Archives: Festival Events

Difficulty: Moderate (2-mile hiking round trip on soft sand surface. No restrooms or drinking water available.  If there has been recent rain the wash may have standing, or flowing water.)

This major wash flows west from creeks that drain from the northern side of the Rincon Mountains and provides diverse riparian vegetation for a variety of bird species. We will head downstream along the north side of the wash, first checking the brush for Lark Sparrow, Abert’s Towhee, Lazuli Bunting and more, then continuing to the large cottonwoods for woodpeckers, flycatchers, and warblers. Sunhat, water and good walking shoes are recommended. 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.

Summer Tanager by Lois Manowtiz

Difficulty: Easy (Flat walking surfaces, with less than two miles covered)

Lakeside Park in southeast Tucson is a great place to get to know your urban birds and it’s possible to get some early fall migrants as well. Join Tucson Bird Alliance volunteer field trip leader, Christina Klock, on an outing designed for those just getting into birding. We’ll explore the lake and the adjacent lawns and ball fields with likely sightings including Black-crowned Night-heron, hummingbirds, Vermilion Flycatcher, Cooper’s Hawk, and swallows. Drive time to park and meeting location is about 15 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 10 participants.

Black-crowned Night Heron by David Kreidler

Moderate (mostly easy with paved trail and overlook, but some steep grade if walking down to sandy trails)

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 scope the water to see a variety of birds including waterfowl, shorebirds, and flycatchers. A walk around the new trail should turn up 35 or more species. 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.

Yellow Warbler by Shawn Cooper

Difficulty: Moderate (possibly some steeper slopes or more rocky/rooted trails)

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.

Mexican Jay by John Hoffman

Difficulty: Moderate (possibly some steeper slopes or more rocky/rooted trails)

We’ll meet at Rose Canyon Lake in the Catalina Mountains which is the top destination for mid-level birding on Mt. Lemmon. The oak and pine habitats contain many Madrean species normally found only south of the border.  This short paved road is interspersed with camp sites and picnic grounds which affords easy access for several top targets for birders coming to the Sky Islands including Western Flycatcher, Greater Pewee, Hutton’s Vireo, Hepatic Tanager, and several warblers including Red-faced, Olive, Hermit, Virginia’s, Black-throated Gray, and Grace’s. Drive time to initial meeting location from festival venue is about 45 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand.  Limited to 8 participants.

Grace’s Warbler by Shawn Cooper

Difficulty: Easy (Flat walking trails in the city park)

Have you ever experienced the joy of birding without binoculars hanging around your neck or packing a camera? Join Rick Wright at Fort Lowell Park, one of the locals’ favorite birding destinations in Tucson, to experience birding in a new way. Optics, including cameras, are absolutely prohibited, on pain of possible mockery. Instead, let’s test our ears and eyes and memories by getting to know some of our commonest desert birds without technology, focusing instead on all the little clues that can help us identify birds without the need to see fine details. Drive time to the meeting location from the festival venue is about 10 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 10 participants.

Vermilion Flycatcher by David Quanrud

Difficulty: Moderate (Some mild slopes, and soft, rocky or uneven terrain.)

Come for a hike to see and hear many songbirds unique to the Southwest in the cactus forests of Saguaro National Park East which is designated an Important Bird Area. Likely species include: Verdin, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Cactus Wren, Curve-billed Thrasher, Phainopepla, Rufous-winged Sparrow, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Pyrrhuloxia, and maybe even a nomadic Greater Roadrunner.  We will walk about two miles on scenic trails that are sometimes soft, rocky, or uneven, with some slopes. Meet at the Broadway Trailhead for Saguaro NP East. Specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 10 participants.

Black-throated Sparrow by Martin Molina