PRO Series: Winter Empidonax ID at Patagonia Lake
Registration: $50/member, $100/non-member. Register here beginning Nov 12, 7:00 AM
Trip Difficulty: Easy. We will be hiking between 1-2 miles along dirt trails with a couple short staircases but otherwise flat terrain.
On this our inaugural Pro Series field trip we will focus on finding the three expected wintering species of Empidonax flycatchers (Gray, Dusky, and Hammond’s) at Patagonia Lake. We will spend time discussing advanced identification clues we can hone-in on both visually and audibly and practice our skills as a group. As with any other birding trip to Patagonia Lake SP, we will keep note and observe the other many avian species that reside at this exceptional location during the winter. The outing will last between 3-4 hours long depending on the cooperation of the birds. Limited to 12 participants.
Meetup Location: Patagonia Lake Birding Trail, Time: 7:30am
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: Gray Flycatcher by Caleb Strand