Mike in the Wild

I've had my not-so-secret favorite birding spots in the Prescott area for years: Dandrea Trail, Granite Basin Lake, Watson Woods, to name just a few.  But I never imagined that there was a special and easy-to-reach hotspot that the world kept secret from me for so many years.  And then just like that, a local birder spilled the beans and told me about Butterfly Spring on Mingus Mountain.   Well, he didn't actually tell me anything I couldn't have researched independently on the web or through eBird if I had dug a little deeply.  In fact the trails leading to the site are clearly identified on the National Forest's website.  In our conversation about warblers migrating through the area and about my luck finding varieties on Dandrea Trail below Mount Davis, this generous individual informed me that Butterfly Spring is often referred to as Warbler Spring.  Starting in the spring and throughout the summer, many species breed in the area and even more migra...