SE Arizona for hummingbird watching (1 Viewer)

Although I have done several Google searches on the internet on SE Arizona hummingbird watching (slated for next March) I'd like to hear from others who may have been in that part of the State and could recommend a "base" location to stay for about 3 days. Right now I am thinking of Nogales, AZ but I wonder if the time will allow me to also explore further east in the Chiricahua mountains. I'd also like to visit Bisbee.

We will have a pet dog with us but he'll have to stay in the car when we are in Reserve areas. Anyone has suggestions?

Have nothing specific to offer you, wings, but someone surely will. SE Arizona is famous, of course, and many have visited there. The most experienced birding friend of mine still says SE Arizona was the best birding trip he's ever made.

Patagonia. You're a little early but it'll still be fun.

I'd suggest posting your question on the AZ-NM birding listserv based at birdingonthe.net. Here's the URL for the list and from there you can go to the home page and register. Most of the traffic centers on the southern half of AZ although a few messages concern NM and northern AZ.

I've only been to the SE once for a four-day trip and we stayed in a different motel each night. I'm just not familiar enough with the area to be able to rec something more convenient to use as a base. I know the folks on the list will inundate you with great info. Good luck!

http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/AZNM.html

Thanks all. Yes I've read that the Sonoita/Patagonia/Nogales corridor is a hot area for birding, and that's in my itinerary. I'll also check the other website that Kathy mentioned.

Chris D said:

Patagonia. You're a little early but it'll still be fun.

Click to expand...

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Maybe just a little too early, but I read that April was OK.
Is Patagonia/Nogales area on high elevation, i.e. 3000' -5000' above sea level?

I was in SE Zona for a week last year the very beginning of April. Broad Bills (my wife's favorite) had just showed. Real fun time. I mentioned Patagonia because of the campground at Patagonia Lake and Marion Paton's place. Also Sonoita Creek Preserve. Also, it's a cute little town. That last line is obviously the influence of my wife. Also, Patagonia is higher in elevation so the nights are chilli. Great morning birding walking along the shore of the lake to the inflow stream. Leafing-out willows and more Vermillion buggers than you can shake a stick at.

Wings, here's some info from my February 2003 trip. Not a trip report per se, but it lists all the birds we saw at each location. Also, here is some general SE AZ info you can check out in addition to the listserve mentioned earlier.

Let me know if you have any questions. I'm still trying to find the location of the great latte shop we found and stopped in one cold morning.


http://www.aztrogon.com/AZInfo/Location Details/SEAZ/locations-SE.htm#WWD
Great page for details on some of the areas we birded

http://www.aztrogon.com/AZInfo/litrefs.htm
AZ birding lit references, including comparison of the two most popular birding guides to southeast AZ. Especially helpful for the visiting birder.

I can't remember the website (and didn't record it) where I got this drive-time info, but it might come in handy. It goes with the attached map of the area.

Approximate travel times (assuming maximum speed for route and no stops for birding)
Tucson to::

Aravaipa Canyon - 1 hr 30 mins
Madera Canyon - 45 mins
Marana Pecan Grove - 30 mins
Nogales - 1 hr
Patagonia - 1 hr 20 mins
Phoenix - 1 hr 45 mins
Portal - 2 hrs 30 mins to 3 hrs 30 mins depending on route
Sierra Vista - 1 hr 15 mins.
Sierra Vista to:
California Gulch - 3hrs to 3hrs 40mins depending on route
Elfrida - 1 hr 10 mins
Patagonia - 45 mins
Madera Canyon 1 hr 20 mins to 2 hrs 15 mins depending on route
Nogales - 1 hr 15 mins
Portal - 2 hrs (via Bisbee and Douglas)
Willcox - 1 hr 10 mins.


Birding southeast AZ
February 14-17, 2003

2/14/03
Sweetwater Wetlands

Lease grebe
Pied-billed grebe
Turkey vulture
American wigeon
Mallard
Blue-winged teal
Northern shoveler
Northern pintail
Green-winged teal
Ruddy duck
Red-tailed hawk
Gambel's quail
Common moorhen
American coot
Killdeer
Rock dove
Mourning dove
Inca dove
Loggerhead shrike
Verdin
Marsh wren
Curve-billed thrasher
European starling
Abert's towhee
Song sparrow
Lincoln's sparrow
White-crowned sparrow
Red-winged blackbird
Yellow-headed blackbird
Great-tailed grackle

2/15/03
Patagonia Lake State Park, Paton's house, San Rafael Grasslands, the drive to Sierra Vista

Pied-billed grebe
Neotropic cormorant
Double-crested cormorant
Great blue heron
Gadwall
Mallard
Mexican duck (a variant of Mallard)
Bufflehead
Common merganser
Ruddy duck
White-tailed kite
Bald eagle
Northern harrier
Red-tailed hawk
Ferruginous hawk
Golden eagle
American kestrel
Prairie falcon
Sora
Common moorhen
American coot
Wilson's snipe
White-winged dove
Mourning dove
Greater roadrunner
Anna's hummingbird
Acorn woodpecker
Gila woodpecker
Ladder-back woodpecker
Gray flycatcher
Black phoebe
Eastern phoebe
Say's phoebe
Hutton's vireo
Mexican jay
Common raven
Horned lark
Bridled titmouse
Verdin
White-breasted nuthatch
Cactus wren
Bewick's wren
House wren
Ruby-crowned kinglet
Black-capped gnatcatcher
Hermit thrush
Northern mockingbird
Curve-billed thrasher
American pipit
Phainopepla
Yellow-rumped warbler (Audubon's race)
Green-tailed towhee
Abert's towhee
Chipping sparrow
Brewer's sparrow
Vesper sparrow
Lark sparrow
Lark bunting
Savannah sparrow
Grasshopper sparrow
Song sparrow
Lincoln's sparrow
White-crowned sparrow
Chestnut-collared longspur
Northern cardinal
Pyrrhuloxia
Lazuli bunting
Red-winged blackbird
Eastern meadowlark
Brewer's blackbird
Great-tailed grackle
House finch
Lesser goldfinch
House sparrow

2/16/03
San Pedro House, Whitewater Draw, Essray Hay Co. fields

Snow goose
Northern harrier
Red-tailed hawk
Ferruginous hawk
Golden eagle
Prairie falcon
Scaled quail
Gambel's quail
Sandhill crane
Killdeer
Least sandpiper
Dowitcher (sp)
Rock dove
White-winged dove
Mourning dove
Greater roadrunner
Barn owl
Great horned owl
Gila woodpecker
Northern flicker (red-shafted)
Vermilion flycatcher
Loggerhead shrike
Mexican jay
Chihuahuan raven
Common raven
Cactus wren
Mountain bluebird
Bendire's thrasher
Crissal thrasher
Phainopepla
Canyon towhee
Abert's towhee
Brewer's sparrow
Vesper sparrow
Savannah sparrow
Red-winged blackbird
House finch
House sparrow

2/17/03
Sulphur Springs Valley, Willcox Ponds, Apache Stn. WA

Eared grebe
Great blue heron
American wigeon
Mexican duck (Mallard variant)
Northern shoveler
Green-winged teal
Lesser scaup
Bufflehead
Common merganser
Ruddy duck
Northern harrier
Sharp-shinned hawk
Harris's hawk
Red-tailed hawk
Ferruginous hawk (inc. 2 dark-morph individuals)
Scaled quail
American coot
Sandhill crane
Killdeer
Wilson's snipe
Rock dove
Eurasian Collared-dove
Mourning dove
Inca dove
Great horned owl
Ladder-back woodpecker
Northern flicker (red-shafted)
Black phoebe
Say's phoebe
Loggerhead shrike
Chihuahuan raven
Common raven
Verdin
Cactus wren
Marsh wren
Mountain bluebird
Northern mockingbird
Bendire's thrasher
Curve-billed thrasher
Crissal thrasher
European starling
Brewer's sparrow
Vesper sparrow
Lark bunting
Song sparrow
White-throated sparrow
White-crowned sparrow
Pyrrhuloxia
Red-winged blackbird
Eastern meadowlark
Western meadowlark
Great-tailed grackle
House finch
House sparrow

EDIT: Oops, forgot to attach the map! |:$|

Thanks Kathy. Very helpful and detailed info. I'll print it out for reference.

I'll second Patagonia and Mrs Paton's backyard! And I'll add Madera Canyon and the feeders at the lodge there. Good luck.

Ramsey Canyon (owned and run by the Nature Conservancy) had several rooms and apartments (w/ kitchen and living room) that they rented a few years ago. It was very nice to be right in the Canyon. I'll check with my trip planner spouse and send along any other suggestions. As I recall, the San Pedro River Preserve also has lodging available. Barbara