Spotted Owl, one of 10 owl species possible in Southeastern Arizona. Photo: Anthony Collerton
Southeastern Arizona is one of the great North American birdwatching destinations, particularly during mid-May when birdsong and breeding activity is at its peak. From the rich Sonoran Desert around Tucson, to lush cottonwood riparian habitat near Patagonia, to the cool sycamore-lined canyons in the Huachuca Mountains, to the high-elevation forests of the Chiricahua Mountains, southeastern Arizona has a natural beauty that is remarkable. Equally remarkable is the diversity one finds in this transition between the Rocky Mountains to the north and the Cordillera Occidental of Mexico to the south. On this condensed tour we’ll visit virtually all the major birding locations and could encounter as many as 10 species of owls and 12 species of hummingbirds as well as most of the specialties restricted to this part of the Southwest. Although owls and nightjars will be a major emphasis of this tour, very late nights will not be necessary as all our comfortable hotels are close to our nightbirding destinations.
Day 1: Our trip begins at 2 p.m. in Tucson. After checking into our airport hotel, we’ll drive the short distance to the Santa Rita Mountains where we’ll spend the late afternoon in the cool pine-oak forests of Madera Canyon. Here we’ll make our first search for summer residents such as Painted Redstart and Black-headed Grosbeak and, after a pre-dusk picnic dinner, look for owls, including Whiskered Screech- and Elf, and nightbirds such as Poor-will and Lesser Nighthawk. Night in Tucson.
”I’ve been on five other tours, but this first tour with WINGS easily topped all the others for professionalism and efficiency in finding birds. Also, fitting birding breaks into the always necessary travel schedule was a welcome relief. Gary Rosenberg’s constant professional but friendly demeanor was appreciated.
Glenn Shaffer
Day 2: This morning we’ll travel northeast of Tucson to the lower San Pedro River and Aravaipa Canyon. We’ll pass through lush Sonoran Desert where we’ll search for Harris’s Hawk, Gilded Flicker, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Rufous-winged Sparrow and Pyrrhuloxia. Our main destination is the shady cottonwood-willow riparian habitat around Dudleyville where the southernmost Common Black-Hawks in Arizona nest. At this season riparian corridors are alive with bird activity including large numbers of Yellow and Lucy’s Warblers, Yellow-breasted Chats and Hooded Orioles. We’ll also look for Mississippi Kite, which has an isolated breeding population in this area, and we’re likely to see other riparian obligates such as Brown-crested Flycatcher and Bell’s Vireo. In the afternoon we’ll return to Tucson, have an early dinner and observe the sunset from the lovely desert landscapes of Sabino Canyon. In the waning moments of daylight we’ll watch for Lesser Nighthawk and listen for Elf Owls as they begin calling from the tall saguaros, the quintessential Sonoran Desert experience. Night in Tucson.
Day 3: Early morning on Mount Lemmon can be wonderful with a cacophony of birdsong eminating from the lower oak-dominated canyons including Acorn Woodpecker, Greater Pewee, Olive Warbler, Painted Redstart and Black- headed Grosbeak. A bit higher on the mountain we’ll enter pine forest where we’ll search for Western Bluebird, Pygmy Nuthatch and Mountain Chickadee and possibly a migrant Townsend’s or Hermit Warbler. Higher yet we’ll arrive at a green canyon dominated by firs and maples where Red-faced Warbler is almost common. This is also a good area for such higher-elevation species as Cordilleran Flycatcher, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Brown Creeper and Orange-crowned Warbler. After lunch we’ll travel to the Patagonia area where we’ll spend the rest of the day. We’ll visit the now-famous hummingbird feeders where we are likely to see an assortment of species including Violet-crowned Hummingbird, as well as large numbers of Broad- billed and Black-chinned Hummingbirds. We’ll spend the late afternoon in Harshaw Canyon searching for Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet and listening to the cascading songs of Canyon Wren as the sun sinks below the horizon. After dinner we’ll return to Harshaw where Western and Whiskered Screech-Owls can be found side by side and Elf Owls nest in the telephone poles along the road. Night in Rio Rico.
Day 4: We’ll begin the day with roadside birding around Patagonia and along Sonoita Creek searching for Zone-tailed and Gray Hawks as well as Thick-billed and Cassin’s Kingbirds, Bridled Titmouse, Lucy’s Warbler and with luck an assortment of migrants. We’ll almost certainly visit as well Lake Patagonia where, in recent years, Black-capped Gnatcatcher has bred. After lunch we’ll travel north to Madera Canyon where we may encounter many of the species we saw earlier on Mount Lemmon as well as Blue-throated and Magnificent Hummingbirds and Arizona Woodpecker. In the grasslands below Madera Canyon we’ll look for Cassin’s and Botteri’s Sparrows. Night in Rio Rico.
Day 5: We’ll depart early for Sierra Vista and the delightful Huachuca Mountains. We’ll first visit Garden and Sawmill Canyons, areas that support a diverse avifauna including Greater Pewee, Buff-breasted Flycatcher and Grace’s Warbler. This is an excellent area for Elegant Trogon and we’ll listen for its hoarse barking calls. If they’re known to be present, we’ll hike up Scheelite Canyon in search of Spotted Owl. Beatty’s Bed-and- Breakfast in Miller Canyon and the Nature Conservancy reserve in Ramsey Canyon are both famous for hummingbirds and we’ll visit one or both, depending on what hummingbirds are being reported-in recent years White-eared has become regular and we always hope for a rarity such as Berylline. In the late afternoon we’ll visit Comfort Spring in Carr Canyon where we may see Band-tailed Pigeon and Northern Pygmy-Owl. After dinner we’ll offer an optional nighttime excursion back to lower Carr Canyon in search of Common Poorwill and Whiskered Screech-Owl. Night in Sierra Vista.
Day 6: Early this morning we’ll stroll along the San Pedro River, one of the finest remaining tracts of riparian habitat left in the Southwest. Mid-May is an excellent time for migrants, some of the more common being Wilson’s Warbler and Western Tanager, and the river will be alive with residents such as Gila and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, Vermilion Flycatcher, Abert’s Towhee and Bullock’s Oriole. When it begins to heat up we’ll travel east to the Sulphur Springs Valley and visit Whitewater Draw where we’ll hope for a few migrant waterbirds. In the desert scrub nearby we’ll look for both Bendire’s and Crissal Thrashers as well as Black- throated Sparrow and possibly a lingering Lark Bunting. After lunch we’ll continue to Cave Creek Canyon in the Chiricahua Mountains, a locale famous for stunning beauty as well as a healthy population of Elegant Trogons. Night in Portal.
Day 7: While in the Chiricahuas we’ll visit a variety of habitats made accessible by an excellent road system that climbs from desert scrub below Portal to high pine-fir habitat at Rustler Park. We’ll have a chance for Scaled Quail and Bendire’s Thrasher along Stateline Road and we’ll look for Western Scrub-Jay, Juniper Titmouse and Black-chinned Sparrow along the road to Paradise. Friends in the Portal area allow feeder-watching and we’ll hope to see a nice assortment of hummingbirds, possibly including Lucifer. In the afternoon we’ll work our way up to Rustler Park and Pinery Canyon in search of Mexican Chickadee. Night in Portal.
Day 8: After a last morning in the Chiricahuas, including another visit to Pinery Canyon for Mexican Chickadee and Red-faced Warbler, we’ll descend the west slope of the Chiricahuas and continue toward Tucson. We’ll stop en route at the ponds at Willcox where a good variety of lingering ducks and migrant shorebirds can be expected. We’ll arrive at our hotel at a reasonable hour so as to enjoy a leisurely farewell dinner at an excellent Mexican restaurant. Night in Tucson.
Day 9: The trip concludes this morning in Tucson.
Updated: 20 November 2007
Prices
- 2008 price about $2,160
- Single Occupancy Supplement $380
- 2009 price not yet available.
Notes
Maximum one-leader group size is reduced from eight to seven. Maximum two leader group size remains 14