Birding is for Every Body: Planning Outings for Accessibility with Lindsey Stone

Are you a trip leader, educator or interpreter who wants to offer more inclusive outings?  Join Birdability team member Lindsey Stone for a field workshop focused on how you can make your bird outings welcoming for people with disabilities and other access needs.  You’ll learn how to engage with disabled birders as well as practical strategies to identify and address access challenges. Don’t miss this opportunity to create more welcoming birding experiences for everybody! Meet at Himmel Park. Drive time to meeting location from festival venue is approximately 10 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 15 participants.

Lesser Goldfinch by Mick Thompson

Tohono Chul with Ray Deeney

Difficulty: Easy (some mild slopes–mostly flat ground and good surfaces)

For visitors and those new to the Sonoran Desert, Tohono Chul’s easy-walking trails and gardens provide close-up looks at many of the desert specialties. Of the more than 500 bird species that spend time in Arizona during the year, 140 are known to have visited Tohono Chul, and on any given morning you might see up to 10 or 20 species here. All year long you can watch our state bird, the Cactus Wren, flit from cactus to tree and back again, chattering as he goes. Observe the Curved-billed Thrasher, with its saucy two-part whistle, scrabbling on the ground or nesting in cholla cactus. Enjoy our two year-round resident hummingbird species, Anna’s and Costa’s, as they dart about, feeding among the many colorful flowers. And be sure to look upward for a glance of our majestic Cooper’s Hawks, a pair of which has nested in the gardens for each of the last four years. Meet at Tohono Chul. Limited to 10 participants.

Costa’s Hummingbird by Francis Morgan

Photography Field Workshop: Bat Photography at Pond at Elephant Head with Dano Grayson

Difficulty: Easy (Most of the time spent in photography blinds)

The desert comes alive at night and the Pond at Elephant Head offers the perfect opportunity to catch it in action with your camera. Bat migration is happening during the monsoon season and offers an amazing experience. Join Wildlife Photographer, Dano Grayson for an evening of photographing bats and other wildlife at this private photography location. Equipment Needed for this Workshop: Camera with telephoto lens of at least 300mm along with tripod and shutter release cable. Limited to 9 participants.

Birding with a Purpose: Paton Center for Hummingbirds with Cally Wilken & Luke Tiller

Difficulty: Easy (Flat walking trails. Drive time to location approximately 75 minutes.)

The famous Paton Center for Hummingbirds is known for its backyard birds and scenic location dating back to 1973. Wally and Marion Paton first began inviting birders into their yard shortly after moving to Patagonia, and after their passing, the center was acquired by the Tucson Audubon Society. Since then we’ve worked to improve the habitat by removing invasive plants, installing native gardens, and much more. Explore the area with Mitigation Program Manager, Cally Wilken, for a first-hand tour of how the center is being re-invigorated and you’re also sure to find Violet-crowned Hummingbirds amidst the array of riparian specialty birds. Limited to 9 participants.

Birding & Photography with Hunt’s Photo at Sweetwater Wetlands with Simon Tolzmann and Christopher Smith

Green Heron by Hemant Kishan

Enjoy a mix of birding and photography with leaders representing your favorite photography retailer, Hunt’s Photo. Highlight species of this location include; Vermilion Flycatchers, Common Gallinule, Black-crowned Night Heron, Green Heron, various species of flycatcher, and more. Specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 10 participants.

Green Heron by Hemant Kishan

Tubac De Anza Trail with Tyler Ficker and Bill Lisowsky

Difficulty: Easy (Flat walking trails. Drive time to location approximately one hour.)

An easy stroll through this lush riparian corridor along the Santa Cruz provides many opportunities for migrants, Gray Hawks, flycatchers, and hordes of Yellow-breasted Chats. Rose-throated Becard, whose nests look like a large football hanging from the end of a branch, have nested along this trail the past few years. A volunteer from the Tubac Nature Center will also be on the walk to share local bird and nature experience. Time permitting, a stop at the Amado Wastewater Treatment plant on the way back could be good for Black-bellied Whistling-Duck. Limited to 9 participants.

Gray Hawk by Axel Elfner

Search for Bendire’s Thrasher with John Yerger

Difficulty: Moderate (Some walking on mild slopes, but still on excellent surfaces. Drive time to location approximately 50 minutes)

While not a real striking bird, Bendire’s Thrasher is sought after by birders because of its limited range which happens to be right here in Southeast Arizona. We don’t always get this on our festival lists though because of its preference for open desert scrub habitat and our preference for cooler canyons. They can also be tough to find this time of year, but we’ll set out today to the Avra Valley west of Tucson to see if we can pick one up for our life lists (and the festival list!). Limited to 9 participants.

Bendire’s Thrasher by Jim Burns

Tohono Chul with Ray Deeney

Difficulty: Easy (some mild slopes–mostly flat ground and good surfaces)

For visitors and those new to the Sonoran Desert, Tohono Chul’s easy-walking trails and gardens provide close-up looks at many of the desert specialties. Of the more than 500 bird species that spend time in Arizona during the year, 140 are known to have visited Tohono Chul, and on any given morning you might see up to 10 or 20 species here. All year long you can watch our state bird, the Cactus Wren, flit from cactus to tree and back again, chattering as he goes. Observe the Curved-billed Thrasher, with its saucy two-part whistle, scrabbling on the ground or nesting in cholla cactus. Enjoy our two year-round resident hummingbird species, Anna’s and Costa’s, as they dart about, feeding among the many colorful flowers. And be sure to look upward for a glance of our majestic Cooper’s Hawks, a pair of which has nested in the gardens for each of the last four years. Meet at Tohono Chul. Limited to 10 participants.

Costa’s Hummingbird by Francis Morgan

Behind the Scenes at the Reid Park Zoo

Difficulty: Easy (paved pathways)

Join keepers at the Reid Park Zoo for a tour of the South American and Flight Connection Aviaries and get a sneak peek at some of the birds that will be featured in the zoo’s upcoming expansion. Please be prepared for moderate walking in the heat. Face masks are optional. Participants will meet keepers at the Zoo’s main entrance at 8am. Includes zoo entry fee. Limited to 20 participants.

Reid Park with Marie Davis

Difficulty: Easy (Mostly flat walking on grass or concrete pathways)

The tall aleppo pines and eucalyptus, along with two large ponds, create great bird habitat right next to the festival venue. We’ll look for Black-crowned Night Herons, Neotropic Cormorants, Cassin’s Kingbirds, Vermilion Flycatchers, and more. This is a great opportunity if you’re just getting into birding. Drive time to the meeting location from festival venue is about 2 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 10 participants.

Vermilion Flycatcher by Greg Lavaty