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USA - Arizona: Southeast Specialties, Monsoon Breeders & Hummingbirds

© Bendire's Thrasher by Dubi Shapiro
USA - Arizona: Southeast Specialties, Monsoon Breeders & Hummingbirds

USD3,750 - No Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Local Leader

Pricing notes : Please see BirdingDirect link for spaces and updated pricing.

Tour price (Per person): USD3,750 * GBP2,825 * EUR3,303 * AUD5,886

For enquiries & bookings, please following this link:  Birding Direct - United States

This tour is operated by High Lonesome BirdTours in partnership with BirdingDirect.
These are large group tours (up to 16 guests with multiple tour leaders), and will have guests from both Highlonesome as well as BirdingDirect.

August is a great time to visit the birding hotspots of southeast Arizona. The majority of specialty species are present with certain tricky species like Montezuma Quail and Botteri’s and Cassin’s Sparrows being easier to find as they become vocal during the onset of the monsoon breeding season. In addition, it is peak hummingbird season and the resident hummingbirds are augmented by migrants with up to a dozen species possible (10 are very likely). These jewels of the avian world can be studied in great detail at various feeder setups that range from the riparian areas to the foothills, making southeast Arizona the hummingbird capital of the United States.

It is also possible to see the vast majority of specialty species during August, including Zone-tailed and Gray Hawks, Mexican Jay, Arizona Woodpecker, Thick-billed and Tropical Kingbirds, Sulphur-bellied, Dusky-capped, and Buff-breasted Flycatchers, Greater Pewee, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Mexican Chickadee, Black-capped Gnatcatcher, Bendire’s Thrasher, Olive Warbler, Red-faced Warbler, Painted Redstart, Abert’s Towhee, Rufous-winged Sparrow, Yellow-eyed Junco, and the stunning Elegant Trogon. We will also venture forth at night to look for the various species of owls present in this corner of the Grand Canyon State. During August, the owls have finished nesting and tend to be less vocal (thus a bit trickier to find), but we still have excellent chances for Whiskered and Western Screech-Owls and Great Horned Owl. With great luck we might find Spotted Owl on a day roost and we will always keep our ears open for the call of the Northern Pygmy-Owl. We also have good chances to see a variety of mammals during our day and night excursions including Black-tailed Jackrabbit, Cliff Chipmunk, Rock Squirrel, Mexican Fox Squirrel, Coyote, Hog-nosed Skunk, and Collared Peccary.

August is also a great time to witness the onset of fall migration with flycatchers and warblers passing through plus a wide variety of species typical of the southwest desert region. Additionally, we will try to track down any Mexican rarities that may be present (August is a great time of year to locate post-breeding dispersers from Mexico), such as White-eared Hummingbird, Rufous-capped Warbler, Flame-colored Tanager, or Streak-backed Oriole, all of which are possible.

Top Birds

Montezuma Quail; Botteri’s, Rufous-winged & Cassin’s Sparrows; Zone-tailed & Grey Hawks; Mexican Jay; Arizona Woodpecker; Thick-billed & Tropical Kingbirds; Sulphur-bellied, Dusky-capped & Buff-breasted Flycatchers; Greater Pewee; Northern Beardless Tyrannulet; Mexican Chickadee; Black-capped Gnatcatcher; Bendire’s Thrasher; Olive & Red-faced Warblers; Painted Redstart; Abert’s Towhee; Yellow-eyed Junco; Elegant Trogon; Whiskered & Western Screech Owls, Northern Pygmy, Great Horned & Spotted Owls. Possible rarities: White-eared Hummingbird; Rufous-capped Warbler; Flame-colored Tanager; Streak-backed Oriole.

Top Mammals

Black-tailed Jackrabbit; Cliff Chipmunk; Rock & Mexican Fox Squirrels; Coyote; Hog-nosed Skunk; Collared Peccary; Coatimundi; White-tailed & Mule Deer; Black Bear; Mountain Lion (rare)

Habitats Covered

Chichuahan & Sonoran Desert; high desert; Sierra Madrean forest; mountain forest.

Expected Climate

mild to hot depending upon elevation. Monsoon rains will typically cool things off

Max Group Size

14 with 2 Tour Leaders

Tour Pace & Walking

easy to moderate, with some early mornings and later evenings, a few long drives and 2 strenuous hikes

Accommodation

very comfortable B&B for all nights

Ease of Birding

mostly easy with a few difficult species

Other Attractions

along the way we enjoy wonderful scenery, mountain views, wild west landscapes, historical towns.

Photographic Opportunities

good to excellent

What our clients say about us

Forrest Rowland
SR - Montana 2021

This tour exceeded our expectations. Forrest Rowland is an exceptional guide. His intimate knowledge of Yellowstone Park and the general area and the species of animals and birds that inhabit the area are invaluable to the experience, but more than that his unbridled enthusiasm, superior patience, and ability to adjust to circumstances ensured the success of this trip. The area was hit with a very unusual early snowstorm that closed large parts of the park and many roads, but Forrest was able to pivot and ensure that we got to see animals, birds, and geothermal sites despite the difficult conditions. He organized excellent field lunches and great dinners in town and always had several backup plans in mind in case the weather turned either worse or better. The accommodation was located perfectly for easy and quick access to the park, and we found the hotel very comfortable with friendly staff. Forrest also organized a talk for our group with a wolf and bird expert from the Yellowstone Park staff, and this was certainly a highlight of the trip as it provided even more context and background for what we saw every day. I would travel with Forrest again regardless of the destination because he is a guide who will make sure that no matter where we travel the experience will be superior.

Adam Walleyn
JW & JW, California 2021

Luke & Adam did a great job. This tour was the perfect US specialty tour (will be interested to see more of these)... We covered tons of environments in a fairly small territory. Luke is a LA-area expert and aimed us exactly where we needed to be.

Stephan Lorenz
KS, Alaska 2021

It really was a great trip with some difficult developments handled well. Flights out of Barrow were cancelled due to fog and Leader Stephan Lorenz and Claudia worked hours to get booked on a replacement charter flight by Alaska air. While doing so Stephan also added birding drives which were productive. As usual on tours led by Stephan he persisted to track down every possible bird. I have done two tours with Stephan and Claudia and have been extremely pleased with there professionalism and dedication to providing a satisfying experience.

Forrest Rowland
MS - Montana 2021

I have nothing but praise for our guide, Forrest Rowland. His knowledge of birding was excellent, and he was very friendly and personable. He went out of his way to provide us with a memorable experience despite the bitter-cold temps and the fact that a good part of Yellowstone was closed or unreachable during our trip. He chose some great area restaurants and the food was one of the highlights of the trip for me.

Stephan Lorenz
KD, Texas 2021

Stephan was an excellent guide and made sure everyone was able to see the birds and many times obtain photos. He was patient with the requests of the group members and facilitated an enjoyable experience for all. Claudia was a great addition to the team and we really appreciated her help finding birds in the scopes, identifying birds in the van, and working with Stephan to make sure our trip was as seamless as possible.

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