BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//jEvents 2.0 for Joomla//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT UID:5943d9ceb9ad8f022b172814c7495829 CATEGORIES:North America CREATED:20170801T153832 SUMMARY:Arizona Winter Specialties 2018 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('cloakae80cb14b360c0 1d3b756a75f2f90ca0').innerHTML = ''; var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; var addyae80cb14b360c01 d3b756a75f2f90ca0 = 'info' + '@'; addyae80cb14b360c01d3b7 56a75f2f90ca0 = addyae80cb14b360c01d3b756a75f2f90ca0 + 'borderl&# 97;nd-tours' + '.' + 'com?subject=Tou ;r%20registration'; var addy_textae80cb14b360c0 1d3b756a75f2f90ca0 = 'send us an email';documen t.getElementById('cloakae80cb14b360c01d3b756a75f2f90ca0').innerHTML += ''+addy_textae80cb14b360c01d3b756a75f2f90ca0+''; .\nSee also: New Mexico: Bosque del Apache to Santa Fe (February 17-25, 2018)\n Photo: Ferruginous Hawk\nPhoto by: Rick Taylor\n (index.php?option=com_joomgallery&view=ca tegory&catid=2&Itemid=139)\nView Photo Gallery (index.php?option=co m_joomgallery&view=category&catid=2&Itemid=139)   X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Ferrugin ous Hawk. Photo by Rick Taylor. Copyright <strong>Borderland Tours</strong> . All rights reserved.

Arizona's “Ha wk Alley,” the famous Sulphur Springs Valley on the west side of the Chiric ahua Mountains, provides a winter home for 14 species of raptors, including both Bald and Golden Eagles, and Harris’s, Ferruginous, and Rough-legged H awks.  It also affords approximately 30,000 Sandhill Cranes a safe hav en from the snows that blanket the northern United States.  A visit to the Sulphur Springs Valley is just one of the treats that awaits participa nts as we explore one of the great avian wintering areas in our country. &n bsp;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 Robi n are not unexpected.  So-called “mega-rarities” are impossible to pre dict, but recent years have seen the first U.S. winter records of Eared Que tzal, Nutting’s Flycatcher, Aztec Thrush, Blue Mockingbird, and Crescent-ch ested Warbler.  Both Black-capped Gnatcatchers and Rufous-capped Warbl ers, formerly vagrants north of the international border, are now establish ed as year-round residents.  In the past decade Christmas Bird Counts have consistently turned up a handful or more Elegant Trogons, almost invar iably the seasonally-colored red-and-green males. They join some of the mos t sought-after wintering birds in all of North America.  Here the list includes American Bittern, Mountain Plover, Sprague’s Pipit, Baird’s Sparr ow, and both McCown’s and Chestnut-collared Longspurs.  Irruptive spec ies that may number in the hundreds or only a handful, depending on wild fo od crops and the severity of the season, include Sage Thrasher, Mountain Bl uebird, Cassin’s Finch, Lawrence’s Goldfinch, and a host of sparrows.   ;More reliable are Crissal and Bendire’s Thrashers—already in full song, &n bsp;Eastern and Western Bluebirds, Scaled and Gambel’s Quail, as well as Gr een-tailed and Abert’s Towhees, and virtually the full complement of Sonora n Desert breeding birds.  If awakening on a sunny winter morning to th e chortling of Cactus Wrens, the whistled Whit-wheet! of Curve-billed Thras hers, and the variegated coos, calls, and songs of Greater Roadrunner, Inca Doves, Anna’s Hummingbirds, Gila Woodpeckers, Pyrrhuloxias, and the famili ar “Cheery-cheery-cheery” of scarlet red Northern Cardinals sounds like a r efreshing way to greet the holiday season, we cordially invite you to join us in Southeastern Arizona this December.

Leader:  John Yerger

< p>Cost of "Arizona Winter 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 en abled to view it..

See also: New Mexico: Bosque del Apache to S anta Fe (February 17-25, 2018)

Photo: Ferruginous Hawk
Photo by: Rick Taylor

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DTSTAMP:20260421T071435 DTSTART;TZID=America/Phoenix;VALUE=DATE:20181202 DTEND;TZID=America/Phoenix;VALUE=DATE:20181209 SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:OPAQUE END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR