Desert Birds & Lizards at Sabino Canyon with Jim Rorabaugh

Greater Roadrunner by Dan Weisz

Difficulty: Moderate. Mostly well-groomed walking trails but may have some incline and may be on some uneven and rocky terrain for about 2 miles roundtrip. Bathrooms on-site. Bring 2 liters of water.

We’ll combine herping and birding in the most popular canyon in Tucson, Sabino Canyon. The Sonoran desert upland and Sabino Creek riparian area offer great opportunities for iconic desert birds such as Greater Roadrunner, Gila Woodpecker, Cactus Wren, and Black-throated Sparrow. With the help of Jim Rorabaugh, the senior author of A Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Sonora, Mexico, we will also attempt to find whiptails, Zebra-tailed Lizards, spiny lizards, and maybe the iconic Gila Monster. Meet at the ramada by the Visitor’s Center at 5700 N Sabino Canyon Road. $8 parking fee. Return to car by 9am. Sunhat, water and walking shoes always recommended. Drive time to meeting location from festival venue is about 25 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 12 participants.

Greater Roadrunner, Dan Weisz

El Rio Preserve with Brian Jones and Kathe Anderson

Moderate. Mostly easy with mix of paved and dirt trail and overlook, with some short, steep grades between paved and dirt trails. Bathroom on-site.

Explore this nature preserve area just northwest of Tucson in Marana along the Santa Cruz River which is also part of the historic Juan Bautista de Anza Trail. You’ll enjoy the view from the overlook where you’ll be able to scan for a variety of birds including waterfowl, shorebirds, and flycatchers. A walk around the lake trail should turn up a good variety of species including Abert’s Towhee, Lazuli Bunting, Hooded Oriole, Green Heron, and Cinnamon Teal. Drive time to the meeting location from the festival venue is about 30 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 10 participants.

Hooded Oriole, Fred Mitchell

Anza Trail at Santa Gertrudis with Jehudy Carballo and Rob Ripma of Sabrewing Nature Tours

Difficulty: Moderate. Mostly flat walking for about two miles on some sandy/dirt trails. No bathroom on-site.

We’ll take a leisurely stroll through the riparian forest along the Santa Cruz River following the historic Anza Trail. This is a fantastic location for three types of kingbirds (Cassin’s, Tropical, and noisy Thick-billed) along with a wide variety of other desert riparian species like Inca Dove, Gray Hawk, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Bell’s Vireo, and Blue Grosbeak. Sponsored by Sabrewing Nature Tours. Drive time to the meeting location from the festival venue is about 50 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 10 participants.

Thick-billed Kingbird, Martin Molina

Oaks to Pines in the Catalinas with Jack Parlapiano

Difficulty: Moderate. Will involve some walking on mild slopes with some elevation and possibly on some rocky/uneven surfaces. Bathrooms available. Drive time to first location about 45 minutes.

We’ll start at the Gordon Hirabayashi Campground to search for birds of oak woodland such as Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay, Bushtit, and Scott’s Oriole before heading up to higher elevations and new habitats. A stop in Bear Canyon puts us in a beautiful canyon where we’ll search for Mexican Jay, Plumbeous Vireo, and Grace’s Warbler among others in the sycamores and pines. Depending on timing and activity we may visit other locations as well. Drive time to initial meeting location from festival venue is about 40 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand.  Limited to 8 participants.

Grace’s Warbler, Shawn Cooper

Peppersauce Canyon with Rick Bowers

Difficulty: Moderate. Walking along gravel/dirt/rocky roads with some incline. About 1-2 miles in total. Bathroom on-site. Bring 2 liters of water.

Peppersauce Canyon, located on the north-side of the Catalina Mountains, is a beautiful oasis mostly shaded by huge sycamores lined with oaks, where Bell’s & Hutton’s vireos, Acorn Woodpeckers, and Western Wood-Pewees are common. We’ll walk up a somewhat rocky road looking for Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay, Rock & Canyon wrens, and Hooded Oriole and then finish up in the shaded campground for Black-chinned Hummingbird, Brown-crested Flycatcher, and more. Drive time to the meeting location from the festival venue is about 80 minutes and it includes driving on gravel road that is passable for all vehicles. Specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 10 participants.

Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay, Alan Schmierer

The Secret Lives of Desert Purple Martins with Jennie MacFarland

Difficulty: Moderate. Will involve walking over uneven, rocky terrain and off trails relatively short distances in the desert. Participants must wear sturdy shoes, long pants and sleeves, binoculars, hat and other sun protection. Bring water.

Be a part of the Desert Purple Martin Project research crew for a morning! Tucson Bird Alliance is using technology and a network of volunteers to learn more about these little known birds that nest in saguaro cavities during the monsoon abundance. We will visit several saguaros with active nests and use an endoscope camera and telescoping pole to peek inside the nests. We will be gathering real data points of what stage each nest has reached as specific timing of nests is still not completely known to science. Participants must wear sturdy shoes, long pants and sleeves, binoculars, hat and other sun protection. Bring water and snacks, it heats up quickly in the desert! Specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 10 participants.

Purple Martin, Richard Fray

Mindful Birding at Cienega Creek Preserve with Holly Thomas and Chris Benesh

Difficulty: Moderate. Expect a slow hike on dirt trail that has some loose rocks and moderate incline at times. Bathroom at the trailhead. Bring two liters of water.

Mindful birding is about the intention to focus on the present moment without judgment, just noticing and welcoming whatever shows up, opening our senses to take in the sights and sounds of birds.  Our morning will begin with an overview of mindful birding and its health benefits followed by a birding walk into the cottonwoods along Cienega Creek from the Gabe Zimmerman Trailhead. Drive time to meeting location from festival venue is about 30 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 10 participants.

Summer Tanager, Hemant Kishan

Madera Canyon with Janice Travis and Andrea Serrano

Difficulty: Moderate. Walking will mostly be on road or groomed trails but may have some steeper slopes with possibly rocky/rooted trail areas. Bathrooms available.

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 sparrows we will be looking for birds of upland riparian habitat including Bell’s Vireo, Blue Grosbeak, Summer Tanager, and Varied Bunting. Next we’ll head into the mid-elevation oak-juniper habitat, looking for desirable southeast Arizona species like Arizona Woodpecker, Painted Redstart, and Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher. After this we’ll spend some time walking along the nature trail and investigating the hummingbird feeders at the Santa Rita Lodge that make Madera one of the best spots for hummingbird diversity in the country. Maybe we’ll find an Coppery-tailed Trogon! Limited to 9 participants.

Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, Jim Burns

Cochise Lake with Louie Dombroski

Difficulty: Easy. Easy walking on dirt road/trail. Bring a wide-brimmed hat, sunscreen, water bottle, and be prepared for hot and sunny weather. No bathroom on-site but there is one in close by in Willcox.

This half-day trip to Cochise Lake in Willcox will add a wide variety of shorebirds to your Arizona and festival species list. Likely species include Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Wilson’s Phalarope, Long-billed Dowitcher, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Western, and Least Sandpipers. The lakes also play host to an array of migrant swallow species, as well as birds of the open grassland like Scaled Quail, Chihuahuan Raven, and Lark Sparrow. With sometimes hourly turnover nearly every visit during migration has a good chance of turning up something unusual. This will be a very relaxed paced half-day trip with limited walking on level surfaces. Limited to 9 participants.

Scaled Quail, Ned Harris

Desert Birds in Pastel Workshop with Laura Milkins at The Drawing Studio

Milkins-Laura-Invitation-to-Appreciation-Ode-to-My-Mothers-Wisdom-pastel-on-paper


Capture the colors of Sonoran desert birds, from the vibrant red and green of a Coppery-tailed Trogon to the subtle browns and tans of a Cactus Wren. Since the days of Audubon, art has been a way to understand birds on an intimate and detailed level. In this workshop, we will focus on the color found in birds of the Sonoran desert. First, we will enjoy some colorful bird images from art history. Next, we will use pastel to create color patches to match the colors of several desert birds. Step by step, I will walk you through pastel techniques that make this process of color matching fun and accessible to beginners as well as more advanced participants. Finally, working from a photo, we will create a Coppery-tailed Trogon using these simple pastel techniques. All materials provided by The Drawing Studio.

Image by Cathy Wasson