Southeastern Arizona is where Mexico’s Sierra Madre mountains, and the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Dese rts all spill across the international boundary. With them come an array of “Mexican” hummingbirds found nowhere else in the U.S., as well as the rich est overall bird species diversity of any land-bounded area in the entire c ountry. August is the month to see it. Summer rains have greened the landsc ape, restarted the creeks, and decreased the temperatures. Late-arriving, t ropical specialties like the Berylline, White-eared, Lucifer, and Violet-cr owned Hummingbirds compete for nectar on flowering agaves with returning Al len’s, Rufous, Broad-tailed, and Calliope Hummingbirds, already moving sout h to their winter quarters in the Sierra Madre. Naturally the breeding humm ers: Blue-throated, Magnificent, Broad-billed, Black-chinned, Costa’s, and Anna’s, strive heroically to stem this tide of colorful invaders. To observ e these pinwheels of iridescence in combat at favored agave stands, mountai n meadows, and feeding stations such as Patagonia and Miller Canyon, is to behold one of the great bird spectacles of the entire United States. It is not uncommon to observe 10 species of hummingbirds on a single day, and up to 15 species are possible over the course of the tour. We will also look f or resident Gray and Zone-tailed Hawks, Montezuma Quail, Elegant Trogons, V ermilion Flycatchers, Black-capped Gnatcatchers, Bendire’s and Crissal Thra shers, Painted Redstarts, Red-faced Warblers, and jazzy purple and red Vari ed Buntings. Strategic outings could give us the legendary Five-striped Spa rrow and even the potential of an incredibly rare Rufous-capped Warbler. Mo re recently Plain-capped Starthroat has become an almost annual, mid-to-lat e summer visitor at feeders in the border ranges. The scenery ranges from m agnificent stands of tree-sized Saguaro Cactus near Tucson to the southernm ost Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir forest in North America in Arizona’s high, cool “Sky Island” ranges.
With this format for our “Hummingbird Run,” you can select a set of d ates that best fits your schedule! Hummingbird Run 1 runs Wednesday t hrough Sunday; Hummingbird Run 2 runs Monday through Thursday.
Leader
: John
Yerger
Cost of an
See also Arizona: Hummingbird Run 2 (August 12-16, 2018)
Photo: Costa's Hummingbird
Photo by: Rick Taylor
Sou theastern Arizona is where Mexico’s Sierra Madre mountains, and the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts all spill across the international boun dary. With them come an array of “Mexican” hummingbirds found nowhere else in the U.S., as well as the richest overall bird species diversity of any l and-bounded area in the entire country. August is the month to see it. Summ er rains have greened the landscape, restarted the creeks, and decreased th e temperatures. Late-arriving, tropical specialties like the Berylline, Whi te-eared, Lucifer, and Violet-crowned Hummingbirds compete for nectar on fl owering agaves with returning Allen’s, Rufous, Broad-tailed, and Calliope H ummingbirds, already moving south to their winter quarters in the Sierra Ma dre. Naturally the breeding hummers: Blue-throated, Magnificent, Broad-bill ed, Black-chinned, Costa’s, and Anna’s, strive heroically to stem this tide of colorful invaders. To observe these pinwheels of iridescence in combat at favored agave stands, mountain meadows, and feeding stations such as Pat agonia and Miller Canyon, is to behold one of the great bird spectacles of the entire United States. It is not uncommon to observe 10 species of hummi ngbirds on a single day, and up to 15 species are possible over the course of the tour. We will also look for resident Gray and Zone-tailed Hawks, Mon tezuma Quail, Elegant Trogons, Vermilion Flycatchers, Black-capped Gnatcatc hers, Bendire’s and Crissal Thrashers, Painted Redstarts, Red-faced Warbler s, and jazzy purple and red Varied Buntings. Strategic outings could give u s the legendary Five-striped Sparrow and even the potential of an incredibl y rare Rufous-capped Warbler. More recently Plain-capped Starthroat has bec ome an almost annual, mid-to-late summer visitor at feeders in the border r anges. The scenery ranges from magnificent stands of tree-sized Saguaro Cac tus near Tucson to the southernmost Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir fore st in North America in Arizona’s high, cool “Sky Island” ranges.
With this format for our “Hummingbird Run,” you can select a set of dates that best fits your schedule! Hu mmingbird Run 1 runs Wednesday through Sunday; Hummingbird Run 2 runs Monday through Thursday.
Leader: John Yerger
Cost of an Arizona Hummingbird Run includes all meals, accommodations, entrance fees, and transportation from Tucson, A rizona—$1595.
See also Arizona: Hum mingbird Run 2 (August 12-16, 2018)
Photo:
;Costa's Hummingbird
Photo by: Rick Tay
lor
