Difficulty: Easy (Mostly flat, groomed trails at a city park. Bathrooms available.)
Improve your bird ID skills using your smartphone! The Merlin Bird ID app is like having a well-informed birding field trip leader in your pocket. Tucson’s Fort Lowell Park has a variety of habitats is a great place to see and hear a variety of Tucson’s urban birds, and it’s only 5 miles from the DoubleTree Hotel. By the end of the outing you’ll know how to use all of the FREE Merlin Bird ID app’s great features: Sound ID, Photo ID, the Explore field guide, and more! IMPORTANT: Download the Merlin Bird ID app to your phone (iPhone or Android) before the field trip, and log in to (or create) your eBird username and password with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (if you have any difficulties, come 10 minutes early and we’ll do it together). Bring your phone (fully charged) and your binoculars, and we’ll learn and practice using the app to help you identify birds by sight and by sound. Beginners and young people are welcome; no prior experience with birding or with Merlin Bird ID necessary. Even if you have used Merlin before, it’s a good opportunity to practice its latest features and get your questions answered. Limited to 12 participants.
Belted Kingfisher by Dan Weisz