Islands in the Sky: Birding the Chiricahua Mountains - Norcal Birding

Islands in the Sky: Birding the Chiricahua Mountains
                    of Southeastern Arizona
                                     May 15-19, 2019
                                       NorCal Birding

Southeastern Arizona offers some of the best birding in North America and
is one of the most illustrious birding areas in the country. This tour is
designed to introduce the novice and advanced birders to the unique variety of
bird species in the southeast corner of Arizona. This part of the U.S. is special
because it hosts a mixture of birds that only occur in this specific area including,
migratory species passing through, neotropicals that migrate from Mexico and
breed in the area and endemic birds of the desert and mountains. Many
neotropicals are only found in the United States only in the Sky Islands of
Southern Arizona. Bird species diversity is phenomenal in and around Portal
where over 400 species occur. If you have not been here before be ready to add
several species to your life list and observe some of the most stunning birds in
the country. This trip will be led by Ryan Phillips, a neotropical bird specialist and
Dave Zittin who has spent extensive time birding in the Portal area. Four nights
will be spent at the renowned Southwestern Research Station in the Chiricahua
Mountains, which is owned and operated by the American Museum of Natural
History. The accommodation is in the heart of this birding mecca and affords
exceptional birding out your doorstep, as well as dramatic landscape views.

General Itinerary:
Day 1: Wednesday: Arrive at Tucson International Airport (TUS), transfer by van to Portal,
afternoon or early evening feeder observations.
Day 2: South Fork Hike in morning, Portal feeder observations.
Day 3: High country, Onion Saddle, Barfoot Park, Rustler Peak, Paradise feeder stations
Day 4: Desert scrub, road stops, Willow Tank pond, Portal feeder observations.
Day 5: Return to Tucson, birding on the way back to the airport

Detailed Itinerary:

Day 1: (May 15th, Wednesday): Arrive at Tucson, Drive to Portal
We check in at the Southwest Research Station before the office
closes at 5PM. Dinner on each day will be served at 6PM. We depart
for a short drive to the New Jasper feeding station to view birds in a
quiet setting before or after dinner
depending on our arrival time.
Each feeding station we visit
presents a great opportunity for
photography as we will be seated
during observations. We will likely
see Black-throated Sparrow,
Green-tailed Towhee, Canyon
Towhee, Northern Cardinal,
Pyrrhuloxia, Gambel's Quail,          Northern Cardinal
Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Gila Photo David Zittin
Woodpecker, Arizona Woodpecker, White-winged Dove, Curve-billed
Thrasher, Scott's Oriole, Baltimore Oriole, Cactus Wren, Black-
chinned Sparrow, Bridled Titmouse, Verdin, Calliope Hummingbird,
Broad-tailed hummingbird and more.

Day 2: (May 16h, Thursday) South Fork Trail Hike
                         We pack sack lunches, have breakfast at the
                         station then do a short drive from the
                         Southwest Research Station to the South
                         Fork Trailhead where we hike about 1- 1.5
                         miles up stream on the South Fork of Cave
                         Creek. We will walk on loose river rock, high-
                         top hiking boots are recommended. We will
                         keep a keen ear and eye out for Elegant
                         Trogons that often roost in tall Arizona
                         Sycamore trees. Sulphur-bellied Flycatchers
 Elegant Trogon          may be heard calling. Our targets include
 Photo David Zittin

Painted Redstart,, Gila Woodpecker, Yellow-eyed Junco, Northern
Beardless-Tyrannulet, Canyon Wren, Mexican Jay, Plumbeous Vireo,
Bell's Vireo, Bridled Titmouse, Black-chinned Hummingbird,
Cordilleran Flycatcher, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Brown-Crested
Flycatcher, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay, Broad-billed Hummingbird,
Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Montezuma's Quail, Lucy's Warbler, ,
Whiskered Screech-Owl, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Virginia's
Warbler and more. Upon return, we will have lunch and drive to the
Cave Creek Ranch feeding station where
we should encounter the Mexican Jay,
Juniper Titmouse, Gambel's Quail,
Rivoli's Hummingbird, Blue-throated and
Broad-billed Hummingbirds, Scott's
Oriole, Western Tanager, Hepatic
Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, Inca
Dove and the Red-naped Sapsucker.
After dinner there will be optional night
birding around the station for Mexican
                                             Whiskered Screech-Owl
Whip-poor-will, Flammulated Owl, Elf         Photo David Zittin
Owl, and Whiskered Screech-Owl.

Day 3: (May 17th, Friday) High country (Forest Road 42), Onion
  Saddle, Barfoot Park, Rustler Peak
We will have an early start after making bag lunches and having a
cold breakfast. After a 45 minute drive with birding along the route we
will be in the Onion Saddle-Barfoot Park-Rustler Park area. Here our
target birds will be the Zone-tailed Hawk, Northern Goshawk, Buff-
                           breasted Flycatcher, Cordilleran Flycatcher,
                           Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Greater Pewee,
                           Red-Faced Warbler, Olive Warbler, Grace’s
                           Warbler, Mexican Chickadee, and the rare
                           Short-tailed Hawk. Hiking will be involved in
                           this area. After we finish in this area, we will
                           drive to the George Walker House feeders
                           via Forest Road 42 and Paradise Road with
                           stops on the way as we sight birds. This
 Broad-billed Hummingbird
 Photo David Zittin

drive should allow us additional opportunities to see the Mexican
Chickadee, Arizona Woodpecker and other alpine species we may
have missed earlier in the day. Our feeder stop, George Walker
House, is an excellent place to see a variety of hummingbird species
and another chance to see the Arizona Woodpecker and the Bronzed
Cowbird. Target species will be Rivoli's Hummingbird, Blue-throated
Hummingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Broad-tailed
Hummingbird, Broad-billed Hummingbird, Arizona Woodpecker,
Cassin's Finch, Summer Tanager and Indigo Bunting. The drive
between Paradise and Portal affords an opportunity for rarities such
as Varied Bunting.

Day 4: (May 18th, Saturday) Desert Scrub and Desert Pond
                                         After breakfast and making
                                         up our bag lunches we will
                                         drive down from the
                                         mountains and head into a
                                         desert environment. Our
                                         goal is to reach Willow
                                         Tank located southwest of
                                         Portal which is very close
                                         to the Arizona-New Mexico
                                         border. We will take our
                                         time stopping on the way
                                         as we see birds. On the trip
 Curve-billed Thrasher
 Photo David Zittin
                                         to the pond we hope to
                                         encounter Abert's Towhee,
Vesper Sparrow, Black-throated Sparrow, Horned Lark, Brewer's
Sparrow, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Scaled Quail, Greater Roadrunner,
Swainson's Hawk, Cassin's and Western Kingbirds, Chihuahuan
Raven, Cactus Wren, Bendire's Thrasher, Eastern Meadowlark, Lucy's
Warbler and Blue Grosbeak. We will also search for the rarely
observed Lark Bunting. On our return from this area we will stop at
Bob Rodrigues' feeding station where we should see many desert
species and hummingbirds including the Scaled Quail, Montezuma's

Quail, Greater Roadrunner, Rivoli's Hummingbird, Blue-throated
Hummingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Broad-tailed
Hummingbird, Cassin's and Western Kingbirds, Woodhouse's Scrub-
Jay, Scott's Oriole, Northern Cardinal and Pyrrhuloxia. There will be
optional night birding along the Cave Creek Canyon Road for Mexican
Whip-poor-will, Flammulated Owl, Elf Owl and Whiskered Screech-
Owl.

Day 5: (May 19th, Sunday) Return to Tucson International Airport
The plan is to bird, if at all possible on the way to the airport, time
permitting. Where we go is tentative by design and will be based on
last-minute bird reports and favorable location. Possible stops include
Wilcox Lake, Patagonia Lake State Park and the Sweetwater
Wetlands.

Note: There will be optional pre-breakfast birding on Days 2, 4, and 5.

Accommodation:
Southwestern Research Station
Website: https://www.amnh.org/our-research/southwestern-research-station/