I’d been wanting to do a Southeast Arizona trip for a while and decided this would be a good time as any. I had 6 days of birding from July 3-July 8 2024 birding this corner of Arizona (which included Pima, Santa Cruz and Cochise counties). All in all it was an amazing trip with 157 species and 58 lifers.
eBird trip report with photos and audio is here >
I mostly used eBird to plan out a needs list and where to find the birds. Subscribing to the eBird alert for the state was also handy. The Tuscon Audubon publication Finding Birds in Southeast Arizona is also a good resource. Additionally the Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory website (Welcome to SABO! - Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory) has a lot of good general info.
Bold indicates dates, sites visited and a bird highlights seen.
Day 1, July 3
Arriving in Tuscon late morning I stocked up on water, drinks and food for the trip as many of the areas I would visit were somewhat remote and stores would not necessarily be around or open.
During the late afternoon I spent a little time at Arthur Pack Regional Park where I picked up commoner desert species (Gila Woodpecker, Verdin, Gambel’s Quail, Abert’s Towhee etc). This site is adjacent to a golf course and here I had the only Ruddy Duck and American Coot for the trip. Also of note was Rufous-winged Sparrow.
I did some dusk birding at Sweetwater Wetlands where 2 continuing Black-bellied Whistling Duck were seen. Also picked up the only Common Gallinule and Great Egret for the trip but couldn’t quite get to grips with Mexican Duck. I didn’t spend that much time here as I wanted to get to the Saguaro National Park--West. Along the way I saw the first Lesser Nighthawks of the trip and at the trailhead for King Canyon had another and heard a single Common Poorwill.
Day 2, July 4
I spent almost 3 hours at Saguaro NP--East--Cactus Forest Dr Loop probably longer than I wanted but getting acclimated to the desert birdlife was well worth it. Surprisingly (?) I saw my the only Greater Roadrunner of the trip here.
I stopped briefly at Tanque Verde Wash on Wentworth Rd. Nothing too crazy here but great looks at Phainopepla and Bell’s Vireo, and Bronzed Cowbird.
Next stop was Agua Caliente Park. A small regional park but a great place to check. Highlights here included Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Neotropic Cormorant, Cactus Wren and Mexican Duck.
For the rest of the day I birded at several spots on Mount Lemmon in the Santa Catalinas. The higher elevations were more productive, if fewer birds. Several Arizona specialties such as Hepatic Tanager, Painted Redstart, Red-faced Warbler, Grace’s and Black-throated Gray Warblers, and Yellow-eyed Junco were found. The San Pedro Vista at 7,300’ / 2,231m provided an unexpected bonus. I realized I had left my phone in the car and went to go get it so I could start my eBird checklist. Returning to the car a Common Black Hawk soaring above the Vista which I would not have seen from the forested edge and was the only one I saw on the trip. At the forested edge I had mind-blowing views of Red-faced Warbler. The only Mountain Chickadee of the trip was here also.
Next stop was the Palisades Visitor Center. The hummingbird feeder had been hosting a Blue-throated Mountain-gem which failed to materialize but a Rivoli’s Hummingbird was more than enough to compensate along with Anna’s and Broad-tailed.
My last stop on Mount Lemmon was Incinerator Ridge. I hoped to see Olive Warbler here but no luck.
From here I headed towards Green Valley where I’d spend the night. At Canoa Ranch Conservation Park I tried for Least Grebe that had been seen in the week but I was a day late and dollar short. However it’s a nice birdy spot to visit with views to the Santa Rita Mountains.
I headed to Madera Canyon for some night birding. Along the road to Madera (Whitehouse Canyon Rd) I saw more Lesser Nighthawks and my only Great Horned Owl for the trip. During time spent in Madera Canyon I was able to hear Mexican Whip-poor-will, Whiskered Screech Owl, and Elf Owl.
Day 3, July 5
At dawn I birded the East Box Canyon road on the way to Box Canyon. This stretch of mesquite / grassland scrub had some good birds that included Loggerhead Shrike, Botteri’s Sparrow, Cassin’s Sparrow, and Chihuahuan Meadowlark.
The target bird at Box Canyon was Five-striped Sparrow which had been present since the spring. I was able to locate 2 birds here. Other highlights were Gray Hawk, Zone-tailed Hawk, Thick-billed Kingbird, the first Mexican Jays, Hooded and Scott’s Orioles of the trip.
Next I retraced my route and returned to Madera Canyon. I had a quick look at Proctor Road and was able to find 2 Varied Bunting. I spent about an hour at the Santa Rita Lodge feeders. This was the first of several feeding stations I visited during the trip. It’s certainly a unique experience watching hummingbirds buzz in and out, squabbling over perches just inches away. Rivoli’s, Black-chinned, Anna’s and Broad-billed were species I saw here as well as my first Arizona Woodpecker.
I then headed to the Mt. Wrightson Picnic Area & Upper Canyon Trails in search of Elegant Trogon (probably the sole reason for planning this trip). As soon as I was away from the parking area I could hear a Trogon calling further up the canyon. As I moved up, the trail became gradually steeper and canyon narrower but nothing too serious. I had incredible views of Painted Redstart as it gleaned in the understory. Also great looks at a pair of Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher. The Trogon continued to call intermittently and had been silent for bit when it began calling again seemingly very close across the canyon. It took me several minutes to finally see the bird which initially was obscured by vegetation but eventually moved out into the open where I could see it fully. Just an amazing bird to see!
As a late afternoon thunderstorm began to build I took that as my cue to leave Madera and head south to the border town of Nogales. I made a stop along the way at Santa Gertrudis Lane (foot access only) with hopes of Green Kingfisher, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher and Northern Beardless Tyrannulet. No luck on these but did see my only Tropical Kingbird and the first Bewick’s Wrens of the trip.
Day 4, July 6
The next morning at daybreak I head out of Nogales bound for Patagonia. After the evening storms the temperature was pleasant 63F /17C. First order of business was to get coffee and fill up the car. As I drove down the main thoroughfare (Grand Avenue) a bird with ridiculously long tail flew across the road and perched on a light pole. [Insert expletives] Black-throated Magpie-Jay! By the time I’d circled back it had gone but it’s unmistakable and a complete surprise. Unfortunately eBird counts this as an exotic as there is a population of escapes in San Diego, however this is apparently the first Arizona record since 2011. Nogales is about 300 km / 200 miles from their regular range in Sonora state, Mexico, so who knows if this was an escape or genuine vagrant. I made a brief stop at Nogales cemetery but not too birdy and so I moved on.
Just outside of Patagonia I had to make a stop at the famed Patagonia Roadside Rest Area. No rares but you got to check the spots.
The next couple of hours I spent at the Paton Center for Hummingbirds. They have a great set up of trails and feeders, and the staff and volunteers take their time to talk and let you know what to expect. The bird to see at Paton is Violet-crowned Hummingbird which of course showed well. Other highlights included first Inca Dove for the trip, great looks at Canyon Towhee and 3 Thick-billed Kingbird.
Just up the road from Patagonia on Harshaw Creek Road a Rose-throated Becard (a species that is at the northern edge of it’s range in Arizona) had been present for a week or so. Thankfully I ran into another birder who directed me to the location where it was being seen and kindly informed me it’s pronounced “Beckerd” vs. “Beecard”. It eventually gave itself away with its high pitched vocalization. Relief. Other supporting birds included nice looks at White-throated Swift, Thick-billed Kingbird, and the first Eastern Bluebird (Mexican) for the trip list.
After Harshaw I drove to Willcox. A small town in the east that has retention ponds next to Lake Cochise and Twin Lakes Golf Course. This spot is an oasis in the surrounding arid desert providing a stop over and for shorebirds and other water birds. 32 species with 13 shorebirds was a decent count. Nice to see numbers of Long-billed Curlew (20) and Wilson’s Phalarope (39). I usually see ones and twos of these in the eastern US. Other highlights were a Say’s Phoebe and continuing Bendire’s Tharsher.
My next destination was the small town of Portal. Famed for its network of yard feeding stations and the eastern access to the Chiricahua (Cheerycowa) Mountains. On the way, just outside of San Simon I saw the only Harris’s Hawks of the trip, with a bird sitting on a nest and second dive bombed by a Swainson’s Hawk.
Portal is in the far eastern part of the state close to the New Mexico border. It’s quite remote but there are a handful of accommodations that are very birdy and convenient to accessing Cave Creek Canyon and surrounding Chiricahua Mountains. I arrived in the early evening and after checking a couple of feeder yards I headed to Paradise where a White-eared Hummingbird had been visiting a feeder at the George Walker House. I got there right at dusk and lucked in seeing the White-eared Hummingbird just once before the fading light prompted me to return to Portal. Other hummingbirds seen here were Rivoli's Hummingbird, Blue-throated Mountain-gem, Black-chinned Hummingbird and Broad-billed Hummingbird.
I made a few stops on the way back to Portal hearing a few Common Poorwill on the way. I hoped to see one on the road or pick up some eye-shine but no luck although I did see a Kit Fox looking back at me at one stop and a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake crossing the road. There is about zero light pollution here and the night sky is stunning the Milky Way stretching overhead is a sight I’ll not soon forget.
Day 5, July 7
Day 5 was Chiricahua day. I planned to bird most of the day in the mountains from low to high elevations (about 4,800 feet / 1,500 meters > 8,000 feet / 2,400 meters). I started the day at Cave Creek Canyon--South Fork. I only birded the road on foot but you can hike up the canyon also. Most of the bird action was near the small bridge that crosses the creek at the upper end of the road. Highlights here were Painted Redstart, Blue-throated Mountain-Gem and the most confiding Elegant Trogon. I initially spotted it a little ways up the creek and I thought wow great views! I’m not going to lie, I kind of lost my mind when it gradually worked down the creek and land on the bridge railing no more than 6 feet away!!
Once recovered I walked down the road to the car and drove back to Portal, trying for Crissal Thrasher (dip) and a coffee and ice for my cooler at the Portal store (also dip as they didn’t open til 10am).
Southwestern Research Station was the next stop where a Berryline Hummingbird had been visiting the feeders and it showed well a couple of times. Also here were Blue-throated Mountain-gem, Black-chinned, Broad-tailed, Broad-billed and Violet-crowned Hummingbirds.
Eager to get to the high elevation sites I didn’t stay too long and made my way upwards. Access to these locations are along semi-maintained fire roads. So 12 miles / 19 km is going to take probably an hour or so as you have drive with caution and stop for birds along the way.
At East Turkey Creek (Fire Road 42/Fire Road 42B) I saw my first Mexican Chickadees. Further along the road between Onion Saddle and Barfoot Junction I saw Greater Pewee, 2 Grace’s warbler and a Hepatic Tanager. At this altitude Olive Warbler and Buff-breasted Flycatcher were likely but not today. I continued on to Barfoot Park, More of the same but still amazing to be seeing great birds at these high altitude places. Here I added Band-tailed Pigeon, Hairy Woodpecker, Steller’s Jay, Brown Creeper, Western Tanager and Pygmy Nuthatch (at the Onion Saddle) for the trip.
It was getting into late afternoon and I had to continue my traverse of the Chiricahuas west towards Sierra Vista where I’d spend the night. I made stops along the way but didn’t find any new species. I’d heard there were Spotted Owls along this route but without solid gen I didn’t spend too much time looking. It was a bone shaking descent and was grateful when I reached a “real road”.
On the way to Sierra Vista I passed thought Tombstone and the OK Corral (it was ok).
Once in Sierra Vista I made an early evening visit to Ash Canyon Bird Sanctuary which is run by the Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory. Another feeder setup where I saw continuing Lucifer Hummingbird and Costa’s Hummingbird.
Day 8, July 8
My last birding day of the trip. I started early with hopes of getting a few last chance birds. At San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area (San Pedro House and trails) I hoped for Gilded Flicker and Northern Beardless Tyrannulet but once again they eluded me. But great looks at a song flighting Vermillion Flycatcher was special. As the heat started to build I headed towards Miller Canyon in the Huachuca (Howucka) Mountains for another chance at Buff-breasted Flycatcher and maybe Spotted Owl. I struck out on both but “farewell” Red-faced Warbler and Painted Redstart were great to see. Also Bushtit for the trip list.
The next stop was Carr Canyon. The area I wanted to get to was at 7,200 feet / 2,200 meters. Between Reef Townsite and Ramsey Vista Camp Grounds this presented some of the most challenging and hairy driving I did. These mountain roads are unpaved, one vehicle width, and switch backs all the way up.
Once I made it to the Reef Townsite Camp Ground I parked up and walked the road towards Ramsey Vista. It was a nice walk but still no Olive Warbler or Buff-breasted Flycatcher. Singing Hermit Thrush, and a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and Yellow-eyed Juncos were good birds here. It was time to leave and I decided to cut the corner of a switchback walking through the forest instead of the road. A good decision as I quickly came across a Buff-breasted Flycatcher. I was pleased to see this high altitude species after the effort put in.
I made one last stop at Ramsey Canyon Preserve. It was the heat of the day and bird activity was low and had to get back to Tuscon so I called it a day.
General notes / tips
Carry at least a gallon of water and some food as it’s possible you won’t be near anywhere during the day. A cooler with ice is handy to have to keep drinks cool and food from spoiling or melting. Sunscreen and a wide-brimmed hat are a must.
Many areas are National Forest and require day use fees usually $8 - $15.
At feeder stations contributions are welcome. The homeowners and hosts maintain these feeders daily. There’s a lot of time, effort and cost involved.
My birding strategy was to bird lower elevations in the morning and then move to higher altitudes to beat the heat. Day time high temperatures were around 43 Celsius / 110 Fahrenheit lower, but 20-30 degrees cooler at higher elevations.
eBird trip report with photos and audio is here >
I mostly used eBird to plan out a needs list and where to find the birds. Subscribing to the eBird alert for the state was also handy. The Tuscon Audubon publication Finding Birds in Southeast Arizona is also a good resource. Additionally the Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory website (Welcome to SABO! - Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory) has a lot of good general info.
Bold indicates dates, sites visited and a bird highlights seen.
Day 1, July 3
Arriving in Tuscon late morning I stocked up on water, drinks and food for the trip as many of the areas I would visit were somewhat remote and stores would not necessarily be around or open.
During the late afternoon I spent a little time at Arthur Pack Regional Park where I picked up commoner desert species (Gila Woodpecker, Verdin, Gambel’s Quail, Abert’s Towhee etc). This site is adjacent to a golf course and here I had the only Ruddy Duck and American Coot for the trip. Also of note was Rufous-winged Sparrow.
I did some dusk birding at Sweetwater Wetlands where 2 continuing Black-bellied Whistling Duck were seen. Also picked up the only Common Gallinule and Great Egret for the trip but couldn’t quite get to grips with Mexican Duck. I didn’t spend that much time here as I wanted to get to the Saguaro National Park--West. Along the way I saw the first Lesser Nighthawks of the trip and at the trailhead for King Canyon had another and heard a single Common Poorwill.
Day 2, July 4
I spent almost 3 hours at Saguaro NP--East--Cactus Forest Dr Loop probably longer than I wanted but getting acclimated to the desert birdlife was well worth it. Surprisingly (?) I saw my the only Greater Roadrunner of the trip here.
I stopped briefly at Tanque Verde Wash on Wentworth Rd. Nothing too crazy here but great looks at Phainopepla and Bell’s Vireo, and Bronzed Cowbird.
Next stop was Agua Caliente Park. A small regional park but a great place to check. Highlights here included Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Neotropic Cormorant, Cactus Wren and Mexican Duck.
For the rest of the day I birded at several spots on Mount Lemmon in the Santa Catalinas. The higher elevations were more productive, if fewer birds. Several Arizona specialties such as Hepatic Tanager, Painted Redstart, Red-faced Warbler, Grace’s and Black-throated Gray Warblers, and Yellow-eyed Junco were found. The San Pedro Vista at 7,300’ / 2,231m provided an unexpected bonus. I realized I had left my phone in the car and went to go get it so I could start my eBird checklist. Returning to the car a Common Black Hawk soaring above the Vista which I would not have seen from the forested edge and was the only one I saw on the trip. At the forested edge I had mind-blowing views of Red-faced Warbler. The only Mountain Chickadee of the trip was here also.
Next stop was the Palisades Visitor Center. The hummingbird feeder had been hosting a Blue-throated Mountain-gem which failed to materialize but a Rivoli’s Hummingbird was more than enough to compensate along with Anna’s and Broad-tailed.
My last stop on Mount Lemmon was Incinerator Ridge. I hoped to see Olive Warbler here but no luck.
From here I headed towards Green Valley where I’d spend the night. At Canoa Ranch Conservation Park I tried for Least Grebe that had been seen in the week but I was a day late and dollar short. However it’s a nice birdy spot to visit with views to the Santa Rita Mountains.
I headed to Madera Canyon for some night birding. Along the road to Madera (Whitehouse Canyon Rd) I saw more Lesser Nighthawks and my only Great Horned Owl for the trip. During time spent in Madera Canyon I was able to hear Mexican Whip-poor-will, Whiskered Screech Owl, and Elf Owl.
Day 3, July 5
At dawn I birded the East Box Canyon road on the way to Box Canyon. This stretch of mesquite / grassland scrub had some good birds that included Loggerhead Shrike, Botteri’s Sparrow, Cassin’s Sparrow, and Chihuahuan Meadowlark.
The target bird at Box Canyon was Five-striped Sparrow which had been present since the spring. I was able to locate 2 birds here. Other highlights were Gray Hawk, Zone-tailed Hawk, Thick-billed Kingbird, the first Mexican Jays, Hooded and Scott’s Orioles of the trip.
Next I retraced my route and returned to Madera Canyon. I had a quick look at Proctor Road and was able to find 2 Varied Bunting. I spent about an hour at the Santa Rita Lodge feeders. This was the first of several feeding stations I visited during the trip. It’s certainly a unique experience watching hummingbirds buzz in and out, squabbling over perches just inches away. Rivoli’s, Black-chinned, Anna’s and Broad-billed were species I saw here as well as my first Arizona Woodpecker.
I then headed to the Mt. Wrightson Picnic Area & Upper Canyon Trails in search of Elegant Trogon (probably the sole reason for planning this trip). As soon as I was away from the parking area I could hear a Trogon calling further up the canyon. As I moved up, the trail became gradually steeper and canyon narrower but nothing too serious. I had incredible views of Painted Redstart as it gleaned in the understory. Also great looks at a pair of Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher. The Trogon continued to call intermittently and had been silent for bit when it began calling again seemingly very close across the canyon. It took me several minutes to finally see the bird which initially was obscured by vegetation but eventually moved out into the open where I could see it fully. Just an amazing bird to see!
As a late afternoon thunderstorm began to build I took that as my cue to leave Madera and head south to the border town of Nogales. I made a stop along the way at Santa Gertrudis Lane (foot access only) with hopes of Green Kingfisher, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher and Northern Beardless Tyrannulet. No luck on these but did see my only Tropical Kingbird and the first Bewick’s Wrens of the trip.
Day 4, July 6
The next morning at daybreak I head out of Nogales bound for Patagonia. After the evening storms the temperature was pleasant 63F /17C. First order of business was to get coffee and fill up the car. As I drove down the main thoroughfare (Grand Avenue) a bird with ridiculously long tail flew across the road and perched on a light pole. [Insert expletives] Black-throated Magpie-Jay! By the time I’d circled back it had gone but it’s unmistakable and a complete surprise. Unfortunately eBird counts this as an exotic as there is a population of escapes in San Diego, however this is apparently the first Arizona record since 2011. Nogales is about 300 km / 200 miles from their regular range in Sonora state, Mexico, so who knows if this was an escape or genuine vagrant. I made a brief stop at Nogales cemetery but not too birdy and so I moved on.
Just outside of Patagonia I had to make a stop at the famed Patagonia Roadside Rest Area. No rares but you got to check the spots.
The next couple of hours I spent at the Paton Center for Hummingbirds. They have a great set up of trails and feeders, and the staff and volunteers take their time to talk and let you know what to expect. The bird to see at Paton is Violet-crowned Hummingbird which of course showed well. Other highlights included first Inca Dove for the trip, great looks at Canyon Towhee and 3 Thick-billed Kingbird.
Just up the road from Patagonia on Harshaw Creek Road a Rose-throated Becard (a species that is at the northern edge of it’s range in Arizona) had been present for a week or so. Thankfully I ran into another birder who directed me to the location where it was being seen and kindly informed me it’s pronounced “Beckerd” vs. “Beecard”. It eventually gave itself away with its high pitched vocalization. Relief. Other supporting birds included nice looks at White-throated Swift, Thick-billed Kingbird, and the first Eastern Bluebird (Mexican) for the trip list.
After Harshaw I drove to Willcox. A small town in the east that has retention ponds next to Lake Cochise and Twin Lakes Golf Course. This spot is an oasis in the surrounding arid desert providing a stop over and for shorebirds and other water birds. 32 species with 13 shorebirds was a decent count. Nice to see numbers of Long-billed Curlew (20) and Wilson’s Phalarope (39). I usually see ones and twos of these in the eastern US. Other highlights were a Say’s Phoebe and continuing Bendire’s Tharsher.
My next destination was the small town of Portal. Famed for its network of yard feeding stations and the eastern access to the Chiricahua (Cheerycowa) Mountains. On the way, just outside of San Simon I saw the only Harris’s Hawks of the trip, with a bird sitting on a nest and second dive bombed by a Swainson’s Hawk.
Portal is in the far eastern part of the state close to the New Mexico border. It’s quite remote but there are a handful of accommodations that are very birdy and convenient to accessing Cave Creek Canyon and surrounding Chiricahua Mountains. I arrived in the early evening and after checking a couple of feeder yards I headed to Paradise where a White-eared Hummingbird had been visiting a feeder at the George Walker House. I got there right at dusk and lucked in seeing the White-eared Hummingbird just once before the fading light prompted me to return to Portal. Other hummingbirds seen here were Rivoli's Hummingbird, Blue-throated Mountain-gem, Black-chinned Hummingbird and Broad-billed Hummingbird.
I made a few stops on the way back to Portal hearing a few Common Poorwill on the way. I hoped to see one on the road or pick up some eye-shine but no luck although I did see a Kit Fox looking back at me at one stop and a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake crossing the road. There is about zero light pollution here and the night sky is stunning the Milky Way stretching overhead is a sight I’ll not soon forget.
Day 5, July 7
Day 5 was Chiricahua day. I planned to bird most of the day in the mountains from low to high elevations (about 4,800 feet / 1,500 meters > 8,000 feet / 2,400 meters). I started the day at Cave Creek Canyon--South Fork. I only birded the road on foot but you can hike up the canyon also. Most of the bird action was near the small bridge that crosses the creek at the upper end of the road. Highlights here were Painted Redstart, Blue-throated Mountain-Gem and the most confiding Elegant Trogon. I initially spotted it a little ways up the creek and I thought wow great views! I’m not going to lie, I kind of lost my mind when it gradually worked down the creek and land on the bridge railing no more than 6 feet away!!
Once recovered I walked down the road to the car and drove back to Portal, trying for Crissal Thrasher (dip) and a coffee and ice for my cooler at the Portal store (also dip as they didn’t open til 10am).
Southwestern Research Station was the next stop where a Berryline Hummingbird had been visiting the feeders and it showed well a couple of times. Also here were Blue-throated Mountain-gem, Black-chinned, Broad-tailed, Broad-billed and Violet-crowned Hummingbirds.
Eager to get to the high elevation sites I didn’t stay too long and made my way upwards. Access to these locations are along semi-maintained fire roads. So 12 miles / 19 km is going to take probably an hour or so as you have drive with caution and stop for birds along the way.
At East Turkey Creek (Fire Road 42/Fire Road 42B) I saw my first Mexican Chickadees. Further along the road between Onion Saddle and Barfoot Junction I saw Greater Pewee, 2 Grace’s warbler and a Hepatic Tanager. At this altitude Olive Warbler and Buff-breasted Flycatcher were likely but not today. I continued on to Barfoot Park, More of the same but still amazing to be seeing great birds at these high altitude places. Here I added Band-tailed Pigeon, Hairy Woodpecker, Steller’s Jay, Brown Creeper, Western Tanager and Pygmy Nuthatch (at the Onion Saddle) for the trip.
It was getting into late afternoon and I had to continue my traverse of the Chiricahuas west towards Sierra Vista where I’d spend the night. I made stops along the way but didn’t find any new species. I’d heard there were Spotted Owls along this route but without solid gen I didn’t spend too much time looking. It was a bone shaking descent and was grateful when I reached a “real road”.
On the way to Sierra Vista I passed thought Tombstone and the OK Corral (it was ok).
Once in Sierra Vista I made an early evening visit to Ash Canyon Bird Sanctuary which is run by the Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory. Another feeder setup where I saw continuing Lucifer Hummingbird and Costa’s Hummingbird.
Day 8, July 8
My last birding day of the trip. I started early with hopes of getting a few last chance birds. At San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area (San Pedro House and trails) I hoped for Gilded Flicker and Northern Beardless Tyrannulet but once again they eluded me. But great looks at a song flighting Vermillion Flycatcher was special. As the heat started to build I headed towards Miller Canyon in the Huachuca (Howucka) Mountains for another chance at Buff-breasted Flycatcher and maybe Spotted Owl. I struck out on both but “farewell” Red-faced Warbler and Painted Redstart were great to see. Also Bushtit for the trip list.
The next stop was Carr Canyon. The area I wanted to get to was at 7,200 feet / 2,200 meters. Between Reef Townsite and Ramsey Vista Camp Grounds this presented some of the most challenging and hairy driving I did. These mountain roads are unpaved, one vehicle width, and switch backs all the way up.
Once I made it to the Reef Townsite Camp Ground I parked up and walked the road towards Ramsey Vista. It was a nice walk but still no Olive Warbler or Buff-breasted Flycatcher. Singing Hermit Thrush, and a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and Yellow-eyed Juncos were good birds here. It was time to leave and I decided to cut the corner of a switchback walking through the forest instead of the road. A good decision as I quickly came across a Buff-breasted Flycatcher. I was pleased to see this high altitude species after the effort put in.
I made one last stop at Ramsey Canyon Preserve. It was the heat of the day and bird activity was low and had to get back to Tuscon so I called it a day.
General notes / tips
Carry at least a gallon of water and some food as it’s possible you won’t be near anywhere during the day. A cooler with ice is handy to have to keep drinks cool and food from spoiling or melting. Sunscreen and a wide-brimmed hat are a must.
Many areas are National Forest and require day use fees usually $8 - $15.
At feeder stations contributions are welcome. The homeowners and hosts maintain these feeders daily. There’s a lot of time, effort and cost involved.
My birding strategy was to bird lower elevations in the morning and then move to higher altitudes to beat the heat. Day time high temperatures were around 43 Celsius / 110 Fahrenheit lower, but 20-30 degrees cooler at higher elevations.
