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

Saguaros to Summits with Ken Blankenship of East West Birding Tours

Olive Warbler by Shawn Cooper

Difficulty: Moderate. Drive-stop-birding, with some short hikes on uneven ground some at high-elevation, generally low-impact birding.
Join Ken Blankenship of East West Birding Tours to experience the equivalent of driving from the Sonoran Desert to the Rocky Mountains — in a single day! We will start extra early to enjoy desert species at Saguaro National Park before it starts to sizzle: Cactus Wren, Gilded Flicker, Pyrrhuloxia, Rufous-winged Sparrow, Black-throated Sparrow, Verdin, and more. We will also bird nearby Agua Caliente Park for Vermilion Flycatcher, Hooded Oriole, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Bell’s Vireo, etc. Finally, we will ascend the Santa Catalina Highway to the high peaks of Mount Lemmon, featuring towering conifers and birds like Olive Warbler, Yellow-eyed Junco, Western Flycatcher, Rivoli’s Hummingbird, and much more! Lunch included. Limited to 8 participants.

Olive Warbler, Shawn Cooper

Ramsey Canyon with Kristy Gallo and Sneed Collard

Difficulty: Moderate. Steeper slopes and some rocky/rooted trail, although the trail is well-maintained. Around two miles walking total. Drive time to locations approximately 90 minutes on paved road. Bathroom on-site.

One of the most beautiful canyons in all of Southeast Arizona, Ramsey Canyon is full of giant Sycamores and amazing biodiversity. Hummingbird feeders at the Nature Conservancy could attract Rivoli’s, Black-chinned, Broad-billed, and Rufous Hummingbirds as well as possible Violet-crowned or Blue-throated. We’ll walk the preserve trails and look for birds of the madrean evergreen forest including Coppery-tailed Trogon, Greater Pewee, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, and Painted Redstart. Lunch included. Limited to 8 participants.

Rivoli’s Hummingbird, Fred Mitchell

Sycamore Canyon with Scott Olmstead

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.

Montezuma Quail, Greg Lavaty

Parker Canyon Lake and Scotia Canyon with Jake Mohlmann

Difficulty: Hard. Steeper slopes or more rocky/rooted trails. Bathroom on-site at Parker Canyon Lake. Drive time to final location approximately two hours on some rough and curvy road.

This 130-acre, deep water lake is tucked back on the west slopes of the Huachuca Mountains and because of its location is under-birded but holds great potential. Grassy hillsides dotted with oaks may hold Montezuma Quail, Western or Eastern Bluebirds, Bushtits, flycatchers, and early migrants. Western Grebes and Ospreys have been seen catching fish out of the lake during summer and Cassin’s Kingbirds are quite common. We’ll also check out the under-birded Scotia Canyon where last year we had special birds including Coppery-tailed Trogon and American Goshawk. Lunch included. Limited to 8 participants.

Coppery-tailed Trogon, bryanjsmith

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, Dan Weisz

Sabino Canyon Evening Hike with Jim Rorabaugh

Difficulty: Moderate. Will include walking in the dark, including some uphill on dirt trails and some paved road. Total distance about 2 miles. Bring 2 liters of water.

Sabino Canyon night hikes during monsoon season are a local favorite past-time. Bring your flashlight as we walk up in the light and walk down in the dark in search of birds, toads, snakes, bugs, and more! Good possibilities for Lesser Nighthawk and Common Poorwill at sunset and we’ll hope for monsoon rains so we can see and hear Spadefoots and giant Sonoran Desert Toads. Lizards, scorpions, and tarantulas are crowd favorites and maybe we’ll run into a Gila Monster. We will go at a slow pace and be sure to bring a water bottle and be prepared for hot weather. Drive time to meeting location from festival venue is approximately 25 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 15 participants.

Tarantula, Anne Webster Leight

Sunset Birding at Reid Park with Ragan Sutterfield and Jack Parlapiano

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, David Kreidler

Sunset Birding at Sweetwater Wetlands with Kathe Anderson and Killian Sullivan

Difficulty: Easy. Just over a mile walking on groomed or concrete pathway. Bathroom on-site.

This artificial wetland is the premier birding hotspot in the Tucson Valley, offering a stunning variety of species that can be found here at any time during the season. Green Heron, Common Gallinule, Tropical Kingbird, Common Yellowthroat, and Abert’s Towhees are some of our prime targets. This outing will be contingent on monsoon rains. Drive time to meeting location from festival venue is about 20 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 12 participants.

Common Yellowthroat, Mike Henry

Tohono Chul with Ray Deeney

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

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.

Curve-billed Thrasher, Martin Molina