Difficulty: Moderate. Some walking on mild slopes, and possibly rocky/uneven surfaces. Drive time to location approximately one hour on some paved and gravel roads.
Las Cienegas is a 45,000-acre national conservation area with high desert grasslands, riparian strips and perennial streams, marshes, and juniper-oak woodlands. Here we can find grassland breeders such as Cassin’s, Botteri’s and Grasshopper Sparrows, Chihuahuan Meadowlark, and Loggerhead Shrike, as well as riparian-associated species including Gray and Zone-tailed Hawks, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Blue Grosbeak, Yellow Warbler, and Summer Tanager. Las Cienegas is great for mammals, too — we’ll visit a colony of Black-tailed Prairie Dogs (road condition permitting) and keep an eye out for Pronghorn Antelope. You’ll enjoy this beautiful area with Louie Dombroski who spent many years working at the nearby Paton Center for Hummingbirds and with John Coons of Field Guides. Limited to 9 participants.
Summer Tanager by Hemant Kishan