Events, Activities & Recent Bird Sightings

Summer and Spring bring out the best in the sky islands region of southeastern Arizona. Wildflowers in an astounding variety of shapes and colors attract equally diverse pollinators - hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, even bats. Participants will stroll along the San Pedro River and hike the canyons of the neighboring Huachuca Mountains in search of up to 13 species of hummingbirds, 100+ species of butterflies and dozens of species of wildflowers. Remember, our Spring really occurs in August when the Summer monsoon rains bring green to the valley and water to the San Pedro River (in abundance!). Our "spring flowers" with all the butterflies are available in August (temperatures in the mid-80s during the day and dipping into the low 60s at night - who knew you could come to Arizona and even survive in August!!

Season

Birds

Location

Permanent Residents Green Heron, Green Kingfisher, Belted Kingfisher, Mexican Duck, Black Vulture, White-tailed Kite.
Quail: Montezuma, Scaled, Gambel's,.

Common Moorhen, Inca Dove, White Winged Dove, Mourning Dove, Greater Roadrunner.

Owls: Western Screech, Whiskered Screech, Burrowing, Mexican Spotted, Great-horned, Barn

Hummingbirds: Blue-throated, Magnificent, Anna's, Black-chinned, Broad-tailed, Violet-crowned, .

Woodpeckers: Acorn, Gila, Strickland's, Gilded, Lewis's

Phoebes: Black, Say's,.

Jays/Ravens: Steller's, Mexican, and the Chihuauan Raven.

Thrashers: Curved Bill, Bendires, Crissal

Silky Flycatchers: Phainopepla.

Sparrows: Rufus-winged, Five Striped, Lark, White-crowned,House.

Mexican Chickadee, Bridled Titmouse, Verdin, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Pyrrhuloxia Yellow-eyed Junco.

Towhees: Spotted, Canyon, Aberts, Green Tailed

Wrens: Cactus, Rock, Canyon , Bewick's.
Casa de San Pedro
and

Surrounding Areas

SUMMER
Great Horned, Elf, Western & Whiskered Screedh, Burrowing, and Barn Owls. Golden Eagle.

Northern Harrier, Swainson's, Ferruginous, Gray, Harris's and Red Tailed Hawks.

Current
6/21/08
We think Summer is the best season to see birds locally - the Summer weather here is warm but it is much less hot than Phoenix or Tucson - often 10 - 20 degrees cooler! No wonder the birds flock to the San Pedro River Valley and the mountain canyons! And we also have a lot of different butterflies as well. Not the arid desert that many expect to find in SE Arizona!
Eared Grebe, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck,

Common Black-Hawk, Gray Hawk, Swainson's Hawk, Zone-tailed Hawk, Greater Yellowlegs,

Band-tailed Pigeon, White-winged Dove, Common Ground-Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo,

Elf Owl, Lesser Nighthawk, Buff-collared Nightjar,

Black Chin, Anna's, Broad-billed, Broad-tailed, White-eared, Berylline, Violet-crowned, Rufous, Magnificent, Calliope, Blue-throated, Plain Capped Star-throat - Hummingbirds

Elegant Trogon, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Willow Flycatcher, Greater Pewee,

Cordilleran Flycatcher, Buff-breasted Flycatcher, Vermilion Flycatcher, Dusky Flycatcher, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Sulfur-bellied Flycatcher,

Tropical Kingbird, Thick-billed Kingbird, Western Kingbird,

Rose-throated Becard, Plain Titmouse, Bell's Vireo, Hutton's Vireo,

Virginia's Warbler, Lucy's Warbler, Grace's Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, Red-faced Warbler, Painted Redstart, Olive Warbler,

Summer Tanager, Hepatic Tanager, Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak,

Varied Bunting, Lazuli Bunting,

Botteri's Sparrow, Cassin's Sparrow, Black-throated Sparrow,

Yellow-eyed Junco, Hooded Oriole, Bullock's Oriole, Scott's Oriole, Lesser Goldfinch.
Casa de San Pedro
and Huachuca Mts.

Birding Hotspot	Description	Time from Casa
Ash Canyon B&B	Just off Hwy 92 and Turkey Track Road. One of the best overall venues to sit in comfortable chairs and see the best assortment of humming birds and other canyon birds at all the feeders. Mary Jo Ballator's open yard is a marvel, and so is she ! Our #1 Choice for the best birding !	15 minutes
Beatty's Orchard	Easy access by car, short walk to Beatty's observation benches. Mountain meadow. Hummingbirds and montaine birds.	20 minutes
Carr Peak	Moderate access by car. Easy to moderate hiking from parking area. Mountain and canyon habitat. Montaine birds.	35 minutes
Casa de San Pedro	Easy to moderate hiking from inn. Mesquite grasslands and riparian habitat. Resident and migrant birds.	0 minutes
Cave Creek/Portal	Easy access by car. Easy to moderate hikes from parking area. Riparian habitat. Resident and migrant birds.	2.5 hours
Coronado National Monument	Easy access by car. Easy, moderate and strenuous hikes from parking area. Mountain canyon habitat. Canyon and montaine birds.	15 minutes
Empire Cienega	Easy access by car when dirt roads are dry. Easy hikes. High desert grasslands and some riparian areas. High desert residents and migrant birds.	45 minutes
Garden/Shelite Canyons at Fort Huachuca	Moderate to difficult access by car. Four wheel drive advisable beyond picnic areas. Strenuous hike in Shelite Canyon. Easy to moderate hiking in Garden Canyon. Mountain canyon habitat. Montane birds and Spotted Owl.	45 minutes
Kartchner Caverns	*Fee area.* Easy access by car. High desert habitat. Hummingbird garden and resident desert birds.	45 minutes
Kino Springs	Easy access by car. Easy walks around parking areas. Trip includes stops at 2 spring fed ponds and golf course. High desert and riparian habitats. High desert resident birds and migrants.	1.5 hours
Madera Canyon	Easy access by car. Easy, moderate and strenuous hikes. High desert and mountain canyon habitats. High desert, montaine and migrant birds.	2.5 hours
Patagonia Lake	*Fee Area:* Easy access by car. Easy hikes. High desert and riparian habitats. Water fowl, high desert residents and migrants.	1.5 hours
Patagonia Preserve	Easy access by car. Easy hikes. High desert and riparian habitats. High desert resident birds and migrants.	1 hour
Patagonia Rest Stop	Easy access by car. Short hike to Rose-throated Bacard. High desert and riparian habitats. High desert resident birds and migrants.	1 hour
Patton's residence in Patagonia	Easy access by car. Short walk to hummingbird feeders in backyard.	1 hour
San Pedro House	Easy access by car. Easy hikes from parking area. High desert and riparian habitats. Resident and migrant birds.	35 minutes
White-water Draw	Easy access by car. Easy hikes from parking area. Man made lake. Water fowl and riparian birds. Sandhill Cranes Nov-March.	45 minutes

COOPERATIVE BIRDING PROGRAMS

Birding Activities and Recent Sightings

AREA BIRDING HOTSPOTS

Season	Birds	Location
Permanent Residents	Green Heron, Green Kingfisher, Belted Kingfisher, Mexican Duck, Black Vulture, White-tailed Kite. Quail: Montezuma, Scaled, Gambel's,. Common Moorhen, Inca Dove, White Winged Dove, Mourning Dove, Greater Roadrunner. Owls: Western Screech, Whiskered Screech, Burrowing, Mexican Spotted, Great-horned, Barn Hummingbirds: Blue-throated, Magnificent, Anna's, Black-chinned, Broad-tailed, Violet-crowned, . Woodpeckers: Acorn, Gila, Strickland's, Gilded, Lewis's Phoebes: Black, Say's,. Jays/Ravens: Steller's, Mexican, and the Chihuauan Raven. Thrashers: Curved Bill, Bendires, Crissal Silky Flycatchers: Phainopepla. Sparrows: Rufus-winged, Five Striped, Lark, White-crowned,House. Mexican Chickadee, Bridled Titmouse, Verdin, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Pyrrhuloxia Yellow-eyed Junco. Towhees: Spotted, Canyon, Aberts, Green Tailed Wrens: Cactus, Rock, Canyon , Bewick's.	Casa de San Pedro and Surrounding Areas
SUMMER	Great Horned, Elf, Western & Whiskered Screedh, Burrowing, and Barn Owls. Golden Eagle. Northern Harrier, Swainson's, Ferruginous, Gray, Harris's and Red Tailed Hawks.
Current 6/21/08	We think Summer is the best season to see birds locally - the Summer weather here is warm but it is much less hot than Phoenix or Tucson - often 10 - 20 degrees cooler! No wonder the birds flock to the San Pedro River Valley and the mountain canyons! And we also have a lot of different butterflies as well. Not the arid desert that many expect to find in SE Arizona! Eared Grebe, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Common Black-Hawk, Gray Hawk, Swainson's Hawk, Zone-tailed Hawk, Greater Yellowlegs, Band-tailed Pigeon, White-winged Dove, Common Ground-Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Elf Owl, Lesser Nighthawk, Buff-collared Nightjar, Black Chin, Anna's, Broad-billed, Broad-tailed, White-eared, Berylline, Violet-crowned, Rufous, Magnificent, Calliope, Blue-throated, Plain Capped Star-throat - Hummingbirds Elegant Trogon, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Willow Flycatcher, Greater Pewee, Cordilleran Flycatcher, Buff-breasted Flycatcher, Vermilion Flycatcher, Dusky Flycatcher, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Sulfur-bellied Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Thick-billed Kingbird, Western Kingbird, Rose-throated Becard, Plain Titmouse, Bell's Vireo, Hutton's Vireo, Virginia's Warbler, Lucy's Warbler, Grace's Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, Red-faced Warbler, Painted Redstart, Olive Warbler, Summer Tanager, Hepatic Tanager, Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, Varied Bunting, Lazuli Bunting, Botteri's Sparrow, Cassin's Sparrow, Black-throated Sparrow, Yellow-eyed Junco, Hooded Oriole, Bullock's Oriole, Scott's Oriole, Lesser Goldfinch.	Casa de San Pedro and Huachuca Mts.