2018 Monsoon Magic Attendees Scan for Birds. Photo by Melanie Furr.
Monsoon Magic in Southeast Arizona
This trip is full. If you would like to join the waiting list, please complete the registration below (no payment will be collected). If a spot opens up, we will contact you to complete the registration process. (as of 5/15/19)
August 6 to August 11, 2019
Co-leaders: Atlanta Audubon's Director of Development, Michelle Hamner, and Ken Blankenship, East West Birding Tours
Group Size: Limited to 9 participants
Member Price: $1,300/person*
Non-member Price: $1,350/person* (includes a one-year Atlanta Audubon membership)
Single supplement for non-shared hotel room: $325/person
*Based on double occupancy
Difficulty: Full days of birding, often in hot and arid conditions. Some locations will require vehicular travel on bumpy, unpaved roads. We will do our best to limit any lengthy or strenuous walking to the cooler morning hours, with more relaxing stops in the afternoons. Some flexibility in travel will be needed based on weather conditions and on recent bird sightings.
Questions? Please email Michelle Hamner or call 678.973.2437 (Monday-Friday, 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM).
Our trip to Southeast Arizona in 2018 was so popular that we're bringing it back for 2019. Along with the monsoon rains of July and August comes the famous "Second Spring" in Southeast Arizona. Agaves and other nectar-producing flowers burst into bloom, grasses explode with new growth, and many bird species respond to the bounty of resources. Some species wait until the rainy season to breed, while others get busy with a second or third brood. From grassland sparrows like Botteri’s, Cassin’s, and Grasshopper….to Sierra Madrean pine-oak-juniper forest specialties like Elegant Trogon, Buff-breasted Flycatcher, and Olive Warbler… to arid habitat birds like Varied Bunting, Five-striped Sparrow, and Gilded Flicker — it's a full slate of special birds to behold, many of which occur nowhere else in the United States. And let’s not forget the hummingbirds. We’ll be making a stop at Tuscon Audubon’s Paton Center for Hummingbirds, where we hope to see several species including the dazzling Broad-billed Hummingbird, a Southeast Arizona specialty.
Michelle Hamner, Atlanta Audubon's Director of Development, will be hosting this trip with Ken Blankenship, a native Georgian and past Atlanta Audubon field trip leader. With more than a decade of experience of birding in the Southwestern United States, Ken relocated to Arizona in 2015 to pursue his dream of living among the “Sky Island” mountains of Southeast Arizona. Ken has spent countless hours in the field in all seasons, learning the ebb and flow of special migrants, breeding birds, and wintering species of the deserts, grasslands, high elevation canyons, riparian corridors, and montane conifer forests.
This trip is full. If you would like to join the waiting list, please complete the registration below (no payment will be collected). If a spot opens up, we will contact you to complete the registration process. (as of 5/15/19)
August 6 to August 11, 2019
Co-leaders: Atlanta Audubon's Director of Development, Michelle Hamner, and Ken Blankenship, East West Birding Tours
Group Size: Limited to 9 participants
Member Price: $1,300/person*
Non-member Price: $1,350/person* (includes a one-year Atlanta Audubon membership)
Single supplement for non-shared hotel room: $325/person
*Based on double occupancy
Difficulty: Full days of birding, often in hot and arid conditions. Some locations will require vehicular travel on bumpy, unpaved roads. We will do our best to limit any lengthy or strenuous walking to the cooler morning hours, with more relaxing stops in the afternoons. Some flexibility in travel will be needed based on weather conditions and on recent bird sightings.
Questions? Please email Michelle Hamner or call 678.973.2437 (Monday-Friday, 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM).
Our trip to Southeast Arizona in 2018 was so popular that we're bringing it back for 2019. Along with the monsoon rains of July and August comes the famous "Second Spring" in Southeast Arizona. Agaves and other nectar-producing flowers burst into bloom, grasses explode with new growth, and many bird species respond to the bounty of resources. Some species wait until the rainy season to breed, while others get busy with a second or third brood. From grassland sparrows like Botteri’s, Cassin’s, and Grasshopper….to Sierra Madrean pine-oak-juniper forest specialties like Elegant Trogon, Buff-breasted Flycatcher, and Olive Warbler… to arid habitat birds like Varied Bunting, Five-striped Sparrow, and Gilded Flicker — it's a full slate of special birds to behold, many of which occur nowhere else in the United States. And let’s not forget the hummingbirds. We’ll be making a stop at Tuscon Audubon’s Paton Center for Hummingbirds, where we hope to see several species including the dazzling Broad-billed Hummingbird, a Southeast Arizona specialty.
Michelle Hamner, Atlanta Audubon's Director of Development, will be hosting this trip with Ken Blankenship, a native Georgian and past Atlanta Audubon field trip leader. With more than a decade of experience of birding in the Southwestern United States, Ken relocated to Arizona in 2015 to pursue his dream of living among the “Sky Island” mountains of Southeast Arizona. Ken has spent countless hours in the field in all seasons, learning the ebb and flow of special migrants, breeding birds, and wintering species of the deserts, grasslands, high elevation canyons, riparian corridors, and montane conifer forests.
trip overview
Click on each day for more information.
Day 1: arrival
Following our arrival at Tucson International Airport, we will meet our local Arizona guide, Ken Blankenship of East West Birding Tours, and then head to our first base of operations for 2 nights, the Holiday Inn Express - Tucson Airport. We will grab lunch and then, if time allows, we will have a quick birding venture mid-day in the Tucson area. Possible locations include Sweetwater Wetlands or Agua Caliente Park. On our first evening, we will do a relaxed, casual delivery dinner at the hotel so that we can rest up for an early start on Day 2.
Day 2: sonoran desert to montane conifer forest
Set the alarm early because we will be on the road no later than 6:30 AM. We will begin just east of Tucson in the beautiful Sonoran desert at the Saguaro National Park East Unit. Here we'll look for birds of this special habitat, with highlights including: Gilded Flicker, Gambel's Quail, Rufous-winged Sparrow, Greater Roadrunner, Anna's Hummingbird, Cassin's Sparrow, Verdin, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Pyrrhuloxia, Gila Woodpecker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Curve-billed Thrasher, Cactus Wren, Phainopepla, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Canyon Towhee, and Black-throated Sparrow.
Next, we'll stroll around Agua Caliente Park (unless we visited on Day 1), a few miles to the north. Here we hope to find some birds typical of riparian scrub and open mesquite/palm habitat: Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Vermilion Flycatcher, Black Phoebe, Bewick's Wren, Broad-billed Hummingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Anna's Hummingbird, Lucy's Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Bell's Vireo ("Arizona"), Hooded Oriole, Abert's Towhee, and Song Sparrow (fallax group).
For the second half of the day, we will ascend high into the Santa Catalina Mountains to Rose Canyon Lake and Mt. Lemmon, including a stop in the town of Summerhaven for lunch. Highlights among many targets along the way include: Painted Redstart, Red-faced Warbler, Stellar's Jay, Mexican Jay, Hutton's Vireo, Violet-green Swallow, Band-tailed Pigeon, White-throated Swift, Rivoli's Hummingbird, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Arizona Woodpecker, Greater Pewee, Olive Warbler, Pygmy Nuthatch, Buff-breasted Flycatcher, Cordilleran Flycatcher, Western Wood-Pewee, Virginia's Warbler, Grace's Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Yellow-eyed Junco, Zone-tailed Hawk, Mountain Chickadee, Plumbeous Vireo, Hepatic Tanager, and Black-headed Grosbeak.
Next, we'll stroll around Agua Caliente Park (unless we visited on Day 1), a few miles to the north. Here we hope to find some birds typical of riparian scrub and open mesquite/palm habitat: Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Vermilion Flycatcher, Black Phoebe, Bewick's Wren, Broad-billed Hummingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Anna's Hummingbird, Lucy's Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Bell's Vireo ("Arizona"), Hooded Oriole, Abert's Towhee, and Song Sparrow (fallax group).
For the second half of the day, we will ascend high into the Santa Catalina Mountains to Rose Canyon Lake and Mt. Lemmon, including a stop in the town of Summerhaven for lunch. Highlights among many targets along the way include: Painted Redstart, Red-faced Warbler, Stellar's Jay, Mexican Jay, Hutton's Vireo, Violet-green Swallow, Band-tailed Pigeon, White-throated Swift, Rivoli's Hummingbird, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Arizona Woodpecker, Greater Pewee, Olive Warbler, Pygmy Nuthatch, Buff-breasted Flycatcher, Cordilleran Flycatcher, Western Wood-Pewee, Virginia's Warbler, Grace's Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Yellow-eyed Junco, Zone-tailed Hawk, Mountain Chickadee, Plumbeous Vireo, Hepatic Tanager, and Black-headed Grosbeak.
day 3: santa rita mountains, de anza trail, & Paton center for hummingbirds
We'll get another early start this morning as we head towards world class birding at the infamous Box Canyon, Proctor Road, and Madera Canyon areas in the beautiful Santa Rita Mountains. We'll make our first stop in the mesquite grasslands outside the canyons to see and hear some specialty sparrows and perhaps even skylarking: Cassin's Sparrow, Botteri's Sparrow, Rufous-winged Sparrow, Black-throated Sparrow, and a few others.
We'll continue our Santa Ritas adventure by exploring Box Canyon. This rich habitat -- a blend of rocky desert and a well-watered riparian corridor -- hosts many species of interest, some already mentioned for Mt. Lemmon, but some that would be new: Varied Bunting, Five-striped Sparrow, Scott's Oriole, Cassin's Kingbird, Hooded Oriole, Ash-throated Flycatched, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Bell's Vireo ("Arizona"), Verdin, Blue Grosbeak, and much more.
Up next, we'll explore the easy, paved trails around Proctor Rd. Our main target here is Black-capped Gnatcatcher, plus many species mentioned above for Box Canyon and the grasslands.
We'll also visit the amazing feeder station at the Santa Rita Lodge, providing close-up views and great photo ops of birds such as: Mexican Jay, Bridled Titmouse, Arizona Woodpecker, Acorn Woodpecker, Hepatic Tanager, Wild Turkey ("Gould's"), Lesser Goldfinch, House Finch, Rivoli's Hummingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Broad-billed Hummingbird, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Black-headed Grosbeak, and more.
From there, we'll head south for lunch. If a pair of Rose-throated Becards returns to nest for a third straight year to the nearby De Anza Trail on the Santa Cruz River, we'll make a foray to enjoy these U.S. rarities. Other birds we may encounter include: Tropical Kingbird, Thick-billed Kingbird, Vermilion Flycatcher, Yellow-breasted Chat, Lucy's Warbler, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, and more.
We will then begin the trek over to Sierra Vista for the second half of our tour. About halfway along our journey, we will stop at Tucson Audubon's Paton Center for Hummingbirds in the town of Patagonia. There should be 5-6 species of hummingbirds here, all mentioned previously *except* the star of the show at this special site: Violet-crowned Hummingbird! The feeding stations here should also provide more views of some of the species mentioned for Santa Rita Lodge, plus: Inca Dove, White-winged Dove, Abert's Towhee, Gila Woodpecker, Gambel's Quail, Pyrrhuloxia, and Northern Cardinal. A brief stroll down Blue Haven Road (parallels Sonoita Creek) may produce Gray Hawk, Zone-tailed Hawk, Yellow-breasted Chat, Summer Tanager, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Thick-billed Kingbird, Yellow Warbler, and Varied Bunting.
We'll continue our Santa Ritas adventure by exploring Box Canyon. This rich habitat -- a blend of rocky desert and a well-watered riparian corridor -- hosts many species of interest, some already mentioned for Mt. Lemmon, but some that would be new: Varied Bunting, Five-striped Sparrow, Scott's Oriole, Cassin's Kingbird, Hooded Oriole, Ash-throated Flycatched, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Bell's Vireo ("Arizona"), Verdin, Blue Grosbeak, and much more.
Up next, we'll explore the easy, paved trails around Proctor Rd. Our main target here is Black-capped Gnatcatcher, plus many species mentioned above for Box Canyon and the grasslands.
We'll also visit the amazing feeder station at the Santa Rita Lodge, providing close-up views and great photo ops of birds such as: Mexican Jay, Bridled Titmouse, Arizona Woodpecker, Acorn Woodpecker, Hepatic Tanager, Wild Turkey ("Gould's"), Lesser Goldfinch, House Finch, Rivoli's Hummingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Broad-billed Hummingbird, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Black-headed Grosbeak, and more.
From there, we'll head south for lunch. If a pair of Rose-throated Becards returns to nest for a third straight year to the nearby De Anza Trail on the Santa Cruz River, we'll make a foray to enjoy these U.S. rarities. Other birds we may encounter include: Tropical Kingbird, Thick-billed Kingbird, Vermilion Flycatcher, Yellow-breasted Chat, Lucy's Warbler, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, and more.
We will then begin the trek over to Sierra Vista for the second half of our tour. About halfway along our journey, we will stop at Tucson Audubon's Paton Center for Hummingbirds in the town of Patagonia. There should be 5-6 species of hummingbirds here, all mentioned previously *except* the star of the show at this special site: Violet-crowned Hummingbird! The feeding stations here should also provide more views of some of the species mentioned for Santa Rita Lodge, plus: Inca Dove, White-winged Dove, Abert's Towhee, Gila Woodpecker, Gambel's Quail, Pyrrhuloxia, and Northern Cardinal. A brief stroll down Blue Haven Road (parallels Sonoita Creek) may produce Gray Hawk, Zone-tailed Hawk, Yellow-breasted Chat, Summer Tanager, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Thick-billed Kingbird, Yellow Warbler, and Varied Bunting.
day 4: canyons of the southern huachuca mountains
This morning, we'll head straight down to Miller Canyon for a nice morning hike and some great birds! This is a moderately challenging hike, mostly due to a rocky/uneven trail. However, it's only about 1.25 miles to the traditional areas for Rufous-capped Warbler or roosting "Mexican" Spotted Owl (both rare, but sometimes reliable here), and the morning sun will be at our backs on the way up. There are some nice birds over the first 2/3 of the hike, which is through successional habitat that burned in 2011: Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Spotted Towhee, and Scott's Oriole. Possible in the higher canyon: Buff-breasted Flycatcher, Band-tailed Pigeon, Red-faced Warbler, "Mountain" Pygmy-Owl, Painted Redstart, Canyon Wren, "Brown-throated" House Wren, Northern Goshawk, "Mexican" Brown Creeper, Rivoli's Hummingbird, Hepatic Tanager, Western Tanager, and Black-headed Grosbeak. We will also spend some time enjoying the hummingbird feeding station at the Beatty's Guest Ranch.
Our next stop will depend on specific rarities, and we will fine-tune our itinerary accordingly. Our mid-day stop will include a picnic lunch and a medium-to-easy hike. Potential rarities could include: Tufted Flycatcher in upper Carr Canyon, White-eared Hummingbird, Berylline Hummingbird, or Plain-capped Starthroat at the Ramsey Canyon Inn.
In the afternoon, we'll spend an hour or so relaxing with Mary Jo Ballator at the Ash Canyon Bird Sanctuary. She will have tons of hummers, including many species previously mentioned, and her special star of the show: Lucifer Hummingbird. She has many types of seed and suet feeders, too, so we should be in for a nice treat.
Our next stop will depend on specific rarities, and we will fine-tune our itinerary accordingly. Our mid-day stop will include a picnic lunch and a medium-to-easy hike. Potential rarities could include: Tufted Flycatcher in upper Carr Canyon, White-eared Hummingbird, Berylline Hummingbird, or Plain-capped Starthroat at the Ramsey Canyon Inn.
In the afternoon, we'll spend an hour or so relaxing with Mary Jo Ballator at the Ash Canyon Bird Sanctuary. She will have tons of hummers, including many species previously mentioned, and her special star of the show: Lucifer Hummingbird. She has many types of seed and suet feeders, too, so we should be in for a nice treat.
day 5: fort huachuca: canyons and grasslands
We'll head out early and go to the Van Deman Gate of Fort Huachuca, where we'll enjoy spectacular Huachuca Mountain birding with a side of history. The history of Fort Huachuca dates all the way back to the Indian Wars of the late 19th century, although today it is an active Army base specializing in military intelligence methods and training. The canyons we'll explore may include Huachuca Canyon, Garden Canyon, and Sawmill Canyon. Overall, the birds here will have a very similar feel to Madera Canyon, but with much less traffic (human and vehicle!). Another nice feature of these canyons is that the hiking is very mellow, with little (and very gradual) elevation gain. The density of nesting Elegant Trogons in Huachuca Canyon was striking in summer 2018, a rare Sinaloa Wren took up residence in July 2018, there was a Flame-colored Tanager in Garden Canyon for several weeks in May-June 2017, so who knows what we'll find!
We will also make a stop in the Site Boston grassland area. Here we have a chance for Scaled Quail, Blue Grosbeak, Botteri's Sparrow, Cassin's Sparrow, Say's Phoebe, Phainopepla, "Lillian's" Eastern Meadowlark, Loggerhead Shrike, and Ash-throated Flycatcher.
If time, weather, temperature, and other conditions are favorable, we may make a short visit to one more riparian hotspot: San Pedro House on the San Pedro River. This would offer another solid chance at species such as: Gray Hawk, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Zone-tailed Hawk, Blue Grosbeak, Gila Woodpecker, Botteri's Sparrow, Cassin's Sparrow, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Black Phoebe, Say's Phoebe, Abert's Towhee, Song Sparrow (fallax group), Summer Tanager, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Yellow-breasted Chat, Cassin's Kingbird, Inca Dove, Common Ground-Dove, Pyrrhuloxia, and Gambel's Quail.
We will also make a stop in the Site Boston grassland area. Here we have a chance for Scaled Quail, Blue Grosbeak, Botteri's Sparrow, Cassin's Sparrow, Say's Phoebe, Phainopepla, "Lillian's" Eastern Meadowlark, Loggerhead Shrike, and Ash-throated Flycatcher.
If time, weather, temperature, and other conditions are favorable, we may make a short visit to one more riparian hotspot: San Pedro House on the San Pedro River. This would offer another solid chance at species such as: Gray Hawk, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Zone-tailed Hawk, Blue Grosbeak, Gila Woodpecker, Botteri's Sparrow, Cassin's Sparrow, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Black Phoebe, Say's Phoebe, Abert's Towhee, Song Sparrow (fallax group), Summer Tanager, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Yellow-breasted Chat, Cassin's Kingbird, Inca Dove, Common Ground-Dove, Pyrrhuloxia, and Gambel's Quail.
day 6: departure and/or morning walk at the sonoran desert museum
If your departure is early in the day, the hotel will have its shuttle operating early enough to get you to the terminal for check-in. If we have folks who are not departing until later in the day, or are staying behind for additional days on their own, we will take a fairly quick morning excursion to the impressive Sonoran Desert Museum on the west side of Tucson. Along with enclosures featuring many animals typical of this unique eco-region, there is an extensive interior museum with interpretive exhibits, an aviary, and incredible paintings of native cacti and other desert plants. We would leave with plenty of time to retrieve luggage and get you to the airport for your departing flight(s).
Note: Our itinerary may change slightly due to conditions and birds present at the time of travel.
> Download a full trip itinerary (pdf).
> Download a list of the target species (pdf).
> Download the checklist of birds observed by the Atlanta Audubon group in 2018 (pdf).
> Download a full trip itinerary (pdf).
> Download a list of the target species (pdf).
> Download the checklist of birds observed by the Atlanta Audubon group in 2018 (pdf).
additional details
Price includes:
Price does not include:
Payment Plan:
Participants may pay in full by choosing the Atlanta Audubon Member or Non-Member price. For those who wish to pay in two installments, we will accept a $650 down-payment at the time of registration. Payment in full will be due by March 1, 2019. The single supplement will also be billed at this time if that option was selected.
Cancellation Policy:
If notice of cancellation by the participant is received by March 1, 2019, a refund of all payments (less a $50 cancellation fee) made will be given. If notice of cancellation is received between March 2 and April 20, 2019, a 50% refund of the tour fee will be given. Thereafter, all deposits and payments are non-refundable unless the space(s) can be filled. In the event of tour cancellation due to weather, strike, war, quarantine, or other unforeseen emergency situation, a 100% refund will be given, less any expenses incurred by the tour operator.
Travel Insurance:
We recommend purchasing travel insurance in case you must make an unforeseen trip cancellation past our refund period. Check with your own insurance carrier or consider a travel insurance specialist.
- Van transportation from the Tucson International Airport,
- Five hotel nights with breakfasts,
- All dinners, and
- Four full-day guided field trips and admission to hotspots including: Saguaro National Park, Santa Catalina Mountains (Mt. Lemmon), Madera Canyon, Florida Canyon, Paton Center for Hummingbirds, Hunter Canyon, Ash Canyon B&B, Huachuca Canyon, Garden Canyon, and more.
Price does not include:
- Airfare
- Tips (for the guide, housekeeping)
- Alcoholic or specialty beverages
- Lunches
- Snacks
- Travel Insurance
- Medical Costs
- Souvenirs
- Other incidentals that participants may wish to purchase
Payment Plan:
Participants may pay in full by choosing the Atlanta Audubon Member or Non-Member price. For those who wish to pay in two installments, we will accept a $650 down-payment at the time of registration. Payment in full will be due by March 1, 2019. The single supplement will also be billed at this time if that option was selected.
Cancellation Policy:
If notice of cancellation by the participant is received by March 1, 2019, a refund of all payments (less a $50 cancellation fee) made will be given. If notice of cancellation is received between March 2 and April 20, 2019, a 50% refund of the tour fee will be given. Thereafter, all deposits and payments are non-refundable unless the space(s) can be filled. In the event of tour cancellation due to weather, strike, war, quarantine, or other unforeseen emergency situation, a 100% refund will be given, less any expenses incurred by the tour operator.
Travel Insurance:
We recommend purchasing travel insurance in case you must make an unforeseen trip cancellation past our refund period. Check with your own insurance carrier or consider a travel insurance specialist.
