Archives: Festival Events

Iconic Madera Canyon is one of the top destinations for any birder. We’ll start in grassland habitat around Proctor Road looking and listening for singing sparrows first thing in the morning along with walking the nature trail and looking for Bell’s Vireo, Blue Grosbeak, Summer Tanager, and Varied Bunting. Next we’ll head into the mid-elevation oak-juniper habitat, looking for desirable southeast Arizona species like Arizona Woodpecker, Painted Redstart, and Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher. After this we’ll spend some time walking along the riparian trail and investigating the hummingbird feeders that make Madera one of the best spots for hummingbird diversity in the country. Maybe we’ll find an Elegant Trogon! Limited to 9 participants.

Elegant Trogon by Shawn Cooper

Difficulty: Moderate (Some walking on mild slopes, but still on excellent surfaces. Drive time to location approximately one hour on mostly paved roads)

The preserve is one of the best known U.S. birding hotspots with tall cottonwoods and willows lining a perennial stream. Open fields, mesquite bosque and a cienega compound the habitat diversity that make it a birding paradise. Listen for the Gray Hawk’s whistle in the cottonwoods while looking for Common Ground Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Thick-billed Kingbird, and more. Nature Conservancy fees are included in the price. Be prepared to wear chigger protection. Limited to 9 participants.

Thick-billed Kingbird by Martin Molina

Difficulty: Easy (Not a lot of walking on dirt road/trail. Bring a wide-brimmed hat, sunscreen, water bottle, and be prepared for hot and sunny weather)

Visit Cochise Lake to observe a wide variety of shorebirds.  This inland water body is a globally Important Bird Area in part for its concentration of shorebirds and importance for special status avian species.  We will concentrate on studying notable behaviors and structural clues for shorebird identification.  Our late summer/early fall migrants also provide a variety of plumages to study and compare.  American Avocet, Black-necked Stilt, Semipalmated Plover, Long-billed Curlew, Long-billed Dowitcher, Wilson’s Phalarope, Spotted Sandpiper, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, and Least, Western and Baird’s Sandpipers are all likely with other shorebirds possible.  Swainson’s Hawk, Scaled Quail, Bendire’s Thrasher, and Chihuahuan Meadowlark are also seen in the area.  Bring a wide-brimmed hat, sunscreen, water bottle, and spotting scope (if you have one) and be prepared for hot and sunny weather. Limited to 9 participants.

Black-necked Stilt by Shawn Cooper

Difficulty: Moderate (some walking on mild slopes, drive time to location about 50 minutes on paved roads)

Enjoy birding where Tucson residents escape the summer heat in the small mountain hamlet of Summerhaven.  We’ll look for mixed warbler flocks which may include Red-faced, Orange-crowned, Virginia’s, Townsend’s, Hermit, Wilson’s, and Grace’s Warblers. Birding in the conifer forests of Mt. Lemmon can also produce species like Hairy Woodpecker, Steller’s Jay, Mountain Chickadee, and Cordilleran Flycatcher. Back by noon. Limited to 9 participants.

Red-faced Warbler by Axel Elfner

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

Difficulty: Moderate (Some walking on mild slopes, but still on excellent surfaces. Drive time to location approximately one hour plus driving on gravel/dirt roads)

Las Cienegas is a 45,000-acre national conservation area with high desert grasslands, riparian strips and perennial streams, marshes, and juniper-oak woodlands. Here we can find 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. Las Cienegas is great for mammals, too — we’ll visit a colony of Black-tailed Prairie Dogs (road condition permitting) and keep an eye out for Pronghorn Antelope. Limited to 8 participants.

Gray Hawk by Axel Elfner

Difficulty: Moderate (mostly flat walking trails on some uneven and rocky terrain, includes some driving on rocky road)

This beautiful and scenic loop that starts near Madera Canyon and crosses the northern part of the Santa Rita Mountains offers fantastic birding during the monsoon season. The road goes along rugged Box Canyon where at least one pair of Five-striped Sparrows has been seen the past few years. Varied Buntings, Hooded and Scott’s Orioles, Canyon and Cactus Wrens, Pyrrhuloxia, and more will be singing their hearts out as you make various stops along the drive. The loop comes out just north of the ranching community of Sonoita. Limited to 9 participants.

Scott’s Oriole by Mick Thompson

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 where efforts to re-introduce the Masked Bobwhite are being undertaken by a group of conservation partners. 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.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo by Greg Lavaty

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.

Five-striped Sparrow by Lois Manowitz