Arivaca Cienega Area with David Simpson

Difficulty: Moderate. Mostly flat walking trails on some uneven and rocky terrain often exposed to sun. Bring 1-2 liters of water. Drive time to Arivaca is about 75 minutes.)

Just outside of the small town of Arivaca is the Buenos Aires Wildlife Refuge where efforts to re-introduce the Masked Bobwhite are being undertaken by a group of conservation partners. We’ll focus our birding efforts at the Arivaca Cienega and along the Arivaca Creek where we’ll look for Black Vultures, Gray and Zone-tailed Hawks, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Tropical Kingbird, and buntings. Limited to 9 participants.

Gray HAwk, bryanjsmith

Montosa Canyon with Alex Lamoreaux

Difficulty: Moderate. Some steeper slopes with portions that may have rocky/rooted trails. Most walking is on groomed gravel road in shorter spurts. Drive time to location approximately one hour with some gravel roads. Bathroom available at mouth of canyon.

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. We’ll also keep our eyes out for dazzling Varied Buntings on territory. Limited to 9 participants.

Five-striped Sparrow, Lois Manowitz

Raptors of Las Cienegas & Sonoita Creek with Homer Hansen

Difficulty: Moderate. Some walking on mild slopes and possibly rocky/uneven surfaces. Drive time to locations about 75 minutes on paved roads.

Southeast of Tucson near the town of Sonoita are the Las Cienegas grasslands and Sonoita Creek.  The grasslands are host to breeding raptors and possible early migrants, including American Kestrel, Red-tailed and Swainson’s Hawk, White-tailed Kite, and Northern Harrier. The riparian corridor through the grasslands and along Sonoita Creek provide tall cottonwoods for nesting “Southwest Specialty” raptors such as Gray, Zone-tailed and Common Black Hawk. Other common species we could see along the riparian corridor include Turkey and Black Vulture, and Cooper’s Hawk. Enjoy a scenic day with Homer Hansen looking for raptors and other species on this field trip. Lunch included from Gathering Grounds in Patagonia. Limited to 9 participants.

American Kestrel, David Kreidler

Mission Garden—Tucson’s Birthplace with Michael Sadat

GRRO by Michael Sadat

Difficulty: Easy. Some mild slopes, but mostly flat ground and good walking surfaces. Bathroom and water on-site.

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

Mt. Lemmon: Sonoran Desert to Mixed Conifer Forest with Jeremy Dominguez

Red-Faced Warbler by Shawn Cooper

Difficulty: Moderate (Steeper slopes or more rocky/rooted trails. Multiple stops throughout field trip in various habitats. Drive time to final location approximately 75 minutes on paved mountain roads. Bathroom stops throughout.)

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, Shawn Cooper

Hummingbird Safari with Karen Krebbs and Andrew Lydeard

Difficulty: Moderate. Some mild slopes, but still on excellent surfaces. Most of the time will be at hummingbird feeder set-ups. Drive time to location approximately two hours.

This small-group excursion is a “can’t miss” for birders who are interested in getting to know some of the area’s most dazzling hummingbirds and a few popular hummingbird locales around Southeast Arizona. Peak hummingbird diversity is happening and you’ll have the chance to see anywhere from 8 – 10 species. Beatty’s Guest Ranch and Ash Canyon will be our primary destinations and the fees for both sites are included. Lunch included. Limited to 8 participants.

Lucifer Hummingbird, Greg Lavaty

Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve with Nature Conservancy Volunteers Peggy & Marc Faucher

Difficulty: Moderate. Mostly flat walking trails on some uneven and rocky terrain, about 2 miles total. Bring 1 to 2 liters water. Bathroom on-site.

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.

Thick-billed Kingbird by Martin Molina

Bird Photography Walk and Photography Tips with OM SYSTEM’s Tech Expert Mike Amico

Difficulty: Easy. Mostly flat, groomed trails at a city park. No more than one mile slow walking. Bathrooms available.

Guided by seasoned bird photographer and OM SYSTEM Tech Expert Mike Amico, this casual walk at the nearby Reid Park welcomes both nature enthusiasts and photographers alike. Mike will offer tips and setting ideas for capturing breathtaking bird photos. Join us for a fun photo walk amidst nature, where we’ll appreciate the outdoors and experience beautiful bird moments together. Photographers using any camera system are invited. Birders without a camera are welcome too! Limited loaner gear will be available on site. Limited to 10 participants.

Image by Mike Amico

Honey Bee Canyon Park & Petroglyphs with Gerry Hodge

Difficulty: Moderate. Some mild slopes, most of walking will be in soft sand for about one mile. Bring 1 to 2 liters of water. Bathroom on-site.

Join local field trip leader, Gerry Hodge, at this under-birded and hidden park in Oro Valley. Fall migrants, like Western Tanager and Lazuli Bunting, are beginning to come through and we will look for usual desert inhabitants, like the range-restricted Gilded Flicker. We will also check out a large rock with petroglyphs. Most of the walking will be in soft sand, but it could be wet in places this time of year so please be prepared. 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.

Cactus Wren by Mick Thompson

Agua Caliente Park with Steve Valasek

Difficulty: Easy. Mostly flat, groomed trails at a large city park. Bathrooms on-site.

This beautiful park in northeast Tucson includes a large lake (with a few smaller ponds), grassy park area with palm trees, and is surrounded by Sonoran desert. This mix of habitats creates opportunities for many birds including Anna’s, Costa’s, and Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Brown-crested Flycatcher, the Hesperia subspecies of Purple Martin, Phainopepla, and Hooded Oriole. 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.

Phainopepla by Shawn Cooper