Santa Cruz Flats with Keith Kamper & Louie Dombroski

Crested Caracara by Michele Weisz

Difficulty: Easy (Birding from vehicles and the road but very hot by mid-morning. Drive time to flats area approximately one hour. Will include driving on gravel roads.)

This flat area of agricultural fields, mesquite bosques, pecan groves and desert scrub is rarely birded in the summer, but it can hold many surprises. Tropical Kingbirds should be fledging their young at this time, and we can expect to see them in the rows of pecan trees along the road. Raptors such as Black Vultures, Swainson’s Hawks, and Burrowing Owls and if we are lucky, an early Crested Caracara, are possible. Sludge ponds and flooded fields at this time of year have yielded a variety of shorebirds, waders and blackbirds, while swallows and flycatchers catch our attention in the air. It will be very hot by 10 am so put on sunblock, bring a water bottle and wear a hat. Limited to 8 participants.

Crested Caracara by Michele Wiesz

Box and Florida Canyons with Ethan Kistler sponsored by WINGS Birding Tours

Difficulty: Moderate to Hard (Walking a narrow trail with uneven surfaces and some increase in grade.  Drive time to location about 1 hour)

These two canyons are just north of the more famous Madera Canyon and offer fabulous birding in riparian areas flanked by upland desert and grassland. From the Florida Canyon parking lot we’ll keep our eyes open and ears alert for Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Black-chinned and Rufous-crowned Sparrows, along with Varied Bunting.  Depending on water levels we could work our way up higher along the creek, we’ll look for Gray Hawk, three species of Myiarchus flycatchers, Bell’s and Hutton’s Vireo’s, Hooded Oriole, and perhaps even catching a glimpse of the soaring resident Golden Eagles. Next we will drive through Box Canyon hoping to find a rare Five-striped Sparrow or singing Scott’s Orioles. Limited to 9 participants.

Scott’s Oriole by Matthew Studebaker

IBA Focus: Patagonia Mountains and Sonoita Creek with Jennie MacFarland & David Lindo

Difficulty: Moderate (Some walking on mild slopes, and possibly rocky/uneven surfaces. Drive time to location approximately one hour on mostly paved roads)

The Patagonia Mountains support an extensive oak-juniper biome along with many canyons and drainages lined with sycamores and other riparian vegetation creating the perfect habitat for Mexican Jays, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Eastern “Azure” Bluebirds, and more. Explore this designated Important Bird Area with Tucson Bird Alliance Conservation Biologist, Jennie MacFarland. After experiencing the mountains we’ll drop down into the Sonoita Creek drainage for opportunities with Violet-crowned Hummingbird, Gray Hawks, and Northern Beardless Tyrannulet. Lunch will be provided courtesy of local favorite, Gathering Grounds. Limited to 8 participants.

Violet-crowned Hummingbird by Lois Manowitz

Las Cienegas Grasslands and Patagonia with John Yerger

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)

We’ll begin with a visit to the open grasslands around Sonoita looking for species such as Chihuahuan Meadowlark, Loggerhead Shrike, and Botteri’s and Grasshopper Sparrows. We’ll then head down to one of the most well-known birding areas in the region, Patagonia. Here we’ll search for Arizona specialties such as Gray Hawk, Thick-billed Kingbird, and Violet-crowned Hummingbird and enjoy our lunch. We should see a wide variety of species throughout the day. Lunch included. Limited to 8 participants.

Thick-billed Kingbird by Martin Molina

Mt. Lemmon: Sonoran Desert to Mixed Conifer Forest with Brian Gibbons

Difficulty: Moderate (Steeper slopes or more rocky/rooted trails. Drive time to final location approximately 75 minutes.)

Rising over 6,000 feet above Tucson, Mount Lemmon is the highest peak in the Santa Catalina Mountains at 9,157 feet, and a popular escape from urban life and the Arizona’s dry early-summer heat (before the relief of the cooling monsoon rains). It is also an incredible birding experience and biology lesson. Traversing six life zones, from the Sonoran Desert at the base to mixed conifer forests at the highest elevations, the 25-mile drive up the wide, paved, two-lane Catalina Highway is equivalent biologically to traveling from Mexico to Canada. Our efforts will be concentrated on the higher elevations far above the desert below. We’ll look for typical mountain species like Steller’s Jay, Acorn Woodpecker, Spotted Towhee, and Plumbeous Vireo. We’ll make a special effort to track down a variety of warblers; Painted Redstart and Olive, Red-faced, and Grace’s Warblers all breed in these mountains and by August they are beginning to form mixed-species foraging flocks. A few hummingbird feeders are scattered about our route as well. Combine the birds with temperatures nearly 30 degrees cooler at the top and unparalleled scenery, it is hard to beat the Catalinas in August! Lunch included. Limited to 8 participants.

Red-faced Warbler by Greg Lavaty

Ramsey/Carr & Ash Canyons with Kristy Gallo, David Simpson, & Cedar Stanistreet

Difficulty: Hard (Steeper slopes or more rocky/rooted trails. Drive time to locations approximately 2 hours and includes some time on a very rough road.)

We’ll get an early start from Tucson to explore the east flank of the Huachuca Mountains. Depending on road conditions we’ll either go up into the Madrean oak woodland and open pine forests of Carr Canyon, or walk underneath the towering sycamores in Ramsey Canyon, both of which offer a wide variety of Arizona specialty birds. After our picnic lunch we’ll head over to nearby Ash Canyon, where a bank of hummingbird feeders at the Ash Canyon Bird Sanctuary should be buzzing with activity, including perhaps the range-restricted and very attractive Lucifer Hummingbird. We will be walking slowly along nearly level dirt roads at up to about 7000 feet in elevation. Lunch included. Limited to 15 participants.

Lucifer Hummingbird by Peter-Hawrylyshyn

Big Day Adventure with Alex Lamoreaux of Wildside Nature Tours

Arizona Woodpecker by Mick Thompson

Difficulty: Moderate (May include some walking on steeper slopes or rocky/rooted trails. Fast-paced and may include lots of jumping in and out of the van.)

Have you ever experienced the thrill of a “Big Day?” This is a fun, and somewhat competitive, way to see a wide variety of species and locations throughout the Tucson and Southeast Arizona area in a short amount of time! Exact route will be up to the discretion of the leader, to maximize the numbers of species seen/heard. Lunch included. Limited to 8 participants.

Arizona Woodpecker by Mick Thompson

Sycamore Canyon with Ethan Beasley

Difficulty: Hard (Round-trip hiking distance of about 2.5 hot miles, over very uneven tread and multiple, wet stream crossings. About two hour drive on some rough road. We will be away from the vehicle for at least 4 hours.)

Rugged, remote Sycamore Canyon is legendary among birders for the rarities it has harbored over the years, as well as for its scenic terrain.  This steep-sided canyon is in the Pajarito Wilderness Area of Coronado National Forest.  It drains southward into Mexico, crossing the international border 5.6 miles from the trailhead off Ruby Road, west of Nogales.  Along the way we’ll encounter species typical of Oak-Juniper and Riparian habitats, with the potential to see Elegant Trogon, Mexican Jay, and Montezuma Quail. Lunch included. Limited to 8 participants.

Mexican Jay by John Hoffman

Hiking Madera Canyon with Holly Kleindienst

Arizona Woodpecker by Mick Thompson

Difficulty: Moderate – Hard (About 2-3 miles hiking on mild slopes, and possibly rocky/uneven surfaces. Drive time to location approximately one hour.)

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 walking the nature trail and looking for Bell’s Vireo, Blue Grosbeak, Summer Tanager, and Varied Bunting. We’ll hike up the canyon from Proctor to the Santa Rita lodge through the mid-elevation oak-juniper-sycamore habitat, looking for desirable southeast Arizona species like Arizona Woodpecker, Painted Redstart, and Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher. We’ll then spend some time resting at the hummingbird feeders that make Madera one of the best spots for hummingbird diversity in the country. Limited to 9 participants.

Arizona Woodpecker by Mick Thompson

Accessible Birding: Birding by Ear & Beyond at Agua Caliente Park with Donna Posont

Difficulty: This field trip is designed to meet the needs of participants with accessibility needs.
Join Donna Posont, coordinator of the Birding by Ear and Beyond Program, for a birding experience designed to use all of your senses to identify birds! Donna graduated with an Environmental Studies degree from the University of Michigan and was the second blind person in the United States to be recognized as a Certified Interpretive Guide by the National Association for Interpretation (NAI). Donna’s efforts with Birding by Ear and Beyond have received national attention. To see and hear more about Birding by Ear and Beyond, click here. To view a complete accessibility review for this location, visit the official Birdability Map. 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.

Rufous-winged Sparrow by Jim Burns