There will be interesting birds there in March and all through the year - Harris Hawks and Vermillion Flycatchers and Gila Woodpeckers will be just about anywhere. It will be starting to get hot. But the best birds the area is known for come in June.

About June 1st, the ThickBilled Kingbirds move into the Patagonia Rest area (about 4 miles south of patagonia - lots of truck traffic up and down that highway.

Nesting with them often in the same tree will be Rose Throated Becards. Kino Springs - a few more miles south has all four kingbirds - western, cassin's, tropical and a few thickbilled. On the western side of the Huachuca's south of Tucson - at Santa Gertrudis Lane will be Tropical Kingbirds and at Madera Canyon - Sulphur Bellied Flycatchers. East at Cave Creek Elegant Trogons are pretty easy to see and all through the area - Gray Breasted Jays.

We lived there in arizona 12 years and the birding was amazing.

Be aware that Madera Canyon is overloaded with Mexicans almost any weekend and probably now - all the time. We stopped going there as 300 or more were there at any time.

In tucson Fort Lowell Park is a great place to see a lot of birds including Western and Cassin's Kingbirds, Phainopeplas, Nesting Cooper's Hawks and I've seen merlins and peregrines fly through the park fairly often.

Enjoy your trip.

John Hansen majorhart at sbcglobal.net Saint Joseph, MO
----- Original Message -----
From: Gary Smith
To: 'Caryn Schutzler' ; tweeters at u.washington.edu
Sent: Friday, January 09, 2009 12:14 AM
Subject: RE: [Tweeters] Tucson Birding in March 16-22


Caryn,



You should have very good birding. While many of the breeders arrive later in spring and some of the other specialties occur there in the rainy season (July-August, oddly enough) I've birded in Southern Arizona several times in March, in conditions from snow to blazing heat, and always found it fun and rewarding.



Try to get a copy of Finding Birds in Southeast Arizona published by the Tucson Audubon Society. Very user-friendly, very good info.



I like the Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve, operated by the Nature Conservancy and Tucson Audubon, about 90 minutes south of Tucson. Nearer to Tucson, Sabino Canyon and Catalina State Park are definitely worth birding.



Good birding.



--g



Gary T. Smith

Alki Point, Seattle




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From: tweeters-bounces at mailman2.u.washington.edu [mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman2.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Caryn Schutzler
Sent: Thursday, January 08, 2009 5:36 PM
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: [Tweeters] Tucson Birding in March 16-22



Hello Bird Lovers -



Please provide any info that you might have that would help my bird outings in Tucson this March. I do have friends there and they will be taking me to the Desert museum, and other places. If you have any special sites, would love to check them out.



Is that considered spring down there? Any good resources/books, etc? I have the Natl Geo. book but doesn't seem to be specific enough for dates. Randy Hill kindly mentioned Beatty's Ranch so will try to go back in Aug. but hope there will be opportunities that time of year.



Thank you in advance for any info you can provide.



Caryn / Wedgwood - Seattle





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