Included:

• Guided birding for 9 days.

• Lodging for eight nights including three nights in Madera Canyon and three nights at Casa de San Pedro B&B!

• Meals beginning with dinner on the first night through breakfast on the final day.

• Transportation including airport pickup and drop off where possible.

• Optics – I will have a Kowa 99mm scope available throughout the tour.

NOT Included:

• Flights to and from Tucson International Airport (TUS)

• Lodging/Meals prior to or after the tour dates: Aug. 10-18

• Personal items such as alcohol with meals, laundry, etc.

Sunday, Aug. 10 – Arrivals at Tucson International Airport (TUS)

Plan to arrive by 2PM if possible, to give us time to visit the Sonora Desert Museum. Later arrivals can Uber to the hotel, just 9 miles from the airport. We’ll enjoy our first dinner together at the hotel and preview the week’s itinerary.

Night at Lodge on the Desert, Tucson                 

Monday, Aug. 11 – Box Canyon to the Santa Rita Mountains

After breakfast, we’ll drive south through Box Canyon to look for Five-striped Sparrow, Varied Bunting, Hooded Oriole and other desert scrub species.

We’ll stop in Green Valley for lunch and then make our way to Madera Canyon keeping an eye out for Botteri’s and Cassin’s Sparrows, Chihuahuan Meadowlark and other grassland birds on the way. Then we’ll check into the Santa Rita Lodge with its fabulous hummingbird feeders. The lodge is also one of the best locations to see and hear Elf Owls that nest across the street.

Night at Santa Rita Lodge

Tuesday, Aug. 12 – Madera Canyon

Today we’ll spend our time birding in Madera Canyon, home to Elegant Trogon and many other SE Arizona range-restricted species like Arizona Woodpecker, Greater Pewee, Red-faced Warbler, Painted Redstart, Yellow-eyed Junco and more.

In the afternoon we can relax at the lodge and enjoy the show at the renowned feeders at the lodge that attract so many birds. Hummingbirds like Rivoli’s, Broad-tailed, Broad-billed, Anna’s and sometimes rare visitors like White-eared and/or Beryline could show up.

Night at Santa Rita Lodge

Wednesday, Aug. 13 – Madera Canyon

After breakfast and a little time at the feeders, we’ll continue exploring Madera Canyon. The oak woodlands are home to highly secretive Montezuma Quail and we’ll keep our ears and eyes peeled for signs of this magnificent game bird. In the afternoon we may relax at the lodge or perhaps drive into Green Valley to explore some new locations.

After dinner those who want to can join for some night birding, searching for Common Poorwill, Lesser Nighthawk, Mexican Whippoorwill, Buff-collared Nightjar.

Night at Santa Rita Lodge

Thursday, Aug. 14 – Patagonia and the Paton Center for Hummingbirds

This morning we’ll pack our bags and drive to the Tucson Audubon Society’s Paton’s Center for Hummingbirds. The feeders here attract many hummingbirds and it’s one of the best places to find Violet-crowned Hummingbird. Gamble’s Quail, Abert’s Towhee and many more birds can be seen on the trails around the property.

Patagonia Lake State Park with its mesquite thickets is a good place to look for Northern Beardless Tyrannulet, Phainopepla, Anna’s Hummingbird, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Crissal Thrasher, Pyrrhuloxia and others.

We’ll walk the Sonoita Creek trails where Blue Grossbeak, Lazuli Bunting, Lucy’s Warbler, MacGillivray’s Warbler, Thick-billed Kingbird, Vermilion Flycatcher, Inca Dove and others can be seen. We’ll keep our eyes out for Gray Hawk and Zone-tailed Hawk as well. Rose-throated Becard has nested in this area in years past.

Night at Sonoita Inn

Friday, Aug. 15 – Sonoita Grasslands

In the morning we’ll explore the Sonoita Grasslands. Chihuahuan Raven, Chihuahuan Meadowlark, Botteri’s Sparrow, Cassin’s Sparrow, Bendire’s Thrasher are all possible. Then we’ll make our way to the Casa de San Pedro, a wonderful Bed and Breakfast located on the San Pedro River.

In the afternoon we will be treated to a hummingbird banding presentation by the Southeast Arizona Bird Observatory where up to 30 hummingbirds of seven species may be captured and banded in a two-hour session!

Night at Casa de San Pedro

Saturday, Aug. 16 – Carr Canyon, Ash Canyon (Ramsey Canyon?)

Casa de San Pedro is known for its fabulous breakfasts and today will be our first! Then we’ll make our way up Carr Canyon to the highlands where our targets will include Steller’s Jay, Hairy Woodpecker, Greater Pewee, Buff-breasted Flycatcher, Hutton’s Vireo and Black-throated Gray, Olive and Grace’s Warblers.

We’ll stop in Ash Canyon to look for Lucifer’s Hummingbird along with Anna’s, Black-chinned and Rufous Hummingbirds. We should see Acorn, Ladder-backed and Arizona Woodpeckers, Mexican Jay, White-winged Dove and Scott’s Oriole.

We will return to the Casa for some downtime. Those who want to can bird the gardens around the Casa or take a walk along the shaded San Pedro River. In the afternoon we’ll visit Whitewater Draw where we’ll encounter many wetland species. We’ll stop in Bisbee on our way home for dinner.

Night at Casa de San Pedro

Sunday, Aug. 17 –Miller Canyon, Beatty’s Guest Ranch

Birding Miller Canyon we’ll look for Red-faced Warbler, Townsend’s Warbler, Painted Redstart, Black-headed Grosbeak, Summer Tanager, Bewick’s Wren and others. The Mexican subspecies of Spotted Owl can be found here, and if we’re lucky we may find one on a day roost.

We’ll spend time at the feeders at Beatty’s Guest Ranch where we should see Rivoli’s, Black-chinned, Broad-billed, Anna’s and others. Then we’ll head back to the Casa for some rest.

Night at Casa de San Pedro

Monday, Aug. 18 – Departures

After one more heroic breakfast, we’ll bid the Casa adios and make our way north. If there’s time, we could visit the eastern section of Saguaro National Park, just a short way from the airport in Tucson.

Please read through Rocky Mountain Birding terms and conditions here.