I've been hesitating all day at work about posting this. I won't say it's an official siting. I do want to know if and when anyone else sees this bird in this location. At least I'm hoping that those who frequent this preserve will keep an eye out, just in case.
On Saturday Jan. 10, Crispy and I visited the Hassayampa River Preserve, West of Phoenix. At about 3pm we sat in the car, resting and drinking our Power Ade after hiking around. I was watching the Steller Jays cruising through the dead trees in front of the car when something different flew in and landed, about 20 ft away. I whipped out the binoculars and stood outside of the car. There was this bird I'd never seen before. He turned and dipped in front of me before flying to a far distant tree. His head and body were snowy gray, the wings black. His bill was long. No markings around the eye. He was the size of the large jays, larger than a mockingbird. I recalled that I'd seen it in our books somewhere. As Crispy grabbed his binocs and gazed at it, it was too far away for him to get a good look. When I looked it up, it was a dead ringer for the Clark's Nutcracker.
I'm still new at birding and don't feel qualified to make an official siting unless Crispy can help verify it. But if anyone is ever in this area in the near future, please keep a look out in case this unlikely visitor appears there.
It should be noted (for those not familiar with the area), that Hassayampa is a cottonwood-willow riparian forest, and at relatively low elevation (less than 3000 feet, I believe), which is why the Nutcracker would be considered somewhat stray (no pinon pines). But given the fact that this odd bird was seen with a flock of Steller's Jays, who also would be considered slightly off-track, makes it easier to believe we did spot a Clark's. The pine forests around here have taken a devastating beating due to the Ips Beetle infestation, and I can imagine that the situation is forcing some forest birds out in desparate search for alternate food.
It sounds to me like you did indeed see a Clark's Nutcracker.