Archives: Festival Events

Difficulty: Easy (Some wheelchair accessibility. Will include short walks on mostly flat walking trails)

Join podcasters Hannah and Erik Go Birding at the famous Paton Center for Hummingbirds which is known for its backyard birds and scenic location. Wally and Marion Paton first began inviting birders into their yard shortly after moving to Patagonia in 1973, and after their passing, the center was acquired by the Tucson Audubon Society with generous help from the American Bird Conservancy and Victor Emanuel Nature Tours. It is a place to explore and experience the special birds of southeast Arizona and it is dedicated to the celebration and conservation of hummingbirds—and all of southeast Arizona’s astounding biodiversity. Violet-crowned Hummingbirds are common and the many feeders attract a wide array of bird species. Drive time to meeting location from festival venue is about 70 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand.  Limited to 10 participants.

Violet-crowned Hummingbird by Greg Lavaty

Difficulty: Easy (some mild slopes–mostly flat ground and good surfaces)

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.

Cactus Wren by John Kennedy

Difficulty: Easy. This trip is designed to be intentionally inclusive and accessible for beginner and advanced birders who experience accessibility challenges as a result of a disability or other health concern. No bathrooms at the lodge feeders.

Join Kim for a 90 minute outing of enjoyable “stationary birding” at the Santa Rita Lodge feeders. We will enjoy the variety of birds at the feeder station, where benches are available. Possible birds include Rivoli’s Hummingbird, Acorn Woodpecker, Mexican Jay, and Hepatic Tanager. Drive time to the meeting location from festival venue is about 55 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 8 participants.

Rivoli’s Hummingbird by Roger van Gelder

Difficulty: Easy (easy walking around city park trails)

Less than 15 minutes from the festival venue, this is one of the best spots in Tucson to find Vermilion Flycatchers and the city park habitat (along with pond) offers a good variety of species. We’ll walk the grounds hoping to find Broad-billed Hummingbird, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Cassin’s Kingbird, Lark Sparrows, and Lucy’s Warblers. Drive time to meeting location from festival venue is about 10 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand.  Limited to 10 participants.

Broad-billed Hummingbird by Shawn Cooper

Difficulty: Easy/Moderate. About 3 miles total, walking on mostly packed dirt paths.

Join local leader, Marie Davis, for a walk around the beautiful gardens of Desert Meadows Park in Green Valley. Birds to look for include Costa’s Hummingbird, Vermilion Flycatcher, Rufous-winged Sparrow, and Abert’s Towhee. Drive time to meeting location from festival venue is about 35 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 10 participants.

Costa’s Hummingbird by Francis Morgan

Difficulty: Easy (Flat walking surfaces, with less than two miles covered)

This city park on the west side of town hosts two lakes, Silverbell and Archer Lakes, that provide habitat for herons, grebes, a resident Snow Goose, and many other bird species. Vermilion Flycatchers are all over the place and the water resources bring a variety of other bird species to the park. Drive time to meeting location from festival venue is about 20 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand.  Limited to 10 participants.

Great Blue Heron by Greg Lavaty

Moderate (mostly easy with paved trail and overlook, but some steep grade if walking down to sandy trails)

Explore this nature preserve area just northwest of Tucson in Marana along the Santa Cruz River which is also part of the historic Juan Bautista de Anza Trail. You’ll enjoy the view from the overlook where you’ll be able to scope the water to see a variety of birds including waterfowl, shorebirds, and flycatchers. A walk around the new trail should turn up 35 or more species. 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.

Cinnamon Teal by Tom Brown

Difficulty: Moderate (Flat walking for about 2 miles on some sandy/gravel trails)

We’ll take a leisurely stroll through the riparian forest along the Santa Cruz River following the historic De Anza Trail. This is a fantastic location for three types of kingbirds (Cassin’s, Tropical, and noisy Thick-billed) along with a wide variety of other desert riparian species like Inca Dove, Gray Hawk, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Bell’s Vireo, and Blue Grosbeak. Drive time to the meeting location from the festival venue is about 50 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 10 participants.

Blue Grosbeak by Matthew Studebaker

Difficulty: Easy (Around a mile walking on easy, mostly flat trails.)

Join Sweetwater Wetlands Coordinator, Alex Patia, to take a closer look at the many flycatchers that make Sweetwater home. We’ll discuss, and hopefully see and hear, the differences between myiarchus species Ash-throated and Brown-crested Flycatchers, while also looking for other species such as Tropical Kingbird, Black Phoebe, Vermilion Flycatcher, and migrating empidonax. Drive time to meeting location from festival venue is about 15 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 10 participants.

Brown-crested Flycatcher by Lois Manowitz