December 28, 2010 - January 2, 2011
COST PER PERSON, DOUBLE OCCUPANCY: $1475
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: $300
DEPOSIT: $350
From Tucson Airport, includes five nights lodging, all meals, transportation, entry fees, guides, taxes, tips.
Not Included: Alcohol, laundry, phone calls, other personal expenses
Easy, with one moderate to difficult, optional hike for Spotted Owl.
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Southeastern Arizona is truly a birder's paradise. The tremendous variety of habitat types and the geographic proximity to Mexico provide for a phenomenal diversity of avian species. Most of the neotropical species go south in the winter, but many other species move in to winter, and a number of resident species are easy to find. Hawks, eagles, falcons, sparrows and other resident birds will be our focus for this long weekend. We will enjoy some of the fine food in Southeast Arizona. Our last day, we’ll have a meal prepared at the Inn by our fine French chef from Phoenix.
DAY ONE: We'll provide a Tucson Airport pickup at 4:00 PM for those arriving by air. Others should arrive at Ramsey Canyon Inn by 5:30 PM. Dinner together at 6:30 PM at Adobe Southwestern Restaurant.
DAY TWO: Breakfast at 7:30 AM. Depart at 8:15 AM. We drive West today through Coronado National Monument and San Raphael Valley. We’ll stop in Patagonia to see if any hummers are at the Paton’s feeders, then go to Kino Springs and, finally, Patagonia Lake where we hope to find the pair of Black-capped Gnatcatchers that have been wintering there. Dinner at 7:00 PM at Outside Inn, Sierra Vista.
DAY THREE: Breakfast at 7:30 AM. Depart at 8:15 AM. We’ll spend the day in Sulphur Springs Valley in search of Ferruginous and Rough-legged Hawks, Prairie Falcons, Golden Eagles, Bald Eagles, Bendire’s Thrasher, Mountain Plover, Sprague’s Pipit, Sage Sparrow, and Sandhill Cranes. Dinner at 6:30 at the The Bisbee Grille in the quaint artist’s colony of Bisbee.
DAY FOUR: Breakfast at 7:30 AM. Depart at 8:15 AM. We'll spend the early morning at the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area — the first designated Globally Important Bird Area and one of the Nature Conservancies 12 "Last Great Places on Earth" San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area--the first designated Globally Important Bird Area and one of the Nature Conservancies 12 "Last Great Places on Earth" — where we hope to see the elusive Green Kingfisher. Later, we’ll drive to Fort Huachuca and Garden Canyon. We’ll visit Scheelite Canyon for Mexican Spotted Owl, and Sawmill Canyon for high elevation species, e.g., Yellow-eyed Junco. Dinner at 7:00 PM at Cafe Roka in Bisbee.
DAY FIVE: Greet the New Year with a full breakfast at 8:00 AM at Ramsey Canyon Inn. We'll spend the morning exploring Ramsey Canyon Preserve. In the afternoon, we'll follow any rare bird reports and go wherever there's something interesting to see. Ca-tered dinner by our favorite gourmet chef at 6:30 at the Inn.
DAY SIX: Tour ends after breakfast. We’ll return you to Tucson Airport by about 9:30 AM.
Casual, informal attire is acceptable for all restaurants. Casual, informal attire is ac-ceptable for all restaurants. The following items are important to have for you comfort and safety. We are at about 5000 feet most of the time, so temperatures can drop be-low freezing in the morning. Windy days can produce a significant wind-chill factor. Temperatures usually moderate during the day getting up into the 60’s and 70’s most days.
All books can be obtained from Madison Audubon Shoppe (888) 505-9056 at a 10% discount for High Lonesome BirdTours trip participants.