Tucson Area early March - any birding recommendations?

<p>We are planning on spending a few days in the Tucson area early in March. We've already considered some of the usual touristy things, like the Pima Aviation Museum, and we usually like to do something really kind of cheesy and touristy so we thought Tombstone might fit that bill for one day. We shoot with Canon cameras (50D and a Txi) and an assortment of zooms, from 10-22; 24-105, 70-200, plus assorted filters, tripods, shutter releases. We like landscapes and wildlife and would likely take some moderate hikes to get out into the desert a bit if we can find some good locations. Also interested in historic sites, including both the early Spanish and the pre-European sites found in the Southwest.</p>

<p>This time we are travelling with a couple who are into birding, and although we have a passing interest we're not as experienced and dare I say, obsessed as they are. I'm happy to come along and shoot what I can get but I'd like to get some guidance from others who know the area, and could point us to some appropriate places. We will have a rental SUV (I'm aware that it's a bad idea to take it on real rough roads) so can get off the pavement somewhat. I'm wondering if it's too early for any migrations, or if we'll be looking for local birds mostly. They will have their own vehicle, so we can split up for any particular day that we end up with diverging interests.</p>

<p>Appreciate any help on must-see things around the area. We've got five days on the ground there, so will need to manage our time but would like to know what the options are.</p>

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<p>Just came back from ten days there with my wife. We do it every year.<br>

Get a picnic lunch at Trader Joe's or somewhere and head out the Old Spanish Trail to Saguaqro National Park East.<br>

It's just a short drive to the Javelina Picnic Area and after a few minutes the Curved Billed Thrashers, Black Throated Sparrows, and other items will be eyeing you. You will likely also see Gila Woodpeckers and Flickers.<br>

For historic sites, San Javier Del Bac is not far south. Tumacacori is a more "ruined" mission about an hour south. The Titan Missile Museum is on the way south in Green Valley. It's a must for those who survived the Cold War.<br>

Tombstone is pure tourist but everyone needs to go there once. The Pima Air Museum is pretty much a guy thing but I did it a couple of weeks ago and it's a long walk to see it all.<br>

<br />Kitt Peak is also an easy day trip. The Tucson area is currently a bit dry but the area to the west got a lot of rain. On a longer day trip, we just visited Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. We have gone there for more than twenty years but the Gold Poppies were in bloom for the first time. You might also see a Desert Bighorn Sheep there. I have twice.</p>

<p>Thank you Michael - that was very helpful. We have gone to Arizona this time of year, but have headed east & north from Phoenix in the past, so this is our first time around Tucson. I expect it might be a little early for the wildflower displays, that's usually around the first week of April from our experience. We'll definitely look into your suggestions. </p>

<p>David, You might not be too early for wildflowers. <a href="http://azstarnet.com/news/local/wildflowers-get-early-start-due-to-rain-warmer-january/article_24f17e09-92e9-5cdb-b459-dac13ccd8eea.html">Here</a> is a link to an article posted by the local paper just today. For birding, Aravaipa, Arivaca, and Madera Canyons are highly recommended. Sabino Canyon is beautiful landscape and a very popular hiking destination, but not much in the way of wildlife. I would still go if I were you. All of these canyons will hopefully have running creeks from mountain snow melt, but I'll stop short of promising that because our winter precipitation has been minimal this year. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum will put you in wildlife overload, but it is a zoo - live, enclosed, native species. Still recommended. There's also Agua Caliente park, though it's more urban than wilderness. As mentioned, the San Xavier del Bac is a photogenic spanish mission - especially when the skies are partly cloudy, and at sunset. As for other historical sites, nothing else is really coming to mind right now, but I'll keep thinking...</p>

<p>Southern AZ is famous for Hummingbirds, especially Madera Canyon and the canyons near Sierra Vista. To add a bit to what's already been said, Aravaca Cienega is a wildlife reserve that is know for birds but I have seen Deer there as well. It has a boardwalk since the ground is swampy in places. It is south of Tucson at least 60 miles and just before you arrive in Aravaca. It can be scenic but it is seasonal. March should be OK. <br>

The Santa Catalina Mts can be very scenic (snowy) but it is hard to catch that on a short trip. Besides Sabino, there are several lesser known canyons in the Catalinas. Consider Pima, Bear, Pontatoc and Ventana canyons to get away from the crowds. The wildflowers are early this year so you will see some. </p>

<p>Wow - thanks everyone for that information. I'm definitely going to spend some map-time checking the recommended places. I'm glad to hear that we might be there for some of the flowers. Thanks everyone.</p>

<p>Hi David.<br>

I did a birding trip last summer in June, it was incredible! The BEST thing to do is get a copy of the ABA book on birding in SE Arizona. I don't know what year this one is but http://www.amazon.com/Birders-Guide-Southeastern-Arizona-Birdfinding/dp/187878806X This series will tell you EXACTLY where to go for target birds. I did incredibly well getting all my target birds save the Mexican Spotted Owl and Violet Crowned Hummingbird (lack of time).Birds that I wanted to see and did included Elegant Trogan, Vermillian Flycatcher, Magnificant, Blue, Lucifer, , Broadbilled Hummingbirds, Strickland Woodpecker, Painted Redstart and Red-Faced Warbler and another dozen or so other life-birds for me.<br>

First things first. Don't be a moron like myself and end up in an area where there are forest fires going on, which was Portal (probably too far for you anyway). I also birded a lot near Sierra Vista, which was out-of-this-world birding, but this area was hit hard by fires after I left so I don't know what will be good this year. As others have noted Madera Canyon, which is very close to Tucson is where most people go, frankly I didn't spend much time here and went over to Organ Pipe and into Mexico (Rocky Point, Puerto Penasco).<br>

Incredible wildlife opportunities. Good luck!</p>

<p>One of the nicer landscapes near Tombstone is the western face of the Dragoon Mountains. Take Middlemarch Rd. 10 miles NE from town and then hike an easy mile or so into the foothills. The place is gorgeous anytime around sunrise or sunset. http://g.co/maps/n8ada</p>

<p>I don't know much about birding, but the Wilcox Playa, 1.5 hrs from Tucson, is supposed to be a hot spot at certain times of the year.</p>

<p>Tombstone is about as tacky as is legal. I was there last weekend and found that the old Courthouse and an adjacent 1800's fashion museum (some fellow's converted garage!) were about the most interesting thing I saw in 3 hrs of wandering. Main street is largely a series of cheap stores selling made-in-China western-themed plastic junk. Consider driving a few more miles to Bisbee. It's also touristy, but not nearly so cheap and nasty.</p>

<p>In Tucson, Sabino Canyon is a popular destination for critter watching. You can ride a shuttle to the top and hike down along the scenic creek. Plenty of birds!</p>

<p>Thanks for the additions, Douglas and Greg. Certainly your description of Tombstone doesn't surprise me too much, Greg, we kind of expected that would be the case. But your description does make the place sound a little off-putting, so it may drop well down the list. </p>

<p>Douglas - when you mention wildlife, what did you see? That was one of our disappointments last time when we headed north from and east from Phoenix - we just didn't see much despite getting off the roads and hiking. </p>

<p>Sounds like we really need to think about which daytrips we will consider. I have seen photos of Organ Pipe taken by my father many years ago, and that's a place I'd definitely like to hit. Madera Canyon sounds right, and I like the idea of anything named "Dragoon " - and the photos I find online indicate that could be a winner. So, it won't take long to fill our dance card!</p>

<p>There's a small wetlands area in town. I have no idea what kind of birds are there -- other than ducks, which even I recognize -- but every time I go there are quite a few people there taking pictures of them. It's right off I-10 so it's easy to get to.</p>

<p>http://cms3.tucsonaz.gov/water/sweetwater</p>

<p>Lets see what wildlife did I see: Probably around 40 or so species of birds (many lifers for me), a dozen or so species of mammals (Red Fox, two species of skunk, Kangaroo rats (2 species), Deer, Proghorn (further west), a dead Cougar (because of the fire), 4 or 5 species of other rodents, Ringtail cat, coyote, 2 or 3 species of bats, was that it?), one species of amphibian, about 7 species of lizard the most interesting being the Regal Horned Lizard, NO SNAKES (I looked hard, but it was the wrong time of year), a few species of fish that were new to me, some interesting species of butterflies, lots of neat moth species, a few other interesting invertebrates. Botanically the area is FANTASTIC. I'm a biologist and naturalist so anything I see in its environment knocks fascinates me; I appreciate that my list may not equally interest our readers<br>

One thing that helps finding animals, of course, is getting up early and looking for wildlife before 9:00 am or at night. I = did a lot of nocturnal searching along roads. However the night stuff is a pain because every few miles I would get jumped by Border Police. Nothing can be more distracting than driving a long at 10 miles an hour straining your eyes looking for animals along the road when you get jumped by a truck flashing blue and red lights. Further west I tried to get them to calm down by first talking to the Border Patrol first at Organ Pipe and was told by an officer to expect aircraft to 'challenge me' (I assume that meant helicopters). Since I didn't want to cost the US taxpayers thousands of dollars to go on a snake hunt at night I simply crossed over to Mexico and enjoyed the wildlife over on the other side of the border.<br>

I will note that I was 'rushed' in my exploration for animals as I had a limited time to look for things and a lot of country to cover. But I really had an amazing time. If I go back it will likely be during the 'rainy season' (July I think or August) and spend more time looking for snakes, which is one thing I really would have liked to have had better success with.<br>

Hope this helps.</p>

 

<p>Wow - way more than I expected to hear about Douglas, and you answered an unasked question I had about hiking around near the Mexico border. As a Canadian, living in the US I had best make sure I carry my documents!!</p>

<p>Yea, the border area is a bit wild and wooly. IMO, the area S. of a line from Sonoita to Toombstone is not a place to poke around after dark. Despite the media hype, I'm not sure there's that much actual danger; but the border patrol will swarm you like Paparazzi! :) Even N. of Soniota, in the Las Cienegas reserve, I get at least one BP visit every time I go there to shoot twilight / nighttime lightning. They're usually friendly, neutral at worst, and often want to chimp my shots.</p>

<p>Regarding snakes. If the weather is even remotely warm, expect snakes to be out and about. (It's Arizona, so 70+% are RATTLEsnakes.) Don't be paranoid, but do get into the habit of scanning the area ahead when walking. Never back up and always look again if you've been standing still for any time.<br /> <br /> Great Pizza at the Velvet Elvis in Patagonia. There's a pretty nature reserve in town too, with a perennial stream, that attracts all sorts of critters. http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/arizona/placesweprotect/patagonia-sonoita-creek-preserve.xml Birds too! http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/arizona/placesweprotect/pscp-bird-checklist-rev061110-fkee.pdf</p>

<p>Thanks Greg- that's a very long list of birds. I'll keep that one. And the update on the BP is appreciated as well - worth being ready at last.</p>

<p>Douglas, there's nothing like a nice stormy summer night to bring out the herps. In the hours following a good rain you'll be up to your neck in them. One night I saw 6 snakes (2 rattlers, a King, a Coral, and two unknown), two Gila Monsters, and about a bazillion assorted toads and lizards driving just once circuit of the 8 mile 'Cactus Forest Loop' in Saguaro N.P. Be extra aware if you've stopped to photograph the weather - the critters will occasionally come over to 'visit.' The Monsoon season usually kicks in solidly by mid July and lasts through mid September. We often get sporadic action 2~3 weeks before and after this time frame.</p>

<p>David, I don't know if an SUV will gain you much in the off-road department. Any road that's sufficiently rough to require a high clearance vehicle will be off-limits for most rental agencies. If you need/want the extra space, that's fine; otherwise a mid-sized auto may suffice and save a bit of $. In either event, it's probably a good idea to hit a drive-through car wash before returning the vehicle.</p>

<p>Enjoy!</p>

<p>Re: flowers. Don't expect much around Tucson. We had a fairly wet Nov and Dec, but the last 60 days have been terribly dry. The warmer-than-usual weather has prompted a few confused Brittlebush plants to flower earlier than normal. Other than that, there's very little. If we don't get respectable rain in the next few weeks I suspect the spring bloom will fail completely. (It may already be too late.) <br>

Here's a map of area rainfall over the last 60 days. Most areas are at 1/2 of normal or less.<br>

http://water.weather.gov/precip/index.php?yday=1329696000&yday_analysis=0&layer[]=0&layer[]=1&layer[]=4&timetype=RECENT&loctype=STATE&units=engl&timeframe=last60days&product=per_normal&loc=stateAZ</p>

<p>Hum.. Maybe I'm being overly pessimistic. It looks like areas to the north are actually going fairly well now.<br>

http://www.desertusa.com/wildflo/az.html</p>

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<p>Thanks Greg - I spend some time every year around the southwest, and have found that a SUV is only occasionally useful, but it is nice to have in those occasions. And I have memorized some carwash locations on the way to Phoenix airport - always a good idea to remove some of that red dust.</p>

<p>This, for some reason, is our first time spent around Tucson and I really appreciate the advice on flowers and animals. It sounds as if there are some good opportunities, and I'm getting real excited about the trip. Of course once you're there, you just go with what you have - it's hard to manufacture what is not there to start with. </p>

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<p>We had a good soak on Valentine's day on the NW side. Snow dusted Wasson peak, almost coming down to the floor. Of course it had melted away before I got off work.</p>

<p>Not sure if these were mentioned before: Tohono Chul Park, and the Tucson Botanical Gardens.</p>

<p>Thanks Greg. While I was certainly there at the wrong time of year for herps, the birding was fantastic, so I had no complaints.</p>

 

<p>Thanks everyone for the input - we're starting to assemble the stuff this weekend, flying out next Friday morning. Really looking forward to it, and working on deciding which areas we'll focus on.</p>

<p>Just don't forget to bring the camera!<br>

You might check http://www.desertusa.com/wildflo/tucson.html before leaving. It looks like the west side of town has a fair number of flowers going.</p>

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<p>Thanks Greg - working on remembering the camera stuff. Although I mostly can't stand Ashton Kutcher I really liked that camera ad (Rebel??) from a few years ago when he was heading off on a trip with just a camera bag and one pair of extra underwear. My line is that as long as I have a camera and credit card, I'm good to go.</p>

<p>OK David, just one more post... :)<br>

Saw a Kingsnake while hiking today. While the next few days are predicted to be cooler, it will be back to 80 by the time you arrive and the herps will likely be back out and about. No need for paranoia, but do enforce the habit of looking before stepping or reaching. Americanized (Killer!!) Bees are probably the next serious threat on the list. You pretty much have to stumble upon a hive to set them off. Be aware of increased activity, and flee the area immediately if bees start 'bumping' you - that's their way of asking nicely. <br>

Feel free to e-mail if you have any questions upon arrival, need to borrow a tripod, etc. geonerd at cox dot net<br>

Enjoy!</p>

<p>Thanks Greg - worth noting for sure. And I appreciate the offer of assistance - I'll keep your contact info handy.</p>

<p>A last minute observation, David<br>

I've been doing a lot of hiking in the Eastern section of Saguaro NP recently, and have noticed a fair number of birds out and about. I counted 8 distinct species this morning (and found a really cool, twisted, corkscrewed Saguaro cactus at the intersection of the Cactus Forest and Cholla trails.) You might try an early morning hike in the area. Garwood Dam makes an interesting destination.<br>

http://www.nps.gov/sagu/planyourvisit/upload/Hiking-in-the-Cactus-Forest-RMD.pdf</p>

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