Upcoming events
Once again, Karen O'Neil will be leading us on a new trip to the beautiful cool Prescott Area. We will be birding in the Bradshaw Mts. at the base of Mt. Tritle and at a road crossing of the Hassayampa River. Birds we can expect include broad-tailed hummingbird, acorn and hairy woodpeckers, northern flicker, cordilleran flycatcher, western wood pewee, plumbeous vireo, Stellers jay, violet-green swallow, mountain chickadee, white-breasted and pygmy nuthatches, house and Bewicks wrens, hermit thrush, American robin, yellow and Graces warblers, painted redstart, western and hepatic tanagers, pine siskin, house finches, and lesser goldfinches. Greater pewee, olive and red-faced warblers have occasionally been seen in this area.
This trip involves about two miles of walking (round trip) that is somewhat up and down, but not steep. At this time (who knows by the end of May!), there is water flowing, not only in the Hassayampa,but also in an ephemeral creek about ½ mile drive from the river. We will be leaving our cars to walk in that area. For those who do not want to do the slow birding walk for the two miles, bring a chair, and enjoy a birding sit! We will meet at the Bashas parking lot in Frontier Village on Hwy. 69 just east of Prescott at 7 a.m. on May 31st. Car pooling will be helpful, especially along the Hassayampa River. The last couple miles of driving are on dirt roads that are generally passable in a passenger car. Because there is logging in the general area (but not where we will be birding as of this writing), we may need to go to an alternative site, at the Old Homestead area. (Essentially the same bird species). A last minute pre-run will occur to assess the logging activities. I will let Charles and Marion Saffell know if there is a last minute change. Please bring water, lunch, hats, and sunscreen. If you are going to sit out the hike, bring a lawn chair. Limit 10 from Desert Rivers.
Reservations: Charles or Marion Saffell, marisaff@cox.net 480-668-9393 A carpool site and time will be named later on from the Valley
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Escape to Rim country with Audubon AZ naturalist Cathy Wise for a fun-filled, birdy day in the forest. We will visit two popular sites, both brimming with some of Arizona's prettiest warblers including red-faced, olive, Grace's and painted redstart. We'll start at See Canyon at 7:30 for a 1-2 mile hike along the creek, expect a slight grade on a well-worn trail. We'll turn around as the trail starts to climb, jump into cars and finish our morning at the Tonto Creek Fish hatchery. Bring a sack lunch to eat at the hatchery, plus water and snacks. We'll carpool from the Saffell's yard, 805 N. Grand, Mesa, AZ 85201. (Google this address for location, we are only a few blocks from Country Club (Hwy 87), and Brown Rd., with plenty of room to park in our yard).
Directions to the See Canyon trail: Take Hwy 87 north to Payson; turn east onto Arizona 260, and drive about 22 miles to FR 284; turn left and drive 1.5 miles to the trailhead.
For reservations; Charles or Marion Saffell, marisaff@cox.net, or 480 668-9393. Limit 10. See below for additional info on this area.
http://www.azcentral.com/travel/hiking/articles/seecanyon.html
http://www.azgfd.gov/outdoor_recreation/wildlife_area_tonto_creek.shtml
http://www.pr.state.az.us/Parks/parkhtml/tonto.html
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Recent events
Dr. Deviche has had to cancel leading this trip at this time. Instead, Charles Saffell, Jon Mann, and Rob Lane will be your leaders to Madera Canyon. Please note that we will be moving this field trip to Sunday, May 18. Since we’ll be heading South to Madera Canyon, we will meet at the Safeway parking lot, located at the SE intersection of Chandler Ave. and 40th St. in Ahwatukee. We will depart this meeting area prompty at 4:30 a.m. The Safeway is a short distance from the I-10 Chandler Ave. Exit, and so it will also take just a couple of minutes to get back on the highway. We will then meet up with the rest of the group in Green Valley, at the I-19 and Continental Rd., Exit 63, at the Chevron Station, planning to leave this area promptly at 6:30 a.m. Participants should definitely bring water and snacks or food. We'll be birding much of the day, leaving mid afternoon to start the drive back to the Valley. Limit 10. Reservations before May 15; Charles or Marion Saffell, 480 668-9393; or, email; marisaff@cox.net.
Photo: Bob & May Swanson
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Bring your spouse/significant other/family and join us for a repeat of last year's end of the season BBQ and Potluck party at the Saffell's home, 805 N. Grand, Mesa, 85201.
Arrive at 6 p.m., and we will eat promptly at 6:30 p.m. The Saffells will once again be smoking BBQ pork and beef, and we will furnish the utensils and drink. Bring a very large covered dish, a vegetable, salad, fruit, or dessert, also your lawn chairs. All else will be furnished. A nominal charge of $5 per person will be charged, children under 10 are free. The Saffell's son, Chuck, and his rock band, The "Back-Yard Birds," will once again play and sing oldies acoustically for our enjoyment, and we also will be having a blues group to perform. All children are welcome. (Please be aware, if bringing small children, that the Saffell's pool is open and not fenced). Please make reservations so that we will know how many to prepare for; Janice Miano, egret@cox.net; or phone 480 946-1327; or Claudia Kirscher, antclaudia@hotmail.com; phone 623 934-5460, (leave message). For directions Google the address, above. Come and enjoy a relaxed evening at our end of the season meeting. Photo : Mike Rupp
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Come help us celebrate International Migratory Bird Day, 2008 (IMBD) at one of the best birding locations in Maricopa County. The Nature Conservancy’s Hassayampa River Preserve is home to one of the premiere riparian forests left in central Arizona and supports hundreds of migratory and resident bird species. The field trip leader Mike Rigney, who knows the preserve well as he was Preserve Manager there for nearly four years. Mike and his wife Theresa started a bird banding program there in 2000 which has been carried on by volunteers led by Master Bird Bander Anne Leight. We will join in the bird banding and learn how the information is used to further our understanding of avian populations. We will also team with Sonoran Audubon members as we bird watch our way along the well-maintained nature trails that wander through the dense stands of cottonwoods and willows. For a list of all IMBD activities at the preserve follow this link: http://www.birdiq.com/journey/explrightfest.php?exid=1024
Meet at the preserve at 8:00 am. The preserve is located about five miles south of Wickenburg at 49614 Hwy 60 (Milepost 114), Wickenburg, AZ 85390. Entry fee for the preserve is $5.00, $3.00 for Nature Conservancy members. Limit 12. Please check back to this site; we will list a meeting spot in the Valley for participants to carpool in a few days. For reservations, contact Charles or Marion Saffell, marisaff@cox.net; 480 668-9393.
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This birding field trip to the American Museum of Natural History's Southwestern Research Station will be a two day trip, trip number is limited to 10. We will leave on Saturday, May 3rd and bird at Whitewater Draw on the way to Douglas. We’ll stay at the Motel 6 in Douglas ($51.73/double occupancy) on Saturday night. We meet professional guide, Dave Jasper in Portal early Sunday morning. He will guide us around the Portal area in the morning. He will also help us find night birds – owls and Poor Wills in the evening. The guide fees will be $30 per person. We’ll stay at the Portal Peak Lodge ($90.14/ double occupancy) on Sunday night. Monday we’ll return to the top spots and stop at Wilcox Playa on the way home. We will try for at least 100 species on this trip including Crissal Thrasher, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher and Elegant Trogan. You never know what you’ll find in this area at this time of year. Limit: 10. Contact Krys Hammers to make reservations and info on meeting place and time. 480-413-9805, krys.hammers@cox.net.
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Join us April 27 - May 3, 2008 for the eighth annual Fiesta de las Aves ("Festival of the Birds") International Migration Celebration. The festival will include a variety of activities for birders and other wildlife enthusiasts. The festival is a traveling affair, with activities taking place at a series of outstanding birding locations in Cochise and Santa Cruz counties, including the Huachuca and Chiricahua Mountains, San Pedro River, and Patagonia, and across the border in northern Sonora. The festival will kick off the nationwide celebration of the 15th annual International Migratory Bird Day on May 10, 2008. The purpose of Fiesta de las Aves is to promote conservation of the birds, other wildlife, and habitats of southeastern Arizona and northwestern Mexico through education, advocacy, and development of responsible, sustainable nature-based tourism. Proceeds from the festival benefit SABO's conservation and education programs. See www.sabo.org
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