Madera Canyon’s Santa Rita Lodge with Hollie Mansfield

Arizona Woodpecker by Mick Thompson

Difficulty: Easy. We’ll enjoy the feeders from the benches and chairs. No bathrooms at the lodge feeders.
Join festival volunteer and leader, Hollie Mansfield, for a 90 minute outing of enjoyable “stationary birding” at the Santa Rita Lodge feeders. We will enjoy the variety of birds at the feeder station, where benches are available. Possible birds include Rivoli’s Hummingbird, Acorn & Arizona Woodpecker, Mexican Jay, and Hepatic Tanager. Drive time to the meeting location from the festival venue is about 55 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 8 participants.

Arizona Woodpecker by Mick Thompson

Pokemon and Birding: Gotta Bird ‘em All at Reid Park with Christina Baal


Difficulty: Easy (Walking on excellent surfaces at a city park)

Calling all birders, AND Pokemon trainers! We’ll search midtown Tucson’s largest park for Pokemon and birds! Join artist and birder Christina Baal of Drawing 10,000 Birds on this epic search of our two favorite things at Reid Park. Pokemon was created by an individual who became fascinated with observing the insects and creatures living in his backyard. If you think about it, birding is just like Pokemon- but in real life! We will see just how many Pokemon are based on living (and non-living thing) things all around us, particularly birds, and see how many entries we can add to our group Pokedex while exploring the natural world. A fun activity to test your Pokemon AND birding skills and knowledge, and earn your very own Birder Gym Badge! Drive time to the meeting location from the festival venue is less than 5 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 15 participants.

Catalina Regional Park with Gerry Hodge

Ladder-backed Woodpecker by Shawn Cooper

Difficulty: Moderate (some mild slopes–mostly flat ground and some loose sand in the wash)

This park in northwest Tucson near Catalina State Park became famous a few years ago for the appearance of a Fan-tailed Warbler. While we most likely won’t see one of those, we can expect to come across a variety of Arizona specialties including Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Phainopepla, Rufous-winged Sparrow, and Canyon Towhee. Drive time to the meeting location from the festival venue is about 45 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 10 participants.

Ladder-backed Woodpecker by Shawn Cooper

Accessible Birding: Agua Caliente Park with Marcia OBara

Difficulty: This field trip is designed to meet the needs of participants with accessibility needs.

Join Marcia OBara for a leisurely birding experience designed for nature lovers with accessibility challenges; wheelchairs, walkers, or other assistive devices are welcome. The pace is slow, distance short, and terrain even. We’ll explore Agua Caliente Park where we hope to see our favorite aquatic and desert species. Each registered participant is welcome to bring a support person. To view a complete accessibility review for this location, visit the official Birdability Map. Limited to 12 participants.

Lucy’s Warbler by Hemant Kishan

Hummingbird Photography Field Workshop with Stephen Vaughan at the Paton Center

Difficulty: Easy

Hummingbirds can flap their wings up to 80 times a second, which can present quite the challenge for a photographer. This is the perfect opportunity to learn the specialized techniques needed to create stunning images of hummingbirds. We’ll traveling to the famous Paton Center for Hummingbirds and discuss ambient light, fill-flash and high-speed flash photography techniques. Join professional nature photographer Stephen Vaughan for this fantastic opportunity to experience the joys of photographing these flying jewels. Recommended equipment: Digital SLR, TTL flash, tripod and a telephoto lens capable of focusing close enough the fill the viewfinder with a 5 x 7 inch object. You can email Steve at StephenHVaughan@Gmail.com if you have questions. Lunch included. Limited to 9 participants.

Violet-crowned Hummingbird by Lois Manowitz

Tohono Chul with Ray Deeney and Carol Massanari

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

For visitors and those new to the Sonoran Desert, Tohono Chul’s easy-walking trails and gardens provide close-up looks at many of the desert specialties. Of the more than 500 bird species that spend time in Arizona during the year, 140 are known to have visited Tohono Chul, and on any given morning you might see up to 15 species here. All year long you can watch our state bird, the Cactus Wren, flit from cactus to tree and back again, chattering as he goes. Observe the Curved-billed Thrasher, with its saucy two-part whistle, scrabbling on the ground or nesting in cholla cactus. Enjoy our two year-round resident hummingbird species, Anna’s and Costa’s, as they dart about, feeding among the many colorful flowers. And be sure to look upward for a glance of our majestic Cooper’s Hawks, a pair of which has nested in the gardens for each of the last four years. Meet at the Tohono Chul Admission Window. Limited to 10 participants.

Cactus Wren by John Kennedy

Pokemon and Birding: Gotta Bird ‘em All with Christina Baal


Difficulty: Easy (Walking on excellent surfaces at a city park)

Calling all birders, AND Pokemon trainers! We’ll search midtown Tucson’s largest park for Pokemon and birds! Join artist and birder Christina Baal of Drawing 10,000 Birds on this epic search of our two favorite things at Reid Park. Pokemon was created by an individual who became fascinated with observing the insects and creatures living in his backyard. If you think about it, birding is just like Pokemon- but in real life! We will see just how many Pokemon are based on living (and non-living thing) things all around us, particularly birds, and see how many entries we can add to our group Pokedex while exploring the natural world. A fun activity to test your Pokemon AND birding skills and knowledge, and earn your very own Birder Gym Badge! Drive time to the meeting location from the festival venue is less than 5 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 15 participants.

Accessible Birding at Madera Canyon’s Santa Rita Lodge with Kim Aikins

Difficulty: Easy. This trip is designed to be intentionally inclusive and accessible for beginner and advanced birders who experience accessibility challenges as a result of a disability or other health concern. No bathrooms at the lodge feeders.

Join Kim for a 90 minute outing of enjoyable “stationary birding” at the Santa Rita Lodge feeders. We will enjoy the variety of birds at the feeder station, where benches are available. Possible birds include Rivoli’s Hummingbird, Acorn Woodpecker, Mexican Jay, and Hepatic Tanager. Drive time to the meeting location from festival venue is about 55 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 8 participants.

Rivoli’s Hummingbird by Roger van Gelder

Birding with a Smartphone and Wi-Fi enabled Camera in the field with John Amoroso

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

Take a bird walk in the field with experienced “I-birders” and learn how to use your technology to enhance your birding. Bring a pair of binoculars, your smart phone (with Merlin, E-bird App, and a field guide (i.e., Sibley) pre-loaded), and a Wi-Fi enabled camera (if you have one), and learn how to FIND birds more easily, ID them more accurately, and SHARE information more quickly. This is a companion to a prior indoor session. We’ll meet at Reid Park, with specific meeting instructions emailed beforehand. Drive time to the meeting location from the festival venue is less than 5 minutes. Limited to 10 participants.

Gila Woodpecker by Laura Stafford

Desert Meadows Park with Marie Davis

Difficulty: Easy/Moderate. About 3 miles total, walking on mostly packed dirt paths.

Join local leader, Marie Davis, for a walk around the beautiful gardens of Desert Meadows Park in Green Valley. Birds to look for include Costa’s Hummingbird, Vermilion Flycatcher, Rufous-winged Sparrow, and Abert’s Towhee. Drive time to meeting location from festival venue is about 35 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 10 participants.

Costa’s Hummingbird by Francis Morgan