High Elevation in the Catalinas with John Yerger

Red-faced Warbler by Greg Lavaty

Difficulty: Moderate (some walking on mild slopes, drive time to location about 50 minutes on paved roads)

Enjoy birding where Tucson residents escape the summer heat in the small mountain hamlet of Summerhaven.  We’ll look for mixed warbler flocks which may 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, and Cordilleran Flycatcher. Back by noon. Limited to 9 participants.

Red-faced Warbler by Greg Lavaty

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.

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.

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

Catalina State Park with Mike Welch

Difficulty: Moderate (Some mild slopes and a mixture of rocky, sandy, and road surfaces.)

This state park on the northwest side of Tucson sits adjacent to the western slopes of the Coronado National Forest’s Santa Catalina Mountains and contains a good mixture of desert scrub, mesquite bosque, and riparian vegetation. Join local leader, Mike Welch, to explore these habitats which support a varied mix of bird species including Brown-crested Flycatcher, Rufous-winged Sparrow, and Northern Cardinals. $10 parking fee. Drive time to meeting location from festival venue is about 40 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 10 participants.

Rufous-winged Sparrow by Jim Burns

The Spark Bird Project at Lakeside Park


Difficulty: Easy (Mostly flat, groomed trails at a 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 about 15 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 10 participants. 

Osprey by David Kreidler

Tubac De Anza Trail with Bill Lisowsky and Rick Wright

Difficulty: Easy (Flat walking trails. Drive time to location approximately one hour.)

An easy stroll through this lush riparian corridor along the Santa Cruz provides many opportunities for migrants, Gray Hawks, flycatchers, and hordes of Yellow-breasted Chats. Rose-throated Becard, whose nests look like a large football hanging from the end of a branch, have nested along this trail the past few years. A volunteer from the Tubac Nature Center will also be on the walk to share local bird and nature experience. Time permitting, a stop at the Amado Wastewater Treatment plant on the way back could be good for Black-bellied Whistling-Duck. Limited to 9 participants.

Rose-throated Becard by Jorge Montejo

Search for Bendire’s Thrasher with John Yerger

Difficulty: Moderate (Some walking on mild slopes, but still on excellent surfaces. Drive time to location approximately 50 minutes)

While not a real striking bird, Bendire’s Thrasher is sought after by birders because of its limited range which happens to be right here in Southeast Arizona. We don’t always get this on our festival lists though because of its preference for open desert scrub habitat and our preference for cooler canyons. They can also be tough to find this time of year, but we’ll set out today to the Avra Valley west of Tucson to see if we can pick one up for our life lists (and the festival list!). Limited to 9 participants.

Bendire’s Thrasher by Jim Burns

Easy Digiscoping with Jeff Bouton of Kowa Optics at Reid Park

Learn about simple ways to use spotting scopes to take beautiful images of the natural word! Today, birders have a wealth of excellent spotting scopes available to them, and the state-of-the-art in smartphone computational photography means that birders can take photographs that are near-DSLR quality in a portable, easily shareable format. Meet at Reid Park, which is close to the festival headquarters for a field workshop designed for hands-on work and problem solving for anyone just getting started. Drive time to meeting location from festival venue is less than 5 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 12 participants.

Black-headed Grosbeak by Dan Weisz

Going Batty with Addison Lander, Mary Reed-Weston, and Genavieve Sandoval

Difficulty: Easy (Easy watching from pathway/parking area and short drive.)

Join bat researchers from the University of Arizona on an adventure to watch thousands of bats come out of their roost at dusk. This nightly Tucson spectacle is a must-see for all ages and could even bring out a raptor or two preying on the bats. You will meet on-site in mid-town Tucson near the River/Campbell intersection. Drive time to the meeting location from the festival venue is approximately 15 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 20 participants.

Lesser Long-nosed bat by Dan Weisz