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

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

Catalinas in the Evening with Cedar Stanistreet

Difficulty: Moderate (some walking on mild slopes, drive time to location about 50 minutes on paved roads)
We’ll try to escape the afternoon/evening heat by heading up to higher elevation and the Catalina Mountains. Depending on weather conditions and bird reports we’ll explore a few hotspots such as Bear Wallow, Incinerator Ridge, Summerhaven, or Mt. Bigelow Road looking for mixed warbler flocks. Warblers we might see include Red-faced, Orange-crowned, Virginia’s, Townsend’s, Hermit, Wilson’s, and Grace’s Warblers. Birding in the conifer forests of Mt. Lemmon can also produce species like Hairy Woodpecker, Steller’s Jay, Mountain Chickadee, Western Tanager, and Western Flycatcher. We’ll head back to the festival headquarters about sunset, so we’ll have about 2 1/2 hours of birding time. Limited to 9 participants.

Plumbeous Vireo by Scott Olmstead

Catalinas in the Evening with Vernie Aikins

Difficulty: Moderate (some walking on mild slopes, drive time to location about 50 minutes on paved roads)
We’ll try to escape the afternoon/evening heat by heading up to higher elevation and the Catalina Mountains. Depending on weather conditions and bird reports we’ll explore a few hotspots such as Bear Wallow, Incinerator Ridge, Summerhaven, or Mt. Bigelow Road looking for mixed warbler flocks. Warblers we might see include Red-faced, Orange-crowned, Virginia’s, Townsend’s, Hermit, Wilson’s, and Grace’s Warblers. Birding in the conifer forests of Mt. Lemmon can also produce species like Hairy Woodpecker, Steller’s Jay, Mountain Chickadee, Western Tanager, and Western Flycatcher. We’ll head back to the festival headquarters about sunset, so we’ll have about 2 1/2 hours of birding time. Limited to 9 participants.

Stellar’s Jay by Shawn Cooper

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

Montosa Canyon with Ethan Kistler

Difficulty: Hard (Steeper slopes or more rocky/rooted trails. Drive time to location approximately one hour with some gravel roads.)

While Madera Canyon has long been the most visited spot in the Santa Rita Mountains, this adjacent canyon to the south is deserving of more birders’ attention. Join us on a half-day exploration of Montosa Canyon, which supports some hackberry thornscrub habitat as well as a nice drainage with scattered oaks and mesquites. Some more common species we can expect to encounter include Bell’s Vireo, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Canyon Wren, and Ladder-backed Woodpecker. We’ll also target rare species which have nested in the canyon in past years, including Five-striped Sparrow and Black-capped Gnatcatcher. We’ll also keep our eyes out for dazzling Varied Buntings on territory. Limited to 9 participants.

Five-striped Sparrow by Richard Fray

Sunset Birding at Reid Park with Steve Valasek and David Lindo

Difficulty: Easy (Mostly flat, groomed trails at a city park. Bathrooms available.)

The tall aleppo pines and eucalyptus, along with two large ponds, create great bird habitat right next to the festival venue. We’ll look for Black-crowned Night Herons, Neotropic Cormorants, Cassin’s Kingbirds, Vermilion Flycatchers, and more. Drive time to the meeting location from the festival venue is less than 5 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 12 participants.

Black-crowned Night Heron by David Kreidler

The Spark Bird Project at Reid Park

Difficulty: Easy (Mostly flat, groomed trails at a large city park)

One of the most common themes in spark bird stories isn’t birds at all – it is other people! Spark people help draw others into a shared love of birds! Do you know someone who you think would love birds but who just hasn’t quite found their way to becoming a birder yet or who is definitely a birder but doesn’t see themselves in that way? This is the outing for them! Bring them along as we create a joyful entry-level celebration of birds! Welcome all ages, interests, and abilities! Drive time to the meeting location from the festival venue is less than 5 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 10 participants.

Vermilion Flycatcher by Greg Lavaty