Photo Gallery
Photos by Gary Rosenberg
We’ll begin with a visit to Boyce Thompson Arboretum where we’ll look for desert specialties and migrants, such as this Black-headed Grosbeak, among the marvelous collection of cacti and arid lands vegetation.
On our way up to Flagstaff, we’ll leave the desert heat behind and enter the cool pine forests of northern Arizona, where we are likely to see Acorn Woodpecker.
North of Flagstaff we’ll cross the mighty Colorado River and get our first taste of the scenery to come.
Our northward journey takes us by the Vermilion Cliffs, where California Condors have been re-introduced, and are thriving.
The first major canyon we’ll visit is the Grand Canyon, where our lodge sits right on the North Rim.
The scenery is magnificent, particularly when there is an afternoon thunderstorm over the canyon.
The scale is hard to judge in an image but these towering cliffs at Zion National Park are a sight to behold from down inside the canyon looking up!
Outside the park is an excellent place to look for Prairie Falcon, one of the specialty raptors of the Southwest.
Southwest Utah has a number of almost unbelievable natural attractions - in the late afternoon we’ll visit Cedar Breaks National Monument…
…and one never tires of the spectacular views from along the rim at Bryce.
Outside the park the sage brushland is home to several specialty birds, such as this Vesper Sparrow…
…and the quintessential sage species, the Sage Thrasher.
On our way into Navajo land, we’ll visit an amazing “slot canyon” near Page called Antelope Canyon.
A late afternoon drive through Monument Valley is one of the highlights of visiting the Navajo Indian Reservation.
On a stormy afternoon, even the traveling between birding areas can be incredibly scenic!
Canyon de Chelly combines ancient cave dwellings with typically stunning scenery and good birding nearby.
There is often a nice selection of water birds at the many lakes and ponds we’ll visit on the Navajo Reservation, such as this Baird’s Sandpiper.
In around the towns of Springerville and Eagar, Arizona, at the foot of the White Mountains, the strange (for a woodpecker…) and wonderful Lewis’s Woodpecker is just one of numerous interesting birds we’ll look for.
At South fork, Hepatic Tanager is a rare breeder, and there are usually a few around during our visit.
We’ll conclude our tour with three nights in the beautiful White Mountains, where birding at water areas such as Sunrise Lake is always exciting.