I'm starting with the Summary because I don't have to process any photos for that. I will do a post on each day and an individual post for each significant birding location which may include several visits. Far and away my favorite spots were Mt. Lemmon and the Huachuca's (Hereford/Sierra Vista) - I loved Ash Canyon Bird Sanctuary - great Hummingbirds & Orioles! and my lodging at Battiste's Bird Garden which true to its name had a large garden in back with natural perches, lots of Hummingbirds and an Elf Owl nest. As my advisors warned me my itinerary was at best aggressive, at worst un-doable. Well, I did not do all of it, but I did add a few things along the way. Although I did not consciously plan it, turns out that the end of the trip, when I was getting very tired and really appreciated a nice garden with good feeders, I had them. I am still catching up on sleep, but it was a good trip and I'm glad I did it exactly the way I did.
Summary of Trip
·        81 Checklists
·        201 Species
·        87 New Life Birds
·        7053 Photos taken - which have yet to be reviewed/processed
·        1,500 Miles driven
·        1 Hotel, 1 Room in House, 1 Air B&B, 2 Lodges (with feeders)
·        9 Streams across the roads
·        Lots of Dirt/Roads roads (feel like I was covered in a thin layer of dirt the whole time!
·        1 road that I wasn’t supposed to drive down (didn’t find out until that evening) but it was a little scary
Arrive in Phoenix from Boston
·        Encanto Park
·        Gilbert Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch – Parking Lot only @95 degrees!
Tucson (3 nights/ 2 days)
·        Saguaro National Park – West
·        Sweetwater Wetlands Park
·        Arizona Sonora Desert Museum
·        Mile Wide Rd/Avra Valley—Reservation Road
·        Lost on the way – E Mt Lemmon Short Rd.
·        Mt. Lemmon
Portal/Chiricahua Mountains (2 nights)
·        Lost on the way – Kansas Settlement Road
·        Willcox Lake Cochise & Twin Lakes Gold Course
·        Portal-Paradise Road
·        Paradise—George Walker House
·        Onion Saddle
·        The Road to Barfoot Park
·        Air B&B yard
·        Willow Tank/Stateline Road
·        Portal—Main Street
·        Cave Creek Canyon South Fork
·        Cave Creek Canyon North Fork
Patagonia & Tubac (2 nights)
·        Bisbee Speedway
·        Ash Canyon Bird Sanctuary (on the way)
·        Paton Center for Hummingbirds
·        Patagonia lake State Park/Sonoita Creek – Blue Haven Road
·        Patagonia Lake/Spillway
·        Patagonia Roadside Rest Stop (Picnic Table effect)
·        River Road on the way
·        Montosa Canyon
·        De Anza Trail--Tubac
Hereford/Sierra Vista/ Huachuca Mountains (2 nights)
·        Ash Canyon Bird Sanctuary
·        Huachuca Canyon
·        Garden Canyon
·        Sierra Vista Environmental Operation Park
·        Battiste’s Bird Garden (stayed there)
·        Miller Canyon
·        Ramsey Canyon Preserve
Madera Canyon (2 nights)
·        Las Cienegas NCA
·        Box Canyon
·        Madera Canyon Road
·        Proctor Road & dispersed Campground
·        Mt. Wrightson Picnic Area
·        Madera Kubo B&B
·        Santa Rita Lodge (staying there)
Depart from Phoenix for Boston
Here is the preliminary trip report -- https://ebird.org/tripreport/234495?view=checklists
More to Come soon!
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