Birds & Wine Tour in the Sonoita Area with Melissa Fratello and Rob Ripma of Sabrewing Nature Tours

Difficulty: Moderate. Some walking on mild slopes, and possibly rocky/uneven surfaces at the ranch, but no more than one mile at a stretch. Bathrooms available. Drive time to locations approximately an hour.

We’ll combine birding, wine, and good food during this tour of the grasslands south of Sonoita at the Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch. We’ll look for grassland breeders such as Cassin’s, Botteri’s, and Grasshopper Sparrows, Chihuahuan Meadowlark, and Loggerhead Shrike, as well as riparian-associated species including Gray and Zone-tailed Hawks, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Blue Grosbeak, Yellow Warbler, and Summer Tanager. We’ll have a lunch at Pronghorn Pizza (a favorite of the locals!) and then we’ll visit Charron Vineyards, a long-time festival partner, for a wine tasting. Time-permitting we’ll make a stop in Las Cienegas for some more birding. Led by Tucson Bird Alliance’s Executive Director, Melissa Fratello, and Rob Ripma of Sabrewing Nature Tours. Limited to 8 participants.

Loggerhead Shrike by Mick Thompson

Sycamore Canyon with Ethan Beasley

Elegant Trogon by Shawn Cooper

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. No bathroom on-site, prepare for backcountry experience; restroom stop before and after about 25 minutes from location. Plan to carry at least 2 liters of water. 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 such as Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Mexican Jay, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, and Hepatic, Western, and Summer Tanagers. We also have the potential to see rarities like Coppery-tailed Trogon, Rufous-capped Warbler, and Montezuma Quail. Lunch included. Limited to 8 participants.

Coppery-tailed Trogon by Shawn Cooper

Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve with Nature Conservancy Volunteer John Hughes

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.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Martin Molina

Empire Ranch and Area with Ken Blankenship of East West Birding Tours

Difficulty: Moderate. Mostly flat walking trails but there is some uneven and rocky terrain, and possibly muddy. Bring 2 liters of water. Bathrooms on-site.

Las Cienegas is a 45,000-acre national conservation area with high desert grasslands, riparian strips and perennial streams, marshes, and juniper-oak woodlands. You will meet at Empire Ranch and bird the significant riparian areas along Cienega Creek. Here we can find riparian-associated species including Gray and Zone-tailed Hawks, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Blue Grosbeak, Yellow Warbler, and Summer Tanager. Join Ken Blankenship of East West Birding Tours to explore this beautiful area. Drive time to meeting location from festival venue is about 50 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 8 participants.

Zone-tailed Hawk, Ned Harris

Kingbirds and Myiarchus Flycatchers with Chris Benesh sponsored by Field Guides

Difficulty: Moderate. Fairly flat dirt walking trails that may be muddy, for 1 – 2 miles roundtrip under mostly shaded areas. Bathroom nearby at Ron Morriss Park. Drive time to location approximately one hour.

Southeast Arizona is rich in flycatcher diversity, and some of the more common and conspicuous ones include Tyrannus kingbirds and Myiarchus flycatchers. Birders often struggle with the subtle features that differentiate them, but you’ll have an opportunity to work this out in the field with expert Chris Benesh of Field Guides. A stroll through this lush riparian corridor along the Santa Cruz provides many opportunities for flycatchers, including Dusky-capped and Brown-crested Flycatchers and Tropical, Western, Cassin’s, and Thick-billed Kingbirds. Monsoon rains will dictate the portions of the trail we walk. Limited to 9 participants.

Brown-crested Flycatcher, Lois Manowitz

High Elevation in the Catalinas with Troy Corman

Steller's Jay by Shawn Cooper

Difficulty: Moderate. Some walking on slopes/inclines at elevation. Bathroom will be available at different times. 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 Western Flycatcher. Limited to 9 participants.

Steller’s Jay, Shawn Cooper

Cochise Lake with Scott Olmstead sponsored by WINGS

Difficulty: Easy. Flat walking on groomed trails or roads. Shade structures available. No bathroom on-site but we’ll stop before/after. Drive time to location approximately 80 minutes.)

This outing, sponsored by WINGS Birding Tours, will explore Cochise Lake where we should find a wide variety of shorebirds and is also the best festival opportunity for Scaled Quail. Likely shorebird species include Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Wilson’s Phalarope, Long-billed Dowitcher, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Western, and Least Sandpipers. The lakes also play host to an array of migrant swallow species, as well as birds of the open grassland like Swainson’s Hawk, Chihuahuan Meadowlark and Lark Sparrow. With sometimes hourly turnover nearly every visit during migration has a good chance of turning up something unusual. This will be a relaxed paced half-day trip with limited walking on level surfaces. Limited to 9 participants.

Scaled Quail, Ned Harris

Saguaro NP East with Janice Travis and Kyle Hudick

Difficulty: Moderate. Some walking on mild slopes, but still on excellent surfaces. Drive time to location approximately 30 minutes. Bathroom at visitor center.

We will travel through the iconic saguaro cactus forest of Saguaro National Park East around the Cactus Forest Loop Drive looking for Gilded Flicker, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher and other desert denizens. The tour will stop at the Rincon Mountain Visitor Center with its exhibits, restrooms and air conditioning. National Park entry fee included. Limited to 9 participants.

Gilded Flicker, Bruce Taubert

Cienega Creek & Davidson Canyon with Pima County Naturalist Jeff Babson

Difficulty: Moderate. Some steeper slopes or more rocky/rooted trails. Bathroom available at trailhead. Drive time to location approximately 45 minutes.

The perennial stream flow and lush riparian vegetation at Pima County’s Cienega Creek Natural Preserve is an important nesting and migration corridor for a multitude of avian species. Home to Yellow-breasted Chat, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Bell’s Vireo, and Lucy’s Warbler, the creek has also hosted a number of vagrants. Cienega Creek has potential for Yellow-billed Cuckoo as well. Under the shade of towering Fremont cottonwoods, we will explore this well-watered and increasingly rare habitat on a half-day outing. This outing is offered in partnership with Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation (NRPR).  Limited to 9 participants.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Greg Lavaty

Marana Area Hotspots with Jack Parlapiano and Steve Valasek

Difficulty: Moderate. Mostly flat walking trails along roads or dirt/gravel trails, but does involve some incline and uneven path along the river.

The agricultural fields of Marana northwest of Tucson provide some vital habitat for the localized Burrowing Owls and also opportunities for other open-land birds such as Western Kingbird and Horned Lark. Blackbird flocks are also regular which may include Yellow-headed Blackbird or Bronzed Cowbird. We’ll check out a number of birding hotspots in the area including the Wastewater Reclamation Facility (Stingray Drive), Hardin Road, and the Santa Cruz River near Trico Road. Limited to 9 participants.

Burrowing Owl, Ned Harris