Difficulty: Moderate (Will include walking along some graded roads and mostly level trail but with uneven surfaces for about 3 miles.  Drive time to location about 75 minutes)

This area is located in the southern mountains just a few miles from the border and west of Nogales with excellent oak habitat, and much less birder visitation than many other better known locations.  Walking along the old road/trail in the shade of the riparian zone and flanked by grasslands, we’ll have opportunity for many target species, including Montezuma Quail, Gray Hawk, Elegant Trogon, Acorn and Arizona Woodpeckers, Rufous-winged and Rufous-crowned Sparrows, Scott’s Oriole and Varied Bunting. Thick-billed Kingbird have also recently colonized this drainage and we’ll be actively hunting for them as well. After walking Walker Canyon we’ll enjoy lunch at a nearby picnic area by Pena Blanca Lake. Lunch provided, limited to 8 participants.

Varied Bunting by Martin Molina