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Writer's pictureBarbara Seith

Tucson Overview

My hotel was the Hilton on the South East side of Tucson. It was about as centrally located amidst my birding spots as it could get, but they were pretty dispersed.  After watching an Tucson Audubon video the week before I left, I added Saguaro (pronounced Sawaro) National Park – West to my list.  Since I got to Tucson earlier than expected I did an early evening bird there.  The Saguaro cactus can have owls nesting in them and I thought this would be my best shot.  It was @30 miles from the Hotel  - although the birding started several miles before the final destination. 

View from Hotel

The drive to Saguaro was lovely, it was temperate enough for me to have the windows down and it was the golden hour.  I did the Bajada Loop drive around the park – it was my first experience of many driving a basically unmaintained road.  There were potholes and dips and lots of signs saying “Do Not Enter if Flooded” and very, very dusty.


The Saguaro sunset and moonrise were beautiful.


Birding Saguaro National Park – West link below


I planned to start the 2nd morning bright and early at Sweetwater Wetlands (@16 miles from the hotel), but the dawn chorus at the Hotel was irresistible - including a Vermillion Flycatcher and Lucy’s Warbler – both Life birds.


Sweetwater is a flat trail around a group of reclaimed water ponds in Western Tucson.  I found out the week before that there was construction going on all the days I would be in Tucson except for Wednesday morning when there was an Audubon walk at 8am.  Lucky me!  I was planning on going on Wednesday, but a brief early visit and return later in the day after I went to the Desert Museum.  One thing I have learned from planning and executing birding trips, it is you need to be flexible and have alternatives mapped out.  I arrived at 5:30 AM and stayed for @2 hours.  I was overjoyed to finally see a Cinnamon Teal (but the photo was not so great) and a Yellow-headed Blackbird (no photo).


Birding Sweetwater Wetlands Park link below


Having gotten my walk for the day I headed for the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (@16 miles from Sweetwater) hoping to get a scooter to use on the trails.  There are several miles of trails there and the things I want to see were at different ends of the property.  There were plenty of scooters available when I arrived and it wasn’t very warm yet. 


Here was my ride.


It was easy to learn how to use and it performed well on the hilly trails of the Museum.  The only issue I has was when I tried to go into the Labyrinth and ended up going over some rocks and almost getting stuck.  It was a heavy duty “vehicle” and I could not lift it, but it could lift itself.  I got out of the maze but by the skin of my teeth.  I had to walk to the entrance and the Scooter garage from the parking lot, but arrived soon after opening, I was grateful my spot was close. 


Lots of non-countable birds there (in the aviary and the contained Hummingbird area, but plenty of countable ones too.  It is a lovely property and I got to see some animals– Javalina & Mountain Goats, butterflies & flora too.


Birding Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum link below


My next stop was Mile Wide Road & Avra Valley—Reservation Road.  This was a recently added spot based on a Wildside Nature Tour that was in the area for Hawk watch – it was sited as a reliable location for a Bendire’s Thrasher –rare and coveted Arizona bird. 


The area is a series of straight intersecting roads with berms on the side and grasslands beyond.  Lots of perched Kingbirds and thankfully some Bendire’s Thrashers.  Again lots of dust from the dirt roads.



Back at the Hotel I took some time to bird while the lights were still on.  I got some photos and saw a new hummingbird.  Then I found out that Room Service didn’t start until 5 and I was hoping for a nice early room service meal that didn’t happen.  I ate some of my emergency food and went to bed early to prepare for another early start the next day.

Vermillion Flycatcher - Life Bird

House Finch

Broad-tailed Hummingbird - Life Bird

Still in Tucson -- but next post will be on Mount Lemmon.



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