BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//jEvents 2.0 for Joomla//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT UID:5943d9ceb9ad8f022b172814c7495829 CATEGORIES:North America CREATED:20170801T153832 SUMMARY:Arizona Winter Specialties 2018 DESCRIPTION:\nArizona's “Hawk Alley,” the famous Sulphur Springs Valley on the west sid e of the Chiricahua Mountains, provides a winter home for 14 species of rap tors, including both Bald and Golden Eagles, and Harris’s, Ferruginous, and Rough-legged Hawks.  It also affords approximately 30,000 Sandhill Cranes a safe haven from the snows that blanket the northern United States.  A vis it to the Sulphur Springs Valley is just one of the treats that awaits part icipants as we explore one of the great avian wintering areas in our countr y.  There is also a pronounced pattern of Mexican bird vagrancy at this tim e of year.  Regular but rare species such as Least Grebe, Ruddy Ground-Dove , Violet-crowned Hummingbird, Green Kingfisher, and Rufous-backed Robin are not unexpected.  So-called “mega-rarities” are impossible to predict, but recent years have seen the first U.S. winter records of Eared Quetzal, Nutt ing’s Flycatcher, Aztec Thrush, Blue Mockingbird, and Crescent-chested Warb ler.  Both Black-capped Gnatcatchers and Rufous-capped Warblers, formerly v agrants north of the international border, are now established as year-roun d residents.  In the past decade Christmas Bird Counts have consistently tu rned up a handful or more Elegant Trogons, almost invariably the seasonally -colored red-and-green males. They join some of the most sought-after winte ring birds in all of North America.  Here the list includes American Bitter n, Mountain Plover, Sprague’s Pipit, Baird’s Sparrow, and both McCown’s and Chestnut-collared Longspurs.  Irruptive species that may number in the hun dreds or only a handful, depending on wild food crops and the severity of t he season, include Sage Thrasher, Mountain Bluebird, Cassin’s Finch, Lawren ce’s Goldfinch, and a host of sparrows.  More reliable are Crissal and Bend ire’s Thrashers—already in full song,  Eastern and Western Bluebirds, Scale d and Gambel’s Quail, as well as Green-tailed and Abert’s Towhees, and virt ually the full complement of Sonoran Desert breeding birds.  If awakening o n a sunny winter morning to the chortling of Cactus Wrens, the whistled Whi t-wheet! of Curve-billed Thrashers, and the variegated coos, calls, and son gs of Greater Roadrunner, Inca Doves, Anna’s Hummingbirds, Gila Woodpeckers , Pyrrhuloxias, and the familiar “Cheery-cheery-cheery” of scarlet red Nort hern Cardinals sounds like a refreshing way to greet the holiday season, we cordially invite you to join us in Southeastern Arizona this December.\nLe ader:  John Yerger (index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29 :john-yerger&catid=18:leaders-and-staff&Itemid=155)\n (index.php?op tion=com_content&view=article&id=23:rick-taylor&catid=18:leader s-and-staff&Itemid=155)\nCost of "Arizona Winter Specialties" includes all meals, accommodations, entrance fees, and transportation beginning and ending in Tucson, Arizona—$2195.\nTO REGISTER: Print out a PDF Registration Form (images/borderland/borderland_tours_reg_v4.pdf), call us at (520) 558 -2351 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need Java Script enabled to view it. document.getElementById('cloak4141851b443323 f55bf6a45f0a60d378').innerHTML = ''; var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; var addy4141851b443323f 55bf6a45f0a60d378 = 'info' + '@'; addy4141851b443323f55bf 6a45f0a60d378 = addy4141851b443323f55bf6a45f0a60d378 + 'borderl&# 97;nd-tours' + '.' + 'com?subject=Tou ;r%20registration'; var addy_text4141851b443323 f55bf6a45f0a60d378 = 'send us an email';documen t.getElementById('cloak4141851b443323f55bf6a45f0a60d378').innerHTML += ''+addy_text4141851b443323f55bf6a45f0a60d378+''; .\nSee also: New Mexico: Bosque del Apache to Santa Fe (February 17-25, 2018)\n Photo: Ferruginous Hawk\nPhoto by: Rick Taylor\n (index.php?option=com_joomgallery&view=ca tegory&catid=2&Itemid=139)\nView Photo Gallery (index.php?option=co m_joomgallery&view=category&catid=2&Itemid=139)   X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Ferruginous Hawk. Photo by Rick Taylor. Copyright <strong>Borderland Tours</strong>. Al l rights reserved.

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.

Leader:  John Yerger

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 .