Difficulty: Moderate – Hard (About 2-3 miles hiking on mild slopes, and possibly rocky/uneven surfaces. Drive time to location approximately one hour.)
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. We’ll hike up the canyon from Proctor to the Santa Rita lodge through the mid-elevation oak-juniper-sycamore habitat, looking for desirable southeast Arizona species like Arizona Woodpecker, Painted Redstart, and Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher. We’ll then spend some time resting at the hummingbird feeders that make Madera one of the best spots for hummingbird diversity in the country. Limited to 9 participants.
Arizona Woodpecker by Mick Thompson