day Sonora, Mexico and the southern part of Arizona.   The most striking and famous site in the United States is San Xavier del Bac, located just south of Tucson.  The gleaming church that replaced an original building in 1785 still stands, and is called 'the white dove of the desert' because of its fresh coats of brilliant lime plaster.

Forty miles south lies another mission, San Jose de Tumacacori.  It sits on the west side of the Santa Cruz River, an area occupied by Pima Indians throughout history.  Father Kino established a mission near this site - but on the east side of the river - in 1691, making it the oldest Jesuit mission site in the state.  In 1753, as a result of violence between the natives and Spanish settlers, a presidio or fort was built a couple miles north at Tubac, and the mission was reconsecrated and relocated to its present location.  Around 1800, Franciscan missionaries began building the church that remains to this day, and which is currently protected and maintained as Tumacacori National Historic Park.  Due to various factors, including the political tumult revolving around Mexico's war for independence, a war with the United States and frequent Apache attacks, both Tubac and Tumacacori were abandoned in 1848.  Finally, in 1853, the Gadsden Purchase brought the area into the domain of the Americans.

The park preserves the grounds of the last mission, including the cemetery, gardens and outbuildings.  A museum gives detailed information on the original natives of the area, along with the Spanish, and the histories and lives of all the peoples that have called the area home.  Unfortunately the church had not been completed when the site was abandoned, and it lay vacant and in disrepair for many years.   However, what remains is a beautiful archaeological site that memorializes colonial Spain in Arizona.

The park is located in high Sonoran Desert, and in a river valley.  The day I visited, there were many birds that you'd expect in such an environment, like greater roadrunners and vermilion flycatchers.  In the garden, I was also able to see some less common birds, like a Bewick's wren and a broad-billed hummingbird.

But most impressive were the barn swallows.  Just past the gift shop and ticket counter, in the outdoor colonnade that takes you to the grounds, I was greeted by a pair of cliff swallows in the eaves.  They seemed to be quite acclimated to visitors, letting me approach with my camera for close-ups and aerial shots.  I remembered reading about the swallows that returned on the same day, every year, to another Spanish mission, San Juan del Capistrano in southern California.  They've been doing it for many years, or so the legend says.   I wasn't in modern Arizona anymore, I was in New Spain, a hundred, or two hundred, or three hundred years ago.  On the wings of a bird, I was spanning continents, seasons and history.

San Jose de Tumacacori. The bell tower on the right isn't in ruins - it was never completed.

San Jose de Tumacacori view from the east side.

San Jose de Tumacacori close-up.

San Jose de Tumacacori view from the northeast.  Fresh lime plaster coats the barrel vault and dome.

Hollyhocks blooming in the site's garden.

Male broad-billed hummingbird in the garden.

Bewick's wren in the garden.

Barn swallows greeting us in the colonnade, outside the visitor center and museum.

Barn swallow. Most likely, he's a seasonal visitor from South America, coming to nest in Arizona.

Barn swallow close-up.

The barn swallow is the most widespread species of swallow in the world.

Another barn swallow close-up.  They tend to nest in pairs, versus in large colonies like cliff swallows.

Barn swallow in flight.  Its forked tail sets it apart from other swallow species.

Barn swallow with mud on her beak.  She's building a nest nearby.

Mud nest under construction.  True to their name, barn swallows build their nests almost exclusively on man-made structures.

Part of the visitor center's colonnade that protects the barn swallows' nests.

Final view of a barn swallow in nearby Tubac.  They repeat a yearly migration that is a colorful constant in a region that has seen frequent change and tumult throughout history.  May they remind us of our dedication and connection to all the Americas, past and present.