| Aug. 6 | Aug 7 | Aug 8 | Aug 9 | Aug 10 |

BEFORE WE START...
Neither smoking nor use of recording equipment (except by the trip leader) are allowed on field trips.
All trips will depart from the Windemere Hotel unless noted otherwise.

Each trip has a ‘Difficulty Number’ that tells how difficult the hiking is.

This overnight trip takes you to the beautiful Chiricahua Mountains with birding along the way. After spending the night at the American Museum of Natural History’s Southwest Research Station, itself a birding destination and a long-time favorite of nature tourists, enjoy a day in the world famous Chiricahuas looking for Elegant Trogon, Mexican Chickadee, high elevation warblers, flycatchers and post-breeding Mexican vagrants. Destinations will include the South Fork of Cave Creek Canyon and Rustler Park. Three meals and accommodations at the Research Station are included.
Difficulty: 3.

Join us on an overnight adventure just south of the border. Here, a private ranch’s rich and varied habitats are being managed to benefit birds and other wildlife. Birds we may see include: Violet-crowned Hummingbird, Thick-billed Kingbird, Rose-throated Becard, Black-capped Gnatcatcher, Rufous-winged Sparrow, Varied Bunting, and maybe a species or two that have never been seen in the U.S. Colorful butterflies and wildflowers should be plentiful. The tour includes lodging at the ranch, a Sonoran barbecue dinner, breakfast, a traditional ranch lunch, and round-trip transportation from the festival site. 
Difficulty: 3

Join Carl and Bob on our second annual combination Bugs & Owls tour. Enjoy an evening of searching for owls and the foods they thrive on including moths, beetles, and other creatures that are attracted to night-lights. The trip will begin with night lighting for insects at a private residence in Carr Canyon. Later, we will search for Western and Whiskered Screech owls where their ranges overlap. Carl, an entomologist at the University of Arizona will help us identify the nighttime insects we encounter.
Difficulty: 2

This small group will be led into the Huachucas by Joe in search of Western and Whiskered Screech owls, and Mexican Whip-poor-will. We should also hear Common Poorwill calling off in the distance. There may be some other surprises in store as well. Please do not wear white or very light colored clothing or hats – khaki is okay.
Difficulty: 2

Enjoy a birdy day in the Huachuca Mountains for many mountain specialties such as Painted Redstart, Red-faced Warbler, Elegant Trogon, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher and upwards of a dozen species of hummingbirds. Destinations will include Beatty’s Guest Ranch, Ash Canyon B&B, and Garden Canyon at Fort Huachuca. We will enjoy a picnic lunch in a shady spot.
All participants must carry a valid US photo ID and be a US citizen for Ft. Huachuca access.
Difficulty: 3

The Nature Conservancy’s Patagonia-Sonoita Preserve is one of SE Arizona’s best-known destinations for riparian birds. Search birds will include Gray Hawk, Thick-billed Kingbird, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Phainopepla, Lucy’s Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, and Summer Tanager. Other stops include the Patagonia Roadside Rest for possible Mexican vagrants, the Paton’s backyard feeders for a variety of hummingbirds including Violet-crowned, the Patagonia Butterfly Garden, and, if time permits, we will venture further west. We will enjoy a picnic lunch in Patagonia Park.
Difficulty: 2

Enjoy a pleasant hike beginning with feeders at the San Pedro House and continuing through mesquite thickets to the cottonwood-lined San Pedro River. The focus will be on honing your identification skills with a variety of riparian birds. You may expect several species of hummingbirds, Vermilion Flycatcher, Western and Cassin’s kingbirds, Bewick’s Wren, Yellow-breasted Chat, Summer Tanager, Cassin’s Sparrow, Blue Grosbeak, and Abert’s Towhee. Early migrants often provide additional surprises.
Difficulty: 2

Join Hank Brodkin, one of the co-authors of “Butterflies of Arizona - a Photographic Guide” and Bob Behrstock, tour leader and author, who has just finished a beginner’s guide to Southwestern dragonflies, as we search for some of the special butterflies and dragonflies of the Huachucas. The day will include stops at various elevations as we search for wet areas and nectar-bearing flowers at Fort Huachuca. Bob and Hank are both seasoned birders and between the grasslands and Garden Canyon, we are likely to see a respectable assortment of birds as well. Picnic lunch included.
All participants must carry a valid US photo ID and be a US citizen for Ft. Huachuca access.
Difficulty: 2

This small group will be led into the Huachucas by Jeff in search of Western and Whiskered Screech owls, and Mexican Whip-poor-will. We should also hear Common Poorwill calling off in the distance. There may be some other surprises in store as well. Please do not wear white or very light colored clothing or hats – khaki is okay.
Difficulty: 2

This small group will be led into the Huachucas by Joe in search of Western and Whiskered Screech owls, and Mexican Whip-poor-will. We should also hear Common Poorwill calling off in the distance. There may be some other surprises in store as well. Please do not wear white or very light colored clothing or hats – khaki is okay.
Difficulty: 2

Enjoy a full day in this scenic birding hotspot looking for those wonderful mountain specialties of Southeastern Arizona. Bill Stocku and Keynote Speaker, Rick Wright, both veterans of innumerable trips to the Chiricahuas, will take you to search for Elegant Trogon, high elevation warblers such as Olive and Grace’s, and flycatchers such as Dusky-capped and Brown-crested. August is the best time for hummingbirds in Arizona, so expect to see 10 or more species. Destinations will include the South Fork of Cave Creek Canyon and Rustler Park. The tour includes a sack lunch and we’ll find a shaded picnic spot.
Difficulty: 3

Join local naturalist and tour leader Bob Behrstock on a visit to what was formerly one of the Southwest’s largest cattle ranches. Now this expansive BLM preserve is home to Pronghorn and a wide variety of birds. We will visit rolling grasslands, mesquite thickets and cottonwood lined Cienega Creek, one of the area’s only sources of permanent water, looking for Zone-tailed and Gray hawks, Bell’s Vireo, Summer Tanager, Blue Grosbeak, Abert’s Towhee, and Cassin’s, Botteri’s, and Grasshopper sparrows. Picnic lunch included. 
Difficulty: 2

The Coronado National Memorial is located along the Mexican border at the south end of the Huachuca Mountains. Here, grasslands meet Madrean Woodland, offering a mix of birds that are typical of the lower mountains. Entering the Memorial, we will bird the grasslands, searching for species such as Cassin's and Botteri's sparrows (both are vocal during the late summer), and more widespread birds like Ash-throated Flycatcher, Blue Grosbeak, and Rufous-crowned Sparrow. With exceptional luck, we could encounter Montezuma Quail--common here but difficult to observe. Continuing upward, we will sample birds of oak and juniper woodland. The trip includes an approximately one-mile hike to a limestone cave, during which there is a gain in elevation of 500 feet. This will be a natural history tour so expect encounters with lizards, butterflies, grasses and other life forms. Participants should be equipped with hiking shoes and a flashlight.  Difficulty: 4

San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge and Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Refuge contain a mixture of desert uplands, scattered wetlands, and riparian corridors that provide habitats for at least 293 bird species, 132 butterfly species, and 76 dragonfly and damselfly species. The refuges were established to protect several federally-listed threatened and endangered fish species. These areas
are good places to find Gray Hawks, Northern Beardless Tyrannulets, Tropical Kingbirds, Vermilion Flycatchers, Bell's Vireos, Lucy's Warblers, Yellow-breasted Chats, and Varied Buntings.  Picnic Lunch. 
Difficulty 2

Two of Arizona’s newest agricultural products are grapes and wine. The area around Sonoita and Elgin has been especially attractive to grape growers and now supports a number of wineries. This new trip visits productive birding sites in Patagonia and Sonoita, searching for grassland sparrows such as Cassin’s and Botteri’s, as well as Gray Hawk, Thick-billed Kingbird, and other specialties associated with Sonoita Creek. In addition, it also includes a wine tasting at Sonoita Vineyards. The tour includes a picnic lunch, wine tasting, and a souvenir wine glass.
Difficulty 1-2

On this expanded Ramsey Canyon tour we’ll begin in the grasslands below the canyon, where, we’ll look for Scaled Quail, Rufous-crowned and Botteri’s sparrows, Blue Grosbeak, and other lowland species. At the Nature Conservancy’s Ramsey Canyon Preserve, we may see up to 10 species of hummingbirds, as well as Wild Turkey, Elegant Trogon, Arizona Woodpecker, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, Hepatic Tanager, Painted Redstart, and other mountain specialties. While walking, we’ll watch for some of the many plants, mammals, and reptiles also inhabit the canyon. Be prepared for a two-mile slow walk with a 300-foot elevation gain and uneven terrain. We will end the day watching the variety of feeders at Ash Canyon B&B. A sack lunch is included.
Difficulty: 4

Enjoy a pleasant hike beginning with feeders at the San Pedro House and continuing through mesquite thickets to the cottonwood-lined San Pedro River. The focus will be on honing your identification skills with a variety of riparian birds. You may expect several species of hummingbirds, Vermilion Flycatcher, Western and Cassin’s kingbirds, Bewick's Wren, Yellow-breasted Chat, Summer Tanager, Cassin’s Sparrow, Blue Grosbeak, and Abert’s Towhee. Early migrants often provide additional surprises.
Difficulty: 2

This small group will be led into the Huachucas by Jeff in search of Western and Whiskered Screech owls, and Mexican Whip-poor-will. We should also hear Common Poorwill calling off in the distance. There may be some other surprises in store as well. Please do not wear white or very light colored clothing or hats – khaki is okay.
Difficulty: 2

This small group will be led into the Huachucas by Joe in search of Western and Whiskered Screech owls, and Mexican Whip-poor-will. We should also hear Common Poorwill calling off in the distance. There may be some other surprises in store as well. Please do not wear white or very light colored clothing or hats – khaki is okay.
Difficulty: 2

Our favorite optics representatives will be leading this tour into the upper Huachuca Mountains, searching for high elevation specialties. Along with the birds, this trip offers some of the area’s most spectacular views, from lichen-covered cliff faces to the San Pedro River valley off in the distance. Beginning in upper Carr Canyon, we will hike down to Comfort Springs, one of the area’s only sources of water. Search birds will include Hairy Woodpecker, Greater Pewee, Pygmy Nuthatch, Grace’s, Red-faced, and Olive warblers, Painted Redstart, Hutton’s and Plumbeous vireos, Hepatic Tanager, and Yellow-eyed Junco. There is always the possibility of a surprise at Comfort Springs, which has hosted Aztec Thrush and Slate-throated Redstart during recent summers. Note: This trip begins at 7,000 feet elevation where we will first walk downhill on a fairly steep trail with uneven footing. A picnic lunch is included.
Difficulty: 4

Join veteran of many trips to the Chiricahuas, Bill Stocku, for a full day
in this scenic birding hotspot looking for those wonderful mountain
specialties of Southeastern Arizona. Bill will take you to search for
Elegant Trogon, high elevation warblers such as Olive and Grace's, and
flycatchers such as Dusky-capped and Brown-crested. August is the best time
for hummingbirds in Arizona, so expect to see 10 or more species.
Destinations will include the South Fork of Cave Creek Canyon and Rustler
Park. The tour includes a sack lunch and we'll find a shady picnic spot.
Difficulty: 3

Leslie Creek's perennial water amidst Chihuahuan desert thornscrub and grassland attracts a tremendous variety of birds, which can include Violet-crowned Hummingbirds, Black-capped Gnatcatchers, and Rufous-crowned Sparrows. The trip will take you into portions of the refuge that are normally closed to public entry. From there we will go to Rucker Canyon where there is a another stream in Madrean Woodland. Here , we will have a picnic lunch and look for birds in this different habitat. 
Difficulty 2

On this expanded Ramsey Canyon tour we’ll begin in the grasslands below the canyon, where, we’ll look for Scaled Quail, Rufous-crowned and Botteri’s sparrows, Blue Grosbeak, and other lowland species. At the Nature Conservancy’s Ramsey Canyon Preserve, we may see up to 10 species of hummingbirds, as well as Elegant Trogon, Arizona Woodpecker, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, Hepatic Tanager, Painted Redstart, and other mountain specialties. We’ll also learn about the many plants, mammals, insects, and reptiles with which the birds share this special place. Be prepared for a slow two-mile walk with a 300-foot elevation gain on a occasionally uneven trail. We will end the day at the feeders at Mary Jo Ballator's Ash Canyon B&B. Sack lunch included. 
Difficulty: 3

The focus of this trip will be the Benedictine’s Holy Trinity Monastery, a 132-acre property near the San Pedro River in St. David, Arizona. A popular retreat center, the grounds include a 1.3 mile birding trail, several small ponds, a pecan orchard, a working farm, and magnificent cottonwoods. Nesting birds are numerous and include: Gray Hawk, Mississippi Kite, Bell’s Vireo, Northern Beardless Tyrannulet, Summer Tanager, and Blue Grosbeak. We should have time to check one or two spots along the San Pedro River for Abert’s Towhee and desert species like Cactus Wren, Verdin, and Pyrrhuloxia. The tour includes a picnic lunch.
Difficulty: 2

Enjoy a birdy day on Arizona’s largest military base, famous for over a century for its Arizona specialties.  We will start looking for grassland birds such as Eastern Meadowlark and  Botteri’s and Cassin’s Sparrows, then work our way up into Garden Canyon and a traditional nesting site of Elegant Trogon and Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher where Dusky-capped Flycatcher and Arizona Woodpecker are also found.  A hike up Scheelite Canyon should reward our efforts with Spotted Owl and Red-faced Warbler.  We will finish up at Sawmill Canyon and try for Greater Pewee, Buff-breasted Flycatcher, Grace’s and Olive Warblers.  There has been a Zone-tailed Hawk nest here the last few years. The tour includes a picnic lunch.
All participants must carry a valid US photo ID and be a US citizen for Ft. Huachuca access.
Difficulty 4/5

Two of Arizona’s newest agricultural products are grapes and wine. The area around Sonoita and Elgin has been especially attractive to grape growers and now supports a number of wineries. This new trip visits productive birding sites in Patagonia and Sonoita, searching for grassland sparrows such as Cassin’s and Botteri’s, as well as Gray Hawk, Thick-billed Kingbird, and other specialties associated with Sonoita Creek. In addition, it also includes a wine tasting at Sonoita Vineyards. The tour includes a picnic lunch, wine tasting, and a souvenir wine glass.
Difficulty 1-2

This relaxing trip is designed for those who prefer to spend as much time as possible sitting and watching. Emphasis will be on long, close looks at a variety of birds without visiting too many locations. Bring your favorite field guide and perhaps a question for the leader; identification problems at any level can be discussed. Sites visited will include Beatty’s Miller Canyon Guest Ranch and the Ash Canyon B&B, both offering a variety of birds including perhaps a dozen species of hummingbirds.
Difficulty: 1

Check out an overlooked birding spot, Bisbee, with Tom and Rick! Zacatecas Canyon just above Brewery Gulch will be our first stop where we’ll look for the locally uncommon Black-chinned Sparrow. Then Gold Gulch will be visited in search of Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Crissal Thrasher, Black-throated Sparrow, plus any other summer residents that haven’t yet migrated southward. Afterwards is a brunch at Casa de San Pedro, a lovely B&B on the San Pedro River north of Palominas. Besides a grand meal, expect to see more birds and butterflies at the inn’s gardens and feeders. This will be a great way to end the festival. Sign up early!
Difficulty: 2