BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//jEvents 2.0 for Joomla//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT UID:b01de4ab6d3906a72c111cc245e99c07 CATEGORIES:North America CREATED:20160727T160715 SUMMARY:Arizona Winter Specialties DESCRIPTION:\nArizona's “Hawk Alley,” the famous Sulphur Springs Valley on the west sid e of the Chiricahua Mountains, provides a winter home for 14 species of rap tors, including both Bald and Golden Eagles, and Harris’s, Ferruginous, and Rough-legged Hawks.  It also affords approximately 30,000 Sandhill Cranes a safe haven from the snows that blanket the northern United States.  A vis it to the Sulphur Springs Valley is just one of the treats that awaits part icipants as we explore one of the great avian wintering areas in our countr y.  There is also a pronounced pattern of Mexican bird vagrancy at this tim e of year.  Regular but rare species such as Least Grebe, Ruddy Ground-Dove , Violet-crowned Hummingbird, Green Kingfisher, and Rufous-backed Robin are not unexpected.  So-called “mega-rarities” are impossible to predict, but recent years have seen the first U.S. winter records of Eared Quetzal, Nutt ing’s Flycatcher, Aztec Thrush, Blue Mockingbird, and Crescent-chested Warb ler.  Both Black-capped Gnatcatchers and Rufous-capped Warblers, formerly v agrants north of the international border, are now established as year-roun d residents.  In the past decade Christmas Bird Counts have consistently tu rned up a handful or more Elegant Trogons, almost invariably the seasonally -colored red-and-green males. They join some of the most sought-after winte ring birds in all of North America.  Here the list includes American Bitter n, Mountain Plover, Sprague’s Pipit, Baird’s Sparrow, and both McCown’s and Chestnut-collared Longspurs.  Irruptive species that may number in the hun dreds or only a handful, depending on wild food crops and the severity of t he season, include Sage Thrasher, Mountain Bluebird, Cassin’s Finch, Lawren ce’s Goldfinch, and a host of sparrows.  More reliable are Crissal and Bend ire’s Thrashers—already in full song,  Eastern and Western Bluebirds, Scale d and Gambel’s Quail, as well as Green-tailed and Abert’s Towhees, and virt ually the full complement of Sonoran Desert breeding birds.  If awakening o n a sunny winter morning to the chortling of Cactus Wrens, the whistled Whi t-wheet! of Curve-billed Thrashers, and the variegated coos, calls, and son gs of Greater Roadrunner, Inca Doves, Anna’s Hummingbirds, Gila Woodpeckers , Pyrrhuloxias, and the familiar “Cheery-cheery-cheery” of scarlet red Nort hern Cardinals sounds like a refreshing way to greet the holiday season, we cordially invite you to join us in Southeastern Arizona this December.\nLe ader:  John Yerger (index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29 :john-yerger&catid=18:leaders-and-staff&Itemid=155)\n (index.php?op tion=com_content&view=article&id=23:rick-taylor&catid=18:leader s-and-staff&Itemid=155)\nCost of "Arizona Winter Specialties" includes all meals, accommodations, entrance fees, and transportation beginning and ending in Tucson, Arizona—$2195.\nTO REGISTER: Print out a PDF Registration Form (images/borderland/borderland_tours_reg_v4.pdf), call us at (520) 558 -2351 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need Java Script enabled to view it. document.getElementById('cloak17647007c1e2be f0503f6c34155cd4cf').innerHTML = ''; var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; var addy17647007c1e2bef 0503f6c34155cd4cf = 'info' + '@'; addy17647007c1e2bef0503 f6c34155cd4cf = addy17647007c1e2bef0503f6c34155cd4cf + 'borderl&# 97;nd-tours' + '.' + 'com?subject=Tou ;r%20registration'; var addy_text17647007c1e2be f0503f6c34155cd4cf = 'send us an email';documen t.getElementById('cloak17647007c1e2bef0503f6c34155cd4cf').innerHTML += ''+addy_text17647007c1e2bef0503f6c34155cd4cf+''; .\nSee also: Arizona Owl ing Run (/tours/tour-calendar/eventdetail/65/-/southeastern-arizona-in-spri ng-owling-run-and-tucson-pre-tour.html) (May 17-21, 2017)  OR   (tours/tour -calendar/eventdetail/45/-/southeastern-arizona-in-spring-deluxe.html)Alpin e Arizona, Grand Canyon & Condors (/tours/tour-calendar/eventdetail/69/ -/alpine-arizona,-grand-canyon-condors.html) (August 14-20, 2017)\n Photo:  Rufous-backed Robin (female)\nPhoto by: Rick Taylor\n (index.php?option=com _joomgallery&view=category&catid=2&Itemid=139)\nView Photo Gall ery (index.php?option=com_joomgallery&view=category&catid=2&Ite mid=139)   X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Rufous-backed Robin, female. Photo by Rick Taylor. Copyright <strong>Borderland Tours</strong>. All rig hts reserved.

Arizona's “Hawk Alley, ” the famous Sulphur Springs Valley on the west side of the Chiricahua Moun tains, provides a winter home for 14 species of raptors, including both Bal d and Golden Eagles, and Harris’s, Ferruginous, and Rough-legged Hawks.  It also affords approximately 30,000 Sandhill Cranes a safe haven from the sn ows that blanket the northern United States.  A visit to the Sulphur Spring s Valley is just one of the treats that awaits participants as we explore o ne of the great avian wintering areas in our country.  There is also a pron ounced pattern of Mexican bird vagrancy at this time of year.  Regular but rare species such as Least Grebe, Ruddy Ground-Dove, Violet-crowned Humming bird, Green Kingfisher, and Rufous-backed Robin are not unexpected.  So-cal led “mega-rarities” are impossible to predict, but recent years have seen t he first U.S. winter records of Eared Quetzal, Nutting’s Flycatcher, Aztec Thrush, Blue Mockingbird, and Crescent-chested Warbler.  Both Black-capped Gnatcatchers and Rufous-capped Warblers, formerly vagrants north of the int ernational border, are now established as year-round residents.  In the pas t decade Christmas Bird Counts have consistently turned up a handful or mor e Elegant Trogons, almost invariably the seasonally-colored red-and-green m ales. They join some of the most sought-after wintering birds in all of Nor th America.  Here the list includes American Bittern, Mountain Plover, Spra gue’s Pipit, Baird’s Sparrow, and both McCown’s and Chestnut-collared Longs purs.  Irruptive species that may number in the hundreds or only a handful, depending on wild food crops and the severity of the season, include Sage Thrasher, Mountain Bluebird, Cassin’s Finch, Lawrence’s Goldfinch, and a ho st of sparrows.  More reliable are Crissal and Bendire’s Thrashers—already in full song,  Eastern and Western Bluebirds, Scaled and Gambel’s Quail, as well as Green-tailed and Abert’s Towhees, and virtually the full complemen t of Sonoran Desert breeding birds.  If awakening on a sunny winter morning to the chortling of Cactus Wrens, the whistled Whit-wheet! of Curve-billed Thrashers, and the variegated coos, calls, and songs of Greater Roadrunner , Inca Doves, Anna’s Hummingbirds, Gila Woodpeckers, Pyrrhuloxias, and the familiar “Cheery-cheery-cheery” of scarlet red Northern Cardinals sounds li ke a refreshing way to greet the holiday season, we cordially invite you to join us in Southeastern Arizona this December.

Leader:  John Yerger

Cost of "Arizona Wint er Specialties" includes all meals, accommodations, entrance fees, and transportation beginning and ending in Tucson, Arizona—$2195.

TO REGISTER: Print out a PDF Registration Form, call us at (520) 558-2351 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

See also: Arizona Owling Run< /strong> (May 17-21, 2017)  OR  Alpine Arizona, Gra nd Canyon & Condors (August 14-20, 2017)

Photo: Rufous-backed Robin (female)
Photo by: Rick Taylor

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DTSTAMP:20260506T162047 DTSTART;TZID=America/Phoenix;VALUE=DATE:20171203 DTEND;TZID=America/Phoenix;VALUE=DATE:20171210 SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:OPAQUE END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR