Difficulty: Moderate (Some mild slopes–mostly flat ground and good surfaces.)
Before the advent of large-scale groundwater extraction, the Santa Cruz River flowed year-round supporting mesquite bosque and cottonwood-willow forest. Now it flows only in sections where water is artificially released from wastewater treatment plants. One such area that Tucson Audubon has reclaimed and restored is the Simpson Farm near Marana. Explore this area with Mitigation Program Manager, Cally Wilken, and Phil Chaon, co-author of Habitats of the World, and we’ll look for Southeast Arizona specialty birds such as Lucy’s Warbler, Bell’s Vireo, and Black-tailed Gnatcatcher. We’ll also head over to a known Burrowing Owl location to see one of our favorite owls. Limited to 8 participants.
Burrowing Owl by Mick Thompson