On August 6-9, Ed and I attended the Southeast Arizona Birding Festival in Tucson, presented by Tucson Audubon Society. It was our first birding festival in 14 years, and it was first rate! Registration online opened on June 1 and most of our trips were sold out within 20 minutes. There are so many trips and activities to choose from. We had specific target life birds in mind, so we needed to get on trips to see those!
The festival ran over 40 trips per day, about half in vans led by professional tour guides participating in the festival, the other half drive-yourself meeting the guide at the site. Maximum on each van trip was 8-10 people. We got up every day at 4 AM to gather at the vans between 5 and 5:30 for three half-day and one full day trip. It was fun to meet and talk to sleepy-eyed and excited birders each morning. Being on East Coast time was a big help because we were always awake. LOL! This time we really did feel like we needed a vacation, after we got home from our vacation!
Searching for Five-Striped Sparrow in Box Canyon – success!
We had 7 life birds on our radar, and we got 5 of them. A big target was the Five-striped Sparrow which is found only in the dense vegetation on the steep slopes of Montosa and Box Canyons. The five-striped is a rare resident from Mexico, and they think there are now breeding pairs in each of these canyons. These are secretive and hard to find birds. It took a lot of eyes and ears, as well as patience, but we got gorgeous looks! The canyons were both spectacular!
Another life target was the Common Black Hawk. It has a limited range in AZ and had eluded us on 2 previous trips. Near Tucson, it is found in Rose Canyon on top of Mount Lemmon. We were very lucky that two local birders saw it and told us where to go. Ed got distant shots, but we were thrilled with the lifer! Mount Lemmon also had some extraordinary warbler migration, and we got 8 warbler species on one walk, including Red-faced, Hermit, Painted Redstart, Virginia’s, Black-throated Gray and Grace’s, all of them western warblers!
Ed keeps a “life bird photo” list with now 649 unique species that he’s photographed, most all are really good photos. There are a few that he’s only had a quick look at, and he always hopes to see that bird again for a better photo. One of these was the Red-faced Warbler that we first saw (briefly) and photographed in AZ in 2018. You can see the 2018 and 2024 versions of this stunning warbler! Ed was definitely pleased with this shot!
The Cassin’s Sparrow was another lifer. I was beating myself up for not having this sparrow on some of our many trips out West. But it actually has a small range, and this was a really good find on the trip to Las Cienegas National Conservation Area grasslands. It sang beautifully on top of some blooming yucca early in the morning. Arizona has a lot of rain in their “monsoon season” so it was beautiful to see the grasslands so green!
Our other two lifers were hummingbirds that we found on our own. Hummingbirds in AZ can make your head spin, there are so many species out West! Our targets were the Berylline and the White- eared, both of which we found! These are rare visitors from Mexico. On our trip we had a total of 9 hummingbird species – they can be so confusing in immature plumage! Ed loves the challenge of photographing hummingbirds, and we spent hours observing all the many feeders at Madera Canyon, Paton Center for Hummingbirds, and Cave Creek Canyon-Southwestern Research Station.
After 5 days in Tucson and the festival, we headed on our own to Sierra Vista. We were hunting for two more lifers, which we “dipped” on. For one, we hiked a steep mile up Miller Canyon on a rocky trail. How we didn’t fall is beyond me! We looked for the Flame-colored Tanager. There were many good birders’ eyes looking for this bird, but no one had it that day. The other target was the Rufous-capped Warbler, but we heard it was in a canyon with a road so bad we would probably get stuck. We’ll have to wait for that bird in a better location!
Next stop was one of our favorite birding spots in the country, Portal, AZ. This is a tiny town with gorgeous scenery, a renowned destination for birders. There is something so peaceful about being there with the majestic mountains all around. There’s very little phone signal, one restaurant (that we love) and beautiful night sky. We never get tired of going there…it was our third trip!
In Portal, Ed hunted for another life bird photo list replacement, the Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher. Not only did Ed get a fantastic shot, he clicked off a series of shots of an adult feeding a juvenile a huge grasshopper. Another day we hiked a scenic trail hoping to hear the Northern Pygmy-Owl, another potential life bird. No pygmy, but the stunning Elegant Trogon suddenly appeared on the trail and posed for Ed. At Bob Rodrigues yard hotspot, a home with feeders open to the public, we spent some leisurely time watching the comings and goings of many species. The dapper Pyrrhuloxia, or desert cardinal, was a highlight of this stop.
I can’t say enough about this birding festival, and if anyone has an opportunity to go, you should really consider it. It takes place in early August every year. Yes, it was hot, but heat feels so different without humidity. At the top of Mount Lemmon, just 25 miles from Tucson, is a full 20 degrees cooler most days! The guides were all top-notch, and it is just spectacular birding. Ken Blankenship, a birding friend from GA, was one of our festival guides. Ken now owns East West Birding Tours in AZ. He’s an amazing guide, and a huge University of GA fan!
Just watch for the 2025 registration date so you can get on good trips….they go quickly! There are so many trips and activities, it is almost overwhelming to look at the schedule! If you need Western birds, this is the BEST! And, we met so many nice birders from all over the country.
So, I did not reach my goal of 700 US life birds, I got to 698. But the fun is in the trying! Hopefully, a trip to Texas next month will seal the deal. LOL.
Submitted by: Aija Konrad
Photos by: Ed Konrad