ARIZONA 23 July–7 August 2009 Leaders: James P. Smith and Peter Lansdown

Arizona is one of the most exciting birdwatching states in the USA because of its diverse life-zones. A number of Mexican species occur in the USA only by virtue of the Sierra Madre mountain ranges, the northern tips of which end in the state. In addition, many more northerly species are found in the state because of the southerly extensions of the Rocky Mountains. This, coupled with the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts, which extend from the west and east respectively, ensures a wide diversity of species. As well as the birds, however, Arizona has many other wonderful natural sights, including the Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest and Painted Desert, and historical places, including Tombstone, all of which we will see. August follows the 'second spring' rains and is the peak time for hummingbirds. This will be Birdfinders' fifth tour of Arizona.

Day 1 Scheduled flight from London to Phoenix via another US city, followed by a one-hour drive to Mesa, Phoenix, for a one-night stay.

Day 2 Our first full day in the state, so we will be keen to start birding as soon as possible. We head towards Aravaipa Canyon, a drive of about two hours, stopping for breakfast en-route. The main target species here is the rare Common Black-hawk, a species with a very small population in the USA. Also present are Zone-tailed Hawks (easily confused with the common Turkey Vultures) and nearby we will look for Mississippi Kite. We then head south towards Tucson, birding en-route. In the afternoon, we will visit Maran Pecan Grove, which is good for Burrowing Owls and early migrants. Two nights in Tucson.

Day 3 In the morning we will visit the Saguaro National Monument. During various stops we will encounter some common desert birds which may include Gambel's Quail, Inca and Mourning Doves, Costa's Hummingbird, Gilded Flicker, Gila and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Verdin, Cactus and Canyon Wrens, Curve-billed Thrasher, Phainopepla, Northern Cardinal, Pyrrhuloxia, Canyon Towhee, Black-throated Sparrow and House Finch. By now it will be getting hot so, to avoid the heat, we will drive up into the Santa Catalina Mountains, where we will pass through five different life-zones. Our first stop will be at Molino Basin in the oak woods, where we will look for Acorn Woodpecker, Bushtit, Bridled Titmouse, Mexican Jay, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Bewick's and Rock Wrens, Scott's Oriole and Black-throated Gray Warbler. As we rise above 6000 feet we will encounter different birds including Spotted Towhee, Yellow-eyed Junco, Hepatic Tanager, Plumbeous and Hutton's Vireos, Band-tailed Pigeon, Arizona Woodpecker, Western Wood-pewee, Virginia's, Grace's, Red-faced and Olive Warblers and Painted Redstart. Onwards and upwards we drive through more life zones where we may see Wild Turkey, Steller's Jay, Mountain Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch and Brown Creeper, while overhead will be White-throated Swifts and Red-tailed Hawks. As we near the top we may encounter Hairy Woodpecker, Cordilleran Flycatcher, (Western) Warbling Vireo, Western Tanager, Chipping Sparrow, Orange-crowned Warbler and American Robin.

Day 4 Our first stop today will be at the San Xavier Mission where we will look for Burrowing Owl and Rufous-winged Sparrow around the old cemetery. Nearby, an interesting scrub-covered hillside supports Crissal and Bendire's Thrashers, Greater Roadrunner and Abert's Towhee. After breakfast in Continental we will visit the famous Madera Canyon. As we should have seen many of the more common species by now, we can concentrate on the specialities. As we pass through the open grasslands with their Cholla cactus, we will search for Say's Phoebe. Reaching Florida Wash, we will stop to look for specialities including Varied Bunting, Bell's Vireo, Lucy's Warbler and both Botteri's and Cassin's Sparrows, a species pair that are hard to separate. Once we reach the head of the canyon we will park and explore some of the many trails. As well as some of the birds we may already have seen, we will look out for Acorn Woodpecker, Black Phoebe, Lesser Goldfinch, Elegant Trogon, Brown-crested, Dusky-capped and Sulphur-bellied Flycatchers, Painted Redstart and Bridled Titmouse. On a previous visit we had a close encounter with a Black Bear and her cub. At the Santa Rita Lodge we will eat our lunch whilst watching the feeders which attract many birds including Black-headed Grosbeak and several hummingbirds: Black-chinned, Broad-billed, Magnificent and Anna's.

Returning down the canyon we head south to Nogales, stopping en-route at the Nogales sewerage works for ducks and waders before it closes at 16.00. After checking into our motel we will visit Kino Springs where we will look for several new species. The primary targets here are Thick-billed and Tropical Kingbirds, with their commoner cousins, Cassin's and Western Kingbirds. American Black Vultures are likely to be around together with the very local Gray Hawk. We may also see Great Blue Heron, American Coot and Pied-billed Grebe. In the varied habitat, Common Ground-dove, Vermilion Flycatcher, Bullock's and Hooded Orioles, Red-winged Blackbird, Great-tailed Grackle and Bronzed Cowbird can all be found. Two nights at Nogales.

Day 5 We head south towards the Mexican border today, first along a freeway then on side roads where we will keep an eye out firstly for Common Poorwill before dawn and then for Montezuma Quail. Finally, we reach the rugged California Gulch. If the condition of the road is too bad for driving, we may have a long walk for the principal speciality, Five-striped Sparrow, but there will be plenty of other birds to look out for including Zone-tailed Hawk, Northern Beardless-tyrannulet, Bushtit and Varied Bunting. After a break for lunch in Nogales we will visit Pena Blanca Lake in the afternoon.

Day 6 Our first destination today will be Patagonia Lake State Park, where Western Grebe and Neotropic Cormorant can usually be found. Other species we will search for include Bell's Vireo, various flycatchers including Northern Beardless-tyrannulet and early migrants. Moving on, after breakfast in Patagonia, we will visit the Paton's yard to look at their hummingbird feeders. Anna's, Black-chinned, Broad-billed, Rufous and Violet-crowned Hummingbirds are the most likely. The Patagonia roadside rest area is one of the most famous US birding stakeouts and its name gave rise to the phrase 'The Patagonia rest area effect'. This is where a rare bird is accidentally found at an unlikely spot and the ensuing hordes of birders find other rarities in a kind of snowball effect. Here we will look for the famous Rose-throated Becards that started the whole thing, as well as Thick-billed Kingbirds. After checking into our motel in Sierra Vista for a three-night stay we will visit the San Pedro Valley to look for sparrows and, as dusk falls, Lesser Nighthawk.

Day 7 Early morning is a good time for singing sparrows in the grasslands on the eastern slopes of the Huachuca Mountains, where we will look for Botteri's, Cassin's, Grasshopper and Lark Sparrows. Other birds present in the area include Say's Phoebe and Violet-green Swallow. Continuing on to Garden Canyon, we will look for Buff-breasted Flycatcher, a colonial breeder, while Arizona Woodpecker can also be found in this area. Dropping back down the canyon, we will look at some petroglyphs before starting a somewhat arduous walk up Scheelite Canyon. Although it is only about a two-mile round trip, it is quite steep, so we will allow plenty of time as there are many good birds here. Our main target is Spotted Owl, which can be difficult to find. Dusky and Cordilleran Flycatchers and Black-throated Gray and Virginia's Warblers can all be found, together with the stunning Red-faced Warbler. During the heat of the day we will visit Ramsey Canyon, which has many hummingbird feeders and an excellent bird gift shop. Berylline Hummingbird has bred here. After an early dinner, we will visit Carr Canyon, where we will look for Elf Owl and Western and Whiskered Screech-owls.

Day 8 In the morning we may revisit the San Pedro Valley, which has riverine habitat supporting a good diversity of breeding birds and migrants including Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Vermilion Flycatcher, Summer Tanager, Song Sparrow, Yellow Warbler and Common Yellowthroat. Driving back into Sierra Vista we will stop at the sewerage ponds where there should be a number of ducks and waders, which may include Least, Baird's, Spotted, Solitary and Western Sandpipers, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, American Avocet, Long-billed Dowitcher, Black-necked Stilt and Wilson's Phalarope, as well as Yellow-headed Blackbird, White-faced Ibis, Sora and Swainson's Hawk. At lunchtime we will visit the historic town of Tombstone with its Boot Hill Cemetery and OK Corral. In the afternoon we will return to the Huachuca mountains where we will watch the hummingbird feeders in Miller Canyon at "Beatty's yard". On the 2000 tour we recorded an amazing 12 species of hummingbird here including Allen's, Rufous, Broad-tailed, White-eared, Blue-throated, Calliope, Costa's and Lucifer Hummingbirds. In the evening we may revisit Carr Canyon for owls.

Day 9 Today we head east towards the Chiricahua Mountains. The road is very quiet and is good for raptors, with Harris' and Swainson's Hawks and Northern Harrier being regular, as well as Chihuahuan Ravens and Pronghorn Deer. Our first scheduled birding stop will be at Whitewater Draw where we will look for Scaled Quail and both Bendire's and Crissal Thrasher. Whitewater Draw itself is a magnet for migrating birds in the otherwise barren landscape. There is a large body of open water that attracts herons, ducks and waders, as well as some marshy woodland which is good for passerines. Continuing on towards the Chiricahua Mountains, we will stop at an old barn that is a roost-site for both Great Horned and Barn Owls. Moving up into the mountains we will make frequent stops along Pinery Canyon Road. New birds are becoming harder to find, although Mexican Chickadees are quite common, if sometimes difficult to locate. Band-tailed Pigeons are present but normally seen only in flight while, at the highest point, at Rustler Park, Hairy Woodpecker, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Hermit Thrush and Golden-crowned Kinglet can be seen. Dropping down into Paradise we will look for Western Scrub-jay and Juniper Titmouse around the cemetery whilst, along the Portal Road, Black-chinned and Rufous-crowned Sparrows can be found. As dusk approaches we will drive out of the mountains on a dirt road where dozens of Lesser Nighthawks with a few Common Poorwills may flush off the road in front of us. Night at Wilcox.

Day 10 If we have missed anything in the Chiricahuas we will return to the mountains, otherwise we will visit Wilcox Playa to look for ducks, waders and Scaled Quail before driving east into New Mexico and then north into the White Mountains back in Arizona. Our first scheduled stop in the White Mountains is at The Post Office at Nutrioso, an unusual place to look for birds but a reliable site for Lewis's Woodpecker. Next is Luna Lake, where both Bald Eagle and Osprey breed. We will also explore the campground there, looking specifically for Williamson's Sapsucker and Mountain Bluebird. Our last stop of the day will be at Nelson Reservoir, where we will look for passage ducks and waders and search through the common Soras for a Virginia Rail. Two nights at Springerville.

Day 11 We will be at Green's Peak shortly after dawn to look for Dusky Grouse. Dark-eyed (Gray-headed) Junco, Green-tailed Towhee and Vesper Sparrow can also be found here. After breakfast we will visit a site for the very local American Dipper, while Olive-sided Flycatcher, Townsend's Solitaire, Pinyon Jay and Clark's Nutcracker can all be found at nearby South Fork. Sunrise Lake has numerous ducks while both Clark's and Western Grebes have occurred there and Savannah Sparrows breed. The campground nearby attracts Gray Jays and American Crows and gives us a chance of American Three-toed Woodpecker. If we still haven't seen Bald Eagle we will also visit Crescent Lake where they breed. In the evening we may visit Becker Lake where both Eastern (Lilian's) and Western Meadowlarks can be found.

Day 12 This morning we will return to any of yesterday's sites where we may still need to locate birds, before driving through some superb scenery to the Petrified Forest. Although there are no new birds to look for during the journey, both Golden Eagles and Prairie Falcons breed in the park. After admiring the spectacle of the mineralised logs, we will drive the short distance to see the Painted Desert, another spectacular sight. It is then a two-hour drive to Flagstaff, our base for the next two nights.

Day 13 The journey to the Grand Canyon is about an hour and a half long, although stops for birds may delay us. When we reach one of the greatest spectacles on Earth, however, birds will be almost of secondary importance, for the sight is simply breathtaking and words cannot describe it. Rock and Canyon Wrens, Mountain Chickadee, Pygmy Nuthatch and Red Crossbill are all quite tame around the tourist trails. There will be the opportunity to take a scenic flight at a cost of about £70.

Day 14 We return to Phoenix today but we have the whole day to make the journey, so we can bird at suitable locations en route including Upper Mary and Mormon Lakes. South of Payson we will stop at a site for the very local Gray Vireo. Black-chinned Sparrows can also be found here. After checking in to our hotel we may visit local sewerage pools where ducks and waders can be numerous. Night at Mesa, Phoenix.

Day 15 There might be time for some early morning birding before our overnight flight back to London.

Day 16 Arrival in London.

General Information It can be very hot at this time of year and there may be some rain/thunderstorms. There are no special medical requirements. There should be little problem with insects. The pace of the tour is moderate but with early starts and some moderate walks up canyon paths. Visas are not required.

Group size Minimum number for tour to go ahead: 8; maximum group size: 10 with 1 leader, 16 with 2 leaders.

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