Montosa Canyon with Sharon Goldwasser

Difficulty: Hard (Steeper slopes or more rocky/rooted trails. Drive time to location approximately one hour with some gravel roads.)

While Madera Canyon has long been the most visited spot in the Santa Rita Mountains, this adjacent canyon to the south is deserving of more birders’ attention. Join us on a half-day exploration of Montosa Canyon, which supports some hackberry thornscrub habitat as well as a nice drainage with scattered oaks and mesquites. Our top target is the Five-striped Sparrow, a skulky sparrow which frequents the area.  We’ll also search for Black-capped Gnatcatcher, which has been breeding in the area for several years, and keep our eyes out for dazzling Varied Buntings on territory. Some more common species we can expect to encounter include Bell’s Vireo, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Canyon Wren, and Ladder-backed Woodpecker. Limited to 9 participants.

Arivaca Cienega Area with Ethan Kistler

Difficulty: Moderate (mostly flat walking trails on some uneven and rocky terrain. Drive time to Arivaca is about 75 minutes.)

Just outside of the small town of Arivaca is the Buenos Aires Wildlife Refuge, known for its grasslands and cienegas, along with being a place where efforts to re-introduce Masked Bobwhites are being undertaken. We’ll focus our birding efforts at the Arivaca Cienega and along the Arivaca Creek where we’ll look for Black Vultures, Gray and Zone-tailed Hawks, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Tropical Kingbird, and buntings. Limited to 9 participants.

Oracle State Park and Peppersauce Canyon with Kathe Anderson

Acorn Woodpecker by Dan Weisz

Difficulty: Moderate (Some mild hiking on fairly flat and rolling trails or gravel roads. About 50 minutes to destinations)

We’ll head to beautiful Oracle State Park, located at 3,700’ to 4,600’, with landscape dominated by rolling hills and panoramic vistas as it transitions from desert grassland to oak-woodland. There, we’ll likely encounter common desert species, such as Harris’s Hawk, Gila Woodpecker, Say’s Phoebe, Curve-billed Thrasher, Canyon Towhee and summer visitors such as Summer Tanager, Lucy’s Warbler and Brown-crested Flycatcher, among others.  Then we’ll move onto Peppersauce Canyon, an oasis mostly shaded by huge sycamores, where Bell’s and other vireos, plus Acorn Woodpeckers and Western Wood-Pewees are common, amongst a variety of lovely summer surprises. Limited to 9 participants.

Pena Blanca Lake and Canyon with Jake Mohlmann

Difficulty: Moderate (Steeper slopes or more rocky/rooted trails. Drive time to location approximately 90 minutes, some gravel road.)

An interesting man-made lake makes a great water source and stopover for migrants and nesting birds. The adjoining canyon is a good location for Elegant Trogon, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, and Hepatic Tanager. Montezuma Quail favor the hillsides surrounding the lake, while other interesting species could include Gray Hawk, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, and Varied Bunting. Expect to walk on groomed trails around the lake and a gravel/loose rock forest service road through the canyon. Limited to 9 participants.

Box and Florida Canyons with Eric Ripma of Sabrewing Nature Tours

Difficulty: Moderate to Hard (Walking a narrow trail with uneven surfaces and some increase in grade.  Drive time to location about 1 hour)

These two canyons are just north of the more famous Madera Canyon and offer fabulous birding in riparian areas flanked by upland desert and grassland. From the Florida Canyon parking lot we’ll keep our eyes open and ears alert for Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Black-chinned and Rufous-crowned Sparrows, along with Varied Bunting.  Depending on water levels we could work our way up higher along the creek, we’ll look for Gray Hawk, three species of Myiarchus flycatchers, Bell’s and Hutton’s Vireo’s, Hooded Oriole, and perhaps even catching a glimpse of the soaring resident Golden Eagles. Next we will drive through Box Canyon hoping to find a rare Five-striped Sparrow or singing Scott’s Orioles. Sponsored by Sabrewing Nature Tours. Limited to 9 participants.

Patagonia Lake and Patagonia Hotspots with Cameron Cox

Difficulty: Moderate (Some walking on mild slopes, and possibly rocky/uneven surfaces. Drive time to location approximately one hour on mostly paved roads)

Some of the most well-known birding locations in Southeast Arizona, and the United States, occur in the riparian area that runs along the Sonoita Creek and around the small mining town of Patagonia. We’ll start at Patagonia Lake SP and look for waterbirds and riparian stalwarts like Gray Hawk and Summer Tanagers. After the lake we’ll check out hotspots around town before having lunch at the Paton Center for Hummingbirds courtesy of local favorite, Gathering Grounds, while we look for the star of the trip, the Violet-crowned Hummingbird. Limited to 9 participants.

Birds, Wine, & Brew Tour—Las Cienegas Area with Rob Ripma & Melissa Fratello

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate (Some walking on mild slopes, and possibly rocky/uneven surfaces. Drive time to locations approximately an hour)

We’ll combine birding and good drink during a tour of the grasslands around Sonoita in the Las Cienegas grasslands. We’ll look for grassland breeders such as Cassin’s, Botteri’s and Grasshopper Sparrows, Chihuahuan Meadowlark, and Loggerhead Shrike, as well as riparian-associated species including Gray and Zone-tailed Hawks, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Blue Grosbeak, Yellow Warbler, and Summer Tanager.  A visit to one of the local wineries and lunch at the Copper Brothel Brewery will keep us busy as well. Limited to 8 participants.

Gray Hawk by Bryan J Smith

Mt. Lemmon: Sonoran Desert to Mixed Conifer Forest with Brian Gibbons

Olive Warbler by Shawn Cooper

Difficulty: Moderate (Steeper slopes or more rocky/rooted trails. Drive time to final location approximately 75 minutes.)

Rising over 6,000 feet above Tucson, Mount Lemmon is the highest peak in the Santa Catalina Mountains at 9,157 feet, and a popular escape from urban life and the Arizona’s dry early-summer heat (before the relief of the cooling monsoon rains). It is also an incredible birding experience and biology lesson. Traversing six life zones, from the Sonoran Desert at the base to mixed conifer forests at the highest elevations, the 25-mile drive up the wide, paved, two-lane Catalina Highway is equivalent biologically to traveling from Mexico to Canada. Our efforts will be concentrated on the higher elevations far above the desert below. We’ll look for typical mountain species like Steller’s Jay, Acorn Woodpecker, Spotted Towhee, and Plumbeous Vireo. We’ll make a special effort to track down a variety of warblers; Painted Redstart and Olive, Red-faced, and Grace’s Warblers all breed in these mountains and by August they are beginning to form mixed-species foraging flocks. A few hummingbird feeders are scattered about our route as well. Combine the birds with temperatures nearly 30 degrees cooler at the top and unparalleled scenery, it is hard to beat the Catalinas in August! Lunch included. Limited to 8 participants.

Carr & Ash Canyons with Kristy Gallo, John Yerger, & Kenn Kaufman

Difficulty: Hard (Steeper slopes or more rocky/rooted trails. Drive time to locations approximately 2 hours and includes some time on a very rough road.)

We’ll get an early start from Tucson to explore the Madrean oak woodland and open pine forests of Carr Canyon. This scenic canyon on the east flank of the Huachucas supports species such as Arizona Woodpecker and Painted Redstart on its lower slopes, and species such as Olive Warbler, Buff-breasted Flycatcher and Greater Pewee along the upper stretches of the road. We’ll spend a few hours exploring along the main road that winds up to near the peaks of the Huachucas before taking our picnic lunch and then descending to nearby Ash Canyon, where a private bank of hummingbird feeders at Mary Jo’s B&B should be buzzing with activity, including perhaps the range-restricted and very attractive Lucifer Hummingbird. We will be walking slowly along nearly level dirt roads at up to about 7000 feet in elevation. Lunch included. Limited to 13 participants.

Big Day Adventure with Alex Lamoreaux & Chris Brown of Wildside Nature Tours

Difficulty: Moderate (May include some walking on steeper slopes or rocky/rooted trails. Fast-paced and may include lots of jumping in and out of the van.)

Have you ever experienced the thrill of a “Big Day?” This is a fun, and somewhat competitive, way to see a wide variety of species and locations throughout the Tucson and Southeast Arizona area in a short amount of time! Exact route will be up to the discretion of the leader, to maximize the numbers of species seen/heard. Sponsored by Wildside Nature Tours. Lunch included. Limited to 8 participants.

Yellow-eyed Junco by Jim Burns