Bird Art Basics with Christina Baal hosted at The Drawing Studio

Christina Baal

Have you ever wanted to draw birds, but found it difficult to know how to start? Or maybe you already love drawing birds, but want to learn some new tips and tricks to enhance your practice? This bird drawing workshop is designed to break through the trepidation of the “white page” and get you drawing birds right away. We will learn simple but effective techniques to improve drawing and observation skills that can be easily practiced even alongside hectic daily schedules. Most importantly, this workshop is designed to convince you that drawing is fun and can be a practice to look forward to in order to improve your skills as an artist AND as a birder. While this workshop is geared toward beginners, all skill levels are welcome! Basic art materials will be provided, but you are welcome to bring your own favorites. Hosted at The Drawing Studio, 2760 N Tucson Blvd. Limited to 12 participants.

Sabino Canyon Evening Hike with Jim Rorabaugh

Lesser Nighthawk by Dan Weisz

Difficulty: Moderate (Will include walking in the dark, some uphill on dirt trails and some paved road. Total distance about 3 miles.)

Sabino Canyon night hikes during monsoon season are a local favorite past-time. Bring your flashlight as we walk up in the light and walk down in the dark in search of birds, toads, snakes, bugs, and more! Good possibilities for Lesser Nighthawk and Common Poorwill at sunset and we’ll hope for monsoon rains so we can see and hear Spadefoots and giant Sonoran Desert Toads. Lizards, scorpions, and tarantulas are crowd favorites and maybe we’ll run into a Gila Monster. We will go at a slow pace and be sure to bring a water bottle and be prepared for hot weather. Drive time to meeting location from festival venue is approximately 25 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 10 participants.

Lesser Nighthawk by Dan Wiesz

Mission Gardens—Tucson’s Birthplace with Michael Sadat and Kendall Kroesen

Difficulty: Easy (some mild slopes–mostly flat ground and good surfaces)

We’ll visit Mission Garden (at the base of “A” Mountain) which revives Tucson’s history through garden plots representing four millennia of multicultural and gastronomic history. Find some of the same birds that have been visiting Tucson gardens for 4,000 years! Drive time to the meeting location from festival venue is about 15 minutes. Limited to 10 participants.

Greater Roadrunner by Michael Sadat

Tucson Botanical Gardens with TBG Docent

Difficulty: Easy (mostly flat ground and good surfaces)

Located on the site of the historic Porter property, Tucson Botanical Gardens (TBG) is a five and a half acre collection of 20 gardens in the heart of Tucson, Arizona.  A true urban oasis, Tucson Botanical Gardens was selected #4 in USA Today’s 10Best Botanical Gardens Readers’ Choice Awards, 2 years in a row. 20 curated gardens including the Cactus & Succulent Garden, Barrio Garden, Zen Garden, Bird Garden, and many more, showcase a diversity of plants both native and those you wouldn’t expect to see in the Sonoran Desert. Drive time to the meeting location from festival venue is 10 minutes. Limited to 15 participants.

Broad-billed Hummingbird by Greg Lavaty

Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve with Nature Conservancy Volunteer John Hughes

Difficulty: Moderate (mostly flat walking trails on some uneven and rocky terrain)

One of the best known U.S. birding hotspots with tall cottonwoods and willows lining a perennial stream. Open fields, mesquite bosque and a cienega compound the habitat diversity that make it a birding paradise. Listen for the Gray Hawk’s whistle in the cottonwoods while looking for Common Ground Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Thick-billed Kingbird, and more. Please bring $8 per person for Nature Conservancy fees. Be prepared to wear chigger protection. Drive time to the meeting location from the festival venue is about 70 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand.  Limited to 10 participants.

Gray Hawk by Axel Elfner

Isabella Lee Natural Preserve with Karen Howe

Lucy's Warbler by Joan Gellatly

Difficulty: Moderate (Two mile loop over level, but often soft, uneven and dusty terrain. No restrooms are available)

Isabella Lee Natural Preserve, at the confluence of Agua Caliente and Tanque Verde wash in northeast Tucson, is a dry mesquite bosque providing year-round habitat for resident and migrant birds. Summer hosts Lucy’s Warblers, Bell’s Vireos, and Ash-throated Flycatchers. One or two pairs of Blue Grosbeaks are also possible along with many other Sonoran Desert loving bird species. Drive time to meeting location from festival venue is about 25 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 10 participants.

Lucy’s Warbler by Joan Gellatly

De Anza Trail at Santa Gertrudis with Hannah Buschert & Erik Ostrander

Difficulty: Easy (Flat walking on some sandy/gravel trails)

Join podcasters Hannah and Erik Go Birding for a walk in the riparian forest along the Santa Cruz River. 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. 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.

Tropical Kingbird by Jim Burns

Bird Research in Action Demonstration with Henrey Deese and the McNew Lab at the Paton Center for Hummingbirds

The McNew Lab studies disease ecology of birds and their parasites and pathogens, and this will be your chance to see this work in action. This research specifically investigates associations between birds in ticks in the region, so we will be mist-netting and banding birds, checking them for attached ticks, and taking small blood samples to test for tick-borne diseases. The working group will demonstrate the techniques that are being used and discuss the research. We’ll meet at the Paton Center for Hummingbirds and specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Drive time to the meeting location from the festival venue is about 70 minutes. Limited to 10 participants.

Northern Cardinal by Mick Thompson

Looking for Burrowing Owls with Patrick Maurice sponsored by ZEISS

Difficulty: Easy (Mostly birding around vehicle, possible short walks over dirt trail or on road)

We’ll travel up towards the small town of Marana just northwest of Tucson with hopes of finding Burrowing Owls. Once we find them, we’ll spend some time at a respectful distance admiring these unique long-legged owls. The surrounding agricultural fields and nearby water treatment facility will offer us the opportunity for a variety of other birds, including possible Lesser Nighthawks at dusk. You’ll also have the chance to try out the new ZEISS SFL 50 binoculars and see how amazing they are in low-light conditions. Leaves from festival venue in 15-passenger van. Limited to 9 participants.

Burrowing Owl by Ned Harris

Hummingbird Murals of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe with Dan Weisz

Difficulty: Easy (Very short walks from vehicle)

For a different kind of ‘birding’, take a tour of a number of beautiful outdoor tile murals depicting hummingbirds, created by artists of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe. According to Louis D. Valenzuela, an accomplished Yaqui artist, the hummingbird “represents the Yoeme culture. The hummingbird is considered to be a spiritual bird that comes from the ‘Sewa Ania’ Flower World and is a messenger with powerful blessing and protection.” Limited to 9 participants.