PRO Series: Myiarchus ID at Patagonia Lake
Registration: $50/member, $100/non-member.
Trip Difficulty: Easy to Fairly easy. We will be hiking the Birding Trail at Patagonia Lake; a dirt trail system that runs along the east side of the lake and along Sonoita Creek. The trail is mostly flat with a set of stairs towards the beginning portion. Participants should expect to walk around 1.5 miles on this trip.
On this Pro Series outing we will be focusing on the three expected species of Myiarchus that occur in Arizona; Ash-throated, Brown-crested, and Dusky-capped Flycatchers. The Myiachus genus is notoriously difficult with its species being visually similar and often-times hard to separate. Nonetheless, your guide will give key tips on how to identify each species, focusing on not just the appearance of them but also their vocalizations and habitat-preferences. As always, Patagonia Lake is a birdy location, so we will also pay-attention to other species we come across throughout the trip.
We will meet-up at the parking spaces for the birding trail here: 31.496888, -110.849662. Carpooling can be arranged from Tucson if participants agree. Limited to 12 participants.
About the Series: Introducing the Pro Series field trips and workshops presented by Arizona Birding Tours and Tucson Audubon Society. Take your birding to the next level with help from professional guides at Arizona Birding Tours. Each month we’ll explore advanced birding topics ranging from classic identification challenges to the art of birding by ear and so much more. Join us and discover new aspects of birding that will enhance your experience and expand your birding repertoire.
About the Leader: Caleb was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona where he began birding at a very young age. At 17 years-old, Caleb was leading bird walks, field expeditions, and bird identification workshops for multiple statewide and local organizations. Birding has taken Caleb across much of the United States and to northern Mexico. In recent years, he explored the Midwest as a traveling field ornithologist before settling back down in Arizona where he is a professional birding guide with Arizona Birding Tours. In addition to his love of exploration, Caleb enjoys watching the look of amazement on the faces of his clients as they observe the beauty of the diverse wildlife and landscapes of Arizona and the Southwest. From watching California Condors soaring over the cliffs of the Grand Canyon to observing a pair of Elegant Trogons visiting their nesting cavity in a sycamore in the sky Islands of southeast Arizona, Caleb truly loves his home state of Arizona!
Caleb is an eBird Regional Reviewer for Maricopa, Yavapai, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, Navajo, and Apache Cos. in Arizona, a current member of the Arizona Bird Committee, co-author on multiple papers regarding bird distribution and status, and serves on the Arizona Field Ornithologists Expeditions committee, leading trips into under-birded areas across the state.
Header Image: Brown-crested Flycatcher by Lois Manowitz