Change comes to the Chiricahuas

The Chiricahua Mountains in southeastern Arizona are one of the nation’s great gathering places. Human travelers from all over come to these scrubby mountains, particularly in spring and fall, to glimpse visitors from farther south: trogons, chunky tropical birds that are the spectacular quetzal’s only slightly less spectacular relative, as well as ring-tailed cats and jaguars, wild creatures seemingly dreamed up in a fever. The animals get here by crossing open desert, fields and the international border, hopscotching between similar “sky islands” throughout Northern Mexico and southern Arizona. Borehole Spring, Mojave Desert, California. A borehole exploration punctured a pressurized aquifer, creating an accidental oasis that attracts migratory birds and supports wildlife. Severe drought now threatens this wetland. Credit: Bremner Benedict From the North, you reach the Chiricahuas by passing through a dramatic gap in the rocks, where the aptly named town of Portal is.

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