Isabella Lee Natural Preserve with Karen Howe

Difficulty: Moderate (Two mile loop over level, but often soft, uneven and dusty terrain. No restrooms are available)

Isabella Lee Natural Preserve, at the confluence of Agua Caliente and Tanque Verde wash in northeast Tucson, is a dry mesquite bosque providing year-round habitat for resident and migrant birds. Summer hosts Lucy’s Warblers, Bell’s Vireos, and Ash-throated Flycatchers. One or two pairs of Blue Grosbeaks are also possible along with many other Sonoran Desert loving bird species. Drive time to meeting location from festival venue is about 25 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 10 participants.

Lucy’s Warbler by Lois Manowitz

Beginning Birding at Sweetwater Wetlands with Kathe Anderson


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

Join Kathe Anderson on a beginning birding tour of the most visited birding location in the state. We’ll look for returning Cinnamon Teal, breeding Tropical Kingbirds, and singing Common Yellowthroats while discussing the best habits we can develop as birders. Drive time to meeting location from festival venue is about 25 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 10 participants.

Common Yellowthroat by Mike Henry

The Secret Lives of Desert Purple Martins with Jennie MacFarland


Difficulty: Moderate (walking over uneven, rocky terrain and off trails relatively short distances)

Be a part of the Desert Purple Martin Project research crew for a morning! Tucson Audubon is using technology and a network of volunteers to learn more about these little known birds that nest in saguaro cavities during the monsoon abundance. We will visit several saguaros with active nests and use an endoscope camera and telescoping pole to peek inside the nests. We will be gathering real data points of what stage each nest has reached as specific timing of nests is still not completely known to science. Participants must wear sturdy shoes, long pants and sleeves, binoculars, hat and other sun protection. Bring water and snacks, it heats up quickly in the desert! Specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 10 participants.

Purple Martin by Scott Olmstead

Mindful Birding with Holly Thomas

Yellow Warbler by Shawn Cooper


Difficulty: Easy (Expect easy walking on trails and some dry, sandy creek bed.)

Mindful birding is about the intention to focus on the present moment without judgment, just noticing and welcoming whatever shows up, opening our senses to take in the sights and sounds of birds.  Our morning will begin with an overview of mindful birding and its health benefits followed by a birding walk at Las Posta Quemada Ranch. Meet at the parking area at La Posta Quemeda at 6am. Drive time to meeting location from festival venue is about 40 minutes, specific meeting instructions will be emailed beforehand. Limited to 10 participants.

Yellow Warbler by Shawn Cooper

Bird and Bike with Matt Griffiths and Wesley Homoya of Natural Selections Tours

Difficulty: Easy

Join us for a leisurely bike ride on a dedicated path around Reid Park in search of its varied bird life. Located right across from the DoubleTree hotel Festival site, the park is one of the best places in Tucson to see Vermilion Flycatchers! We’ll check the lakes of the park for any lingering ducks, cormorants, herons and egrets, and maybe even a Mexican Duck. The many species of large, native and exotic trees are good places to find early migrating warblers, vireos, orioles, and grosbeaks. We’ll take a trip to the nearby Hardesty pond for more marshy conditions and the chance at seeing Black Phoebe, Spotted Sandpiper, Song Sparrow, Abert’s Towhee, and other desert riparian species. PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU NEED A BIKE RENTAL. Limited to 8 participants.

Vermilion Flycatcher

Madera Canyon with Patrick Maurice and Mike Hillman

Iconic Madera Canyon is one of the top destinations for any birder. We’ll start in grassland habitat around Proctor Road looking and listening for singing sparrows first thing in the morning along with walking the nature trail and looking for Bell’s Vireo, Blue Grosbeak, Summer Tanager, and Varied Bunting. Next we’ll head into the mid-elevation oak-juniper habitat, looking for desirable southeast Arizona species like Arizona Woodpecker, Painted Redstart, and Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher. After this we’ll spend some time walking along the riparian trail and investigating the hummingbird feeders that make Madera one of the best spots for hummingbird diversity in the country. Maybe we’ll find an Elegant Trogon! Limited to 9 participants.

Painted Redstart by Matthew Studebaker

Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve with Ethan Kistler

Difficulty: Moderate (Some walking on mild slopes, but still on excellent surfaces. Drive time to location approximately one hour on mostly paved roads)

The preserve is 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. Nature Conservancy fees are included in the price. Be prepared to wear chigger protection. Limited to 9 participants.

Thick-billed Kingbird by Martin Molina

Cochise Lake with Keith Kamper

Difficulty: Easy (Not a lot of walking on dirt road/trail. Bring a wide-brimmed hat, sunscreen, water bottle, and be prepared for hot and sunny weather)

This half-day trip to the Willcox area and Cochise Lake will add a wide variety of shorebirds to your Arizona and festival species list. Likely 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 Scaled Quail 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 very relaxed paced half-day trip with limited walking on level surfaces. Limited to 9 participants.

Black-necked Stilt by Shawn Cooper

High Elevation in the Catalinas with David Lindo and Rob Ripma of Sabrewing Nature Tours

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 Axel Elfner

Birding with a Purpose: Cactus, Cottonwoods & Birds with Tony Figueroa and Tiffany Kersten

Difficulty: Moderate/Difficult ~3 miles (Some mild slopes/wash crossings–mostly flat ground and good surfaces)

Join Tony Figueroa, Director of the Invasive Plant Program, to hear how Tucson Bird Alliance is constantly working to restore and preserve these places for future generations of people and birds to enjoy. The Sonoran Desert is amazingly dense with vegetation compared to other deserts, but this sensitive habitat is at risk due to invasive species such as buffelgrass. We’ll discuss the ecology of the area and find some great birds, too, as we explore the desert and riparian areas around Colossal Cave. Limited to 9 participants.

Summer Tanager by Hemant Kishan