Arizona's “Hawk Alley,” the famous Sulphur Sp rings Valley on the west side of the Chiricahua Mountains, provides a winte r home for 14 species of raptors, including both Bald and Golden Eagles, an d Harris’s, Ferruginous, and Rough-legged Hawks. It also affords appr oximately 30,000 Sandhill Cranes a safe haven from the snows that blanket t he northern United States. A visit to the Sulphur Springs Valley is j ust one of the treats that awaits participants as we explore one of the gre at avian wintering areas in our country. There is also a pronounced p attern of Mexican bird vagrancy at this time of year. Regular but rar e species such as Least Grebe, Ruddy Ground-Dove, Violet-crowned Hummingbir d, Green Kingfisher, and Rufous-backed Robin are not unexpected. So-c alled “mega-rarities” are impossible to predict, but recent years have seen the first U.S. winter records of Eared Quetzal, Nutting’s Flycatcher, Azte c Thrush, Blue Mockingbird, and Crescent-chested Warbler. Both Black- capped Gnatcatchers and Rufous-capped Warblers, formerly vagrants north of the international border, are now established as year-round residents. &nbs p;In the past decade Christmas Bird Counts have consistently turned up a ha ndful or more Elegant Trogons, almost invariably the seasonally-colored red -and-green males. They join some of the most sought-after wintering birds i n all of North America. Here the list includes American Bittern, Moun tain Plover, Sprague’s Pipit, Baird’s Sparrow, and both McCown’s and Chestn ut-collared Longspurs. Irruptive species that may number in the hundr eds or only a handful, depending on wild food crops and the severity of the season, include Sage Thrasher, Mountain Bluebird, Cassin’s Finch, Lawrence ’s Goldfinch, and a host of sparrows. More reliable are Crissal and B endire’s Thrashers—already in full song, Eastern and Western Bluebird s, Scaled and Gambel’s Quail, as well as Green-tailed and Abert’s Towhees, and virtually the full complement of Sonoran Desert breeding birds. I f awakening on a sunny winter morning to the chortling of Cactus Wrens, the whistled Whit-wheet! of Curve-billed Thrashers, and the variegated coos, c alls, and songs of Greater Roadrunner, Inca Doves, Anna’s Hummingbirds, Gil a Woodpeckers, Pyrrhuloxias, and the familiar “Cheery-cheery-cheery” of sca rlet red Northern Cardinals sounds like a refreshing way to greet the holid ay season, we cordially invite you to join us in Southeastern Arizona this December.
Leader: <
a href="index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29:john-yerger
&catid=18:leaders-and-staff&Itemid=155">John Yerger
Cost of "Arizona Winter Specialties" includes all meals, accommodatio ns, entrance fees, and transportation beginning and ending in Tucson, Arizo na—$2195.
TO REGISTER: Print out a PDF Registration Form,&nb sp;call us at (520) 558-2351 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
See also: New Mexico: Bos que del Apache to Santa Fe (February 17-25, 2018)
< p style="font-size: 8pt;"> Photo: Ferruginous Haw k
Arizona's “Hawk A lley,” the famous Sulphur Springs Valley on the west side of the Chiricahua Mountains, provides a winter home for 14 species of raptors, including bot h Bald and Golden Eagles, and Harris’s, Ferruginous, and Rough-legged Hawks . It also affords approximately 30,000 Sandhill Cranes a safe haven f rom the snows that blanket the northern United States. A visit to the Sulphur Springs Valley is just one of the treats that awaits participants as we explore one of the great avian wintering areas in our country. There is also a pronounced pattern of Mexican bird vagrancy at this time of year. Regular but rare species such as Least Grebe, Ruddy Ground-Dov e, Violet-crowned Hummingbird, Green Kingfisher, and Rufous-backed Robin ar e not unexpected. So-called “mega-rarities” are impossible to predict , but recent years have seen the first U.S. winter records of Eared Quetzal , Nutting’s Flycatcher, Aztec Thrush, Blue Mockingbird, and Crescent-cheste d Warbler. Both Black-capped Gnatcatchers and Rufous-capped Warblers, formerly vagrants north of the international border, are now established a s year-round residents. In the past decade Christmas Bird Counts have consistently turned up a handful or more Elegant Trogons, almost invariabl y the seasonally-colored red-and-green males. They join some of the most so ught-after wintering birds in all of North America. Here the list inc ludes American Bittern, Mountain Plover, Sprague’s Pipit, Baird’s Sparrow, and both McCown’s and Chestnut-collared Longspurs. Irruptive species that may number in the hundreds or only a handful, depending on wild food c rops and the severity of the season, include Sage Thrasher, Mountain Bluebi rd, Cassin’s Finch, Lawrence’s Goldfinch, and a host of sparrows. Mor e reliable are Crissal and Bendire’s Thrashers—already in full song, Eastern and Western Bluebirds, Scaled and Gambel’s Quail, as well as Green- tailed and Abert’s Towhees, and virtually the full complement of Sonoran De sert breeding birds. If awakening on a sunny winter morning to the ch ortling of Cactus Wrens, the whistled Whit-wheet! of Curve-billed Thrashers , and the variegated coos, calls, and songs of Greater Roadrunner, Inca Dov es, Anna’s Hummingbirds, Gila Woodpeckers, Pyrrhuloxias, and the familiar “ Cheery-cheery-cheery” of scarlet red Northern Cardinals sounds like a refre shing way to greet the holiday season, we cordially invite you to join us i n Southeastern Arizona this December.
Cost of&nb sp;"Arizona Winter Specialties" includes all meals, a ccommodations, entrance fees, and transportation beginning and ending in Tu cson, Arizona—$2195.
TO REGISTER: Print out a PDF Registrat ion Form, call us at (520) 558-2351 or&nbs p;This email addre ss is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .