[mou] Arizona birdimg guides

[Chris Fagyal]

For anyone interested the ABA book finding birds in SE Arizona is =
absolutely excellent, and a new edition just came out recently...its well =
worth the buy.  I've used it extensively on both my trips down there.  =
Also one can visit http://www.sabo.org/birding/sites.htm which is another =
great resource.  Its the Southeast Arizona Birding Observatory website, =
and the link I just gave is a site listing for each of the areas.

One could, by the way, do the loop Warren mentioned, but i'd do it in =
reverse order.  Get up early, drive from tucson to Paton's in Patagonia, =
spend 30 mins or less at their feeders (No hummers in Jan and not much =
activity really), then head to Patagonia lake to look for wintering birds. =
 An Elegant Trogon has wintered there the last 2 winters.  Then from there =
head to Kino Springs and check for wintering birds around the ponds.  =
After that head up to Madera and spend the afternoon there, overnight at =
Madera, and bird the trails the following day before heading back to =
Tucson.

The other idea that I mentioned dealing with the Huachuca's is also =
possible in one day.  One could easily do Ramsey Canyon, Garden Canyon and =
Miller Canyon all in a day, though it'd probably be more profitable to do =
only two of them, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.  I'd =
probably skip Garden Canyon in the winter as there aren't any trogons =
there in January, and the birds will be the same otherwise.  Its definitely=
 a place to go in May as you are pretty well guaranteed trogons there.

Good birding,


Chris Fagyal
Senior Software Engineer
United Defense, L.P. ASD (UDLP-GSD for 6 mo)
Fridley, MN (San Jose, CA for 6 mo.)
(763) 572-5320
(408) 289-3840 (For the next 6 months)
chris.fagyal@udlp.com

>>> "Warren Woessner" <WWoessner@slwk.com> 07/29/2004 07:27:00 AM >>>
I agree with Chris..guides are good if you are going after a singe
difficult species, like Rufous Capped Warbler in French Joe Canyon, but
are not needed to find most of the specialties..I would add that you
should get one of the good guides to birding sites in SE Arizona. I
can't recall their exact names (like "Finding Birds in SE Arizona" but
they are available from ABA Sales (American Birding Association). With
only one day I would get up early and do a loop that includes Madera
Canyon (cabins and feeder area), Kino Springs Golf course and the
Payton's feeder and Sonoita Creek Refuge (take one of the trails from
the little visitor center down to the creek). (as if you can really do
that in one day, but you can hit the highlights)
Warren

-----Original Message-----
From: mou-net-admin@cbs.umn.edu [mailto:mou-net-admin@cbs.umn.edu] On
Behalf Of Chris Fagyal
Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2004 9:11 AM
To: <mou-net; mnbird@lists.mnbird.net; a_molson@unidial.com=20
Subject: Re: [mou] Arizona birdimg guides


You don't really need a guide.  Its pretty easy to do that area without
one.  The couple guides around there are very expensive (Though if you
truly want one, their names are Stuart Healy (www.aztrogon.com), or
Melody Kehl (dont remember her web address), or you could even try Rich
Hoyer of Wings..he lives there...he'd provbably be leading a tour in
January, but you never know.  He's about as expensive, or maybe slightly
more so than the other two.  One idea is to drive down to Sierra Vista,
stay in a hotel there (There are several decent ones.  I stayed in the
Fairfield hotel off of Hwy 92).  From there you can go to Ramsey Canyon,
Miller Canyon, and the Huachucas to Garden Canyon.  All are within 15
minutes or so of the hotel I mentioned.  Another choice would be to
drive down from Tuscon to Madera Canyon and overnight there.  There are
plenty of trails to explore up above Santa Rita lodge, and the feeders
around the lodge as well. =20

There won't be any trogons around in January except possibly at
Patagonia Lake which would be relatively on your way to Sierra Vista.
You could find out if a Trogon is overwintering there by following the
AZ-NM list server.  One has the last 2 years that I know of.  Most of
the SE AZ specialties are not around in the winter.  There definitely
won't be any Flame Colored Tanagers around.  They have historically
shown up in mid April.


Chris Fagyal
Senior Software Engineer
United Defense, L.P. ASD (UDLP-GSD for 6 mo)
Fridley, MN (San Jose, CA for 6 mo.)
(763) 572-5320
(408) 289-3840 (For the next 6 months)
chris.fagyal@udlp.com=20

>>> Ann and Manley Olson <a_molson@unidial.com> 07/28/2004 13:34:12 PM
>>>
In January I will be attending a conference in Tucson.I will have only=20
one full day and most of a second free to bird. ABA publications carry=20
ads from guides. Does anyone have any recommendatons or experience they=20
would be willing to share about any guide service?I have spent a week of

Spring birding in SE Arizona about ten years ago and birded around the=20
edges of a conference in Tempe in the Fall but since I have such a=20
limited time I would like to make the most of it.
Thank you for any ideas you might have.
Manley Olson

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