Vermilion Flycatcher - Tucson Audubon SocietyJuly Œ August 2003 Tucson Audubon Society Vermilion Flycatcher 3 Many Thanks to Our Spring Donors Green Kingfishers ($1,000-$4,900) T

FlycatcherVolume 47, Number 9 ISSN 1094-9909

Tucson Audubon Society www.tucsonaudubon.org Leaders in Conservation & Education since 1949

July � August 2003Vermilion

InsideCalendar .................. 11Conservation News ..... 4Dastardly Duos ........ 22Director’s Perch ......... 2Field Trips .................. 6Field Trip Reports ...... 8Mason Audubon CenterNews ...................... 12

Meeting program ...... 28Membership Information .............. 26Nature Shop ............. 20RBA Highlights ........ 23Thanks & Wishes ..... 27Travel Program ......... 16Web Corner .............. 27

Winged Migration Fundraiser July 9Reception 5:30 p.m., Exclusive Screening 6:30 p.m.

Lowes Cineplex Catalina Cinema, 2320 N. Campbell Avenue

Come spend a cool summer evening supporting the Tucson Audubon Society at an exclusivepre-screening of Jacques Perrin’s academy award nominated documentary film, Winged Migra-tion. Ticket prices are $10 for members and $15 for non-members. All proceeds benefit theTucson Audubon Society.

Canada Geese, in Winged Migration

Mathieu S

imonet/S

ony Pictures C

lassics

“Earthbound, watching the birds fly across the sky, we undertook this film. Wehad to go higher, nearer the birds, within striking distance of the stars. What ifwe embarked on the most fabulous of journeys, abandoning our towns andcountryside, off on a tour of the planet. What if borders did not exist, the eartha one and only space. What if we learned to be as free as birds?” - Jacques Perrin

There are only 219 seats in the theater! Get your tickets today at the Tucson Audubon NatureShop, 300 E. University Ave. (southeast corner of University Blvd. and 5th Ave.). Remember oursummer hours, Tuesday – Saturday 10-4 (Thursdays 10-5). Tickets can also be reserved by callingthe Tucson Audubon Nature Shop at 629-0510.

Many thanks to Lowes Cineplex Catalina Cinemas and Sony Pictures Classics. J

Email UpdatesWe can send you periodicemail updates on conser-vation issues and TucsonAudubon events! To sub-scribe, write to [email protected] more informationcontact Kendall Kroesenat [email protected], or206-9900.

2 Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon Society July � August 2003

Tucson Audubon SocietyOfficers

President, Robert Merideth .................. 884-4393Vice President, Bill Mannan ................. 621-7283Secretary, Linda Stitzer ......................... 297-3173Treasurer, Walter Kavanagh ................. 621-1750

Directors at Large

Board CommitteesConservation, Bill Mannan .................... 621-7283Education, Floyd Gray ........................... 670-5582Development, Peggy Wenrick ............... 629-0510Nominating, Susan Randolph .............. 629-0510Community Presence, Linda Stitzer ......... 297-3173

Programs and ActivitiesBird Alert ................................................. 798-1005Bird Reporting ........................................ 696-4461Bird Census, Susan Birky ...................... 743-9390Library, Bill Scott .................................... 887-5813Mailing, Gerald Sweeney ..................... 326-3701Field Trips, John Higgins ...................... 578-1830Program, Tom DeMoss .......................... 296-2963

Audubon Nature Shop & Offices300 E. University Blvd. #120, Tucson, AZ 85705

Nature Shop Hours: Mon.�Sat. 10�4, Mon. & Thu. 10�5Shop Manager, Judy Edison

Asst. Shop Manager, Susan Birky(520) 629-0510 Fax: (520) 623-3476

[email protected]

Executive Director, Sonja Macys .......... 622-5622Asst to ED, Jessie Shinn ........................ 628-1730Accountant, Tina Eggert ........................ 629-0757MAC Outreach Coord., Jamie Brown ..... 744-0004Education Prog. Man., Carrie Dean ...... 622-2230Education Specialist, Dan Wolgast ......... 744-0004Development Director, Holly Foster ...... 629-0757Restoration Projects, Ann Phillips ........ 206-9900AZ IBA Coordinator, Scott Wilbor ....... 622-2230Permaculture/Com., Kendall Kroesen .. 206-9900Editors, Jane & Warren Tisdale ............ 749-2139

Mission StatementTucson Audubon Society is dedicated to im-

proving the quality of the environment by pro-viding education, conservation, & recreation pro-grams, & environmental leadership & information.

Tucson Audubon is a non-profit volunteer or-ganization of people with a common interest inbirding & natural history. Tucson Audubonmaintains offices in Tucson, an extensive library,& a Nature Shop where nature-related items aresold for the benefit of our programs, (520) 629-0510.

The Vermilion Flycatcher is publishedmonthly except for combined May-Jun., Jul.-Aug., and Dec.-Jan. issues. For address changesor subscription problems call (520) 628-1730, orwrite to us (see page 26). Submissions for theSeptember Flycatcher are due by August 7.

Lawrence Liese743-3520

Chris McVie629-0510

Robert Mesta629-0510

Susan Randolph629-0510

Peggy Wenrick629-0510

Roger Wolf882-9633

Wendy Burroughs578-3650

Don Eagle629-0510

Floyd Gray670-5582

Lisa Harris629-0510

Steven Hopp629-0510

Kristi Keller629-0510

David Yetman621-2484

Director�s Perch Sonja Macys

As the spring migration ends andtemperatures rise, activities at TucsonAudubon have begun to dwindle. Sum-mer affords us an opportunity to re-flect on the year’s accomplishments anddefine areas for future attention. EachJune, our staff and board of directors meetto discuss these and other issues pertinentto the future of our chapter. A few of thisyear’s accomplishments include…u Through the Santa Cruz River

Habitat Restoration Project wehave improved150 acres ofabandoned farmfields, riparianareas, and xero-riparian areas.

u Through the Ari-zona ImportantBird Areas Pro-gram we have ap-proved 11 “Ari-zona Identified Important BirdAreas” & facilitated a conservationeasement on the Lower San PedroRiver.

u At the Mason Audubon Center,more than 140 volunt.eers havecontributed over 1265 hours oftheir time to support educationprograms, grounds improvement,research initiatives, and to guidethe direction of the Center.Thank you!

u To provide a local membership op-tion, we established the “Friendsof Tucson Audubon Society” mem-bership program. This allows Tuc-son Audubon to retain 100% ofthe revenue associated with mem-bership to support local programs.

And as for future attention, we arereaching into new geographic areas andhoping that you will join us. We con-tinue to pursue gifts of land that mightcontribute to the conservation of areasthat provide important habitat to birds.A recent example is the Madden Prop-erty on Sabino Creek.

Dr. John Madden is a doctor bytrade and training, but an astute natu-ralist by passion. For the past three de-cades, Madden has stewarded a 7-acrelot at the confluence of Sabino Creek& Bear Creek. This oasis and its 1.25acre pond provides important habitatto some 200+ species of birds and hasbeen studied by keen local naturalistsKenn Kaufman and David Lazaroff.We are honored to have been chosenas the property’s stewards after Dr.

Madden is no longerwith us.

Just as some sitesare important to birdsfor the habitat theyprovide, others are im-portant for the oppor-tunities they provideto birders to viewsome of southeastArizona’s flying jewels.

Who hasn’t experienced the “oohs” and“aahs” as the Violet-crowned Hum-mingbird alights upon one of the feed-ers at Marion Paton’s house? Many ofyou know that Marion has been ill andyou have contacted us with concernsfor her. We appreciate your concernand we too are wishing her the best.

Early this year, we initiated a con-versation with Marion to discuss herwishes for the property. We have con-tinued that discussion with her familyand will soon reach an agreement withthem about the possibilities. As the in-formation becomes available to us, wewill share it with you. What we do knownow is that we will need considerable fi-nancial support to preserve this propertyand maintain it as a haven for birders.

The upcoming year will be a turn-ing point for Tucson Audubon, as wemove into Northeast Tucson and po-tentially Santa Cruz County. We hopethat you will continue to be a part ofthis adventure, and help us to enhancethe habitat that our birds love and need.Birding depends on it! J

Madden property

Kendall K

roesen

July � August 2003 Tucson Audubon Society Vermilion Flycatcher 3

Many Thanks to Our Spring Donors

Green Kingfishers($1,000-$4,900)T & E, Inc.Rich Genser

Violet-crowned Hum-mingbirds($250-$499)Robert MeridethMr. Lowell S. Sorenson

Acorn Woodpeckers($100-$249)Jeanne S. BroomeKathryn H. BurgessBarbara & Stuart CalderCircle Z RanchNancy FarinaElizabeth FimbresLillian FisherGeorge GreenmanMichele C. HacherlJames HaysCarol IckesBruce LambertJim LoganLinda PfisterDavid PlaneSally & Steve PorterJane Ragle & John SmithJohn & Angela RobertsDr Elizabeth RoemerDan & Patricia SimsRoger C. Wolf

Vermilion Flycatchers($50-$99)AnonymousTom ArnyDonna BauerDr. Ludwig M.DeppischMary Hope DillonRoy FarrellWilliam C. FlackVirginia E. Hayden

Judd KlementHoward LilleyRies & Marcia LindleyNancy-Jo MerrittArt MorganPatricia PearsonW. J. SchillingMrs. Amy SchlossbergYolanda & Rick ShoemakerMelinda & Irwin SimonRene TannerJoyce & Henry ThompsonPaula TrederJeanne & Raymond Turner

Cactus Wrens($1-$49)William E. AndersonCarl & JoyceArmstrongAnna BarneyP a t r i c i a BarryLouis & Robyn BensonMr. John BrodieDiane & Derek BrownSharon CardellaBarbara & D. Gene CaweltiLamona CervenkaMr & Mrs John N. ChaneyHugh ConnollyConnie & Kenneth CooksonHelen CrawfordDr. & Mrs. W. H. DantzlerJanet & Victor DaubJohanna DawesS. Margaret DearthDon & Carol DownieDottie EakinJennifer & Daniel FesslerJoan FlynnJay FowlerGregg M. GarfinMarilyn HansonErnest S. HarrisCharles HedgcockJohn C. Hinton

Juniata S. HirschNancy S. JanneyEve KarnitisMr. & Mrs. Burton KinneyJinny KyleAbraham & Norma LackowThomas LucasRuth MandaraMrs Leo F. MermisChristine MichalowskiMr. Ralph E. MorganMr. & Mrs. Richard Y MurrayDr. John & Sarah PalmerRomana & Milan ParobekBrayton & Helen PerkinsM. Joan RauchAlan & Belva RichardsonWinifred RideoutVictoria SikoraMrs. Lloyd SymingtonJohn & Constance SzafranskiElliott & Rosemary ValentineSara VenturiniBarbara B. Wilson J

We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the many donors who contributed financially to Tucson Audubon thisspring. The following gifts received between April 1 and May 31 of 2003 have helped make it possible to continue ourimportant work in habitat conservation, restoration, education and recreation. The birds thank you!

Thought of the Month

“Three ravens are wheelingnear the balanced rock,squawking at each other andat the dawn. I’m sure they’reas delighted by the return ofthe sun as I am and I wish Iknew the language. I’d soonerexchange ideas with the birdson earth than learn to carryon intergalactic communica-tions with some obscure raceof humanoids on a satelliteplanet from the world ofBetelgeuse. First things first.”

– Edward Abbey,Desert Solitaire


Program Announces New IBAs & Applauds IBA Science Teams in Action!

Arizona’s Important Bird Area(IBA) Scientific Review Committee of14 biologists and ornithologists metApril 18 at the Bill Williams RiverNational Wildlife Refuge* to reviewIBA nominations submitted last falland winter. Five new IBAs were ap-proved as “Identified” Arizona Impor-tant Bird Areas, they are:

1. Upper Little Colorado RiverWatershed2. Marble Canyon (where thecondors are making home!)3. Chiricahua Mountains4. Santa Rita Mountains5. Sycamore Canyon (southernArizona)Particularly notable was the nomi-

nation and avian information compiledfor the Upper Little Colorado Water-shed IBA. The data gathered by WhiteMountain Audubon members LorraineWiesen and Jimmy Videle were out-standing and provided the first evercomprehensive avian catalog of birdspecies and their numbers for five ma-jor sections of this approximately 60mile long IBA! They used sources likethe Arizona Breeding Bird Atlas, For-est Service surveys, Endangered Speciessurveys, Heritage Grant surveys, BaldEagle surveys, Christmas Bird Counts,the North American Migration Count,and their own Audubon chapter andpersonal field surveys to put together theirmost comprehensive IBA nomination.

So what did they find? Highlightsfrom their data summary include: 24Bald Eagles, 6 Ospreys, 7 NorthernGoshawks, 2 Peregrine Falcons, 10Mexican Spotted Owls, 16 Red-napedSapsuckers, 16 Southwestern WillowFlycatchers(!), 19 Cordilleran Flycatch-ers, 65 Pinyon Jays, 5 Gray Catbirds,31 Virginia’s Warblers, 14MacGillivray’s Warblers, 13 Red-facedWarblers, not to mention rare occur-rences of Mountain Plovers, American

Dippers, Veerys, Sage Thrashers,American Redstarts, and Pine Gros-beaks. Their research covered from1976 to 2002, but primarily the 1990sto present (numbers are the maximumobserved per season). They docu-mented a total of 255 species, of which

134 are known to breed in the water-shed! Wow, what a real gem of impor-tant avian habitat that up to now wasnever fully documented! Great jobLorraine and Jimmy! Now the hardnews; there are planned developments(housing/recreational facilities) alongthe lower sections of this IBA, and thusfar appeals by White Mountain Au-dubon to the State Land Trust andApache County Planning and Zon-ing have not protected this importanthabitat (your voice for protecting thisarea is needed!). Contact: LorraineWiesen (928-337-2466) or Sue Sitko(928-368-6832).

Now for an update on our IBAAvian Science Initiative. IBA ScienceTeams are collecting avian inventorydata for IBA site recognition and con-servation planning. The Tubac & up-

land Tumacacori Team, comprised ofTucson Audubon members SallyJohnsen and Norma Miller, have sur-veys underway along 2.4 and 1.1 kmroutes in riparian and bosque habitatsof the Santa Cruz River. OurTumacacori Team of Sue Carnahan andCurtis Smith has begun surveys alonga 4 km route in riparian habitat alongthe Santa Cruz River. Both these SantaCruz teams are providing exceptionaldata that will be used for conservationplanning for this critical stretch of theSanta Cruz, and to recognize the SantaCruz riparian corridor as an Interna-tional Continentally Important BirdArea of both Mexico and the U.S.

At the Kino Ecosystem Restora-tion Project site in central Tucson,Tucson Audubon Board MemberLarry Liese has conducted surveysfour times per year going on a sec-ond year now, and data are sharedwith the Tucson Bird Count (we coulduse additional assistance here!).

A Sonoran Audubon Society IBATeam partnering with the Bureau of

Land Management at Agua Fria Na-tional Monument (north of Phoenix)is now conducting its second year ofsurveys. In the Verde Valley, Doug VanGausig of Northern Arizona AudubonSociety, leads survey efforts at theTuzigoot IBA complex near Cotton-wood. On Oak Creek, Roger Radd, ofNorthern Arizona Audubon, conductssurveys for the IBA Program at PageSprings Fish Hatchery IBA, as well ason private land along Oak Creek. OurOak Creek surveys are part of our ef-forts to document bird species andnumbers to identify a future largerLower Oak Creek IBA, and gain coor-dinated protection and managementfrom all who own or manage land alongthis stretch. At Tuzigoot and Oak Creekadditional citizen-science volunteers areneeded for water quality sampling and a

Arizona Important Bird Areas Program Scott Wilbor

Citizen Science Volunteer

Kendall K

roesen


nest box program respectively, as well asfor additional bird surveys in this region.

Yes, there is plenty of need for yourparticipation! We need new IBA Teamsto adopt and conduct bird and habitatsurveys for the Santa Cruz River,Cienega Creek,Sabino Creek, thePatagonia area, theLower San Pedro,the Salt-Gila RiverEcosystem (west ofPhoenix), the Gil-bert Riparian Pre-serves, Sycamore/Slate & TontoCreek areas (north-east of Phoenix), theWa t s o n / Wi l l o wLake IBA (Prescott),the White Moun-tains, and in Flag-staff. Although, theIBA Program isgathering thisneeded data statewide, we work handin hand with the Conservation Chairor local IBA contact of each Audu-bon chapter to meet our commonconservation goals!

Please give the Arizona IBA Pro-gram office at Tucson Audubon Soci-ety a call to set up your participationin an IBA Science Team (520-622-2230). Your help with our Avian Sci-ence Initiative will be used to put to-

gether great IBA nominations and dataas was done for the Little ColoradoRiver IBA. Most importantly, your par-ticipation will provide needed bird andhabitat information that will help di-

Junior Citizen Scientists visit an Important Bird Area

Eduardo G

omez

rect conservation efforts at these criti-cal avian habitats! Finally, check ourIBA web page now and especially inmid-August as we open up a third andfinal IBA nomination period for 2 ½months (August to November). Look

for a new, quick AZ IBAidentification Nomina-tion, as an easy way tohelp us identify sites, oruse the complete AZIBA Nomination , tohelp us compile a final“first-cut” of sites forour AZ IBA catalog(www.tucsonaudubon.org/azibaprogram). We hopeto complete Arizona’sfirst Important Bird Ar-eas publication and da-tabase in 2004! Use yourbirding skills (or otherskills) to help us alongthe way!

* A special thank youto Bill Williams River National WildlifeRefuge staff for hosting the IBA Techni-cal Meeting. They manage an incrediblyrich avian habitat, which will be reviewedfor IBA status in the near future! J

There is undoubtedly some concernamong birders about West Nile virus.In short, you are not likely to be in-fected by it, and if you are you are notlikely to get seriously ill. On the otherhand, in a few cases it is serious or le-thal. Below are a few facts about thevirus and some basic precautions totake when you are in mosquito-in-fested areas.

As of the end of 2002 there wereno cases of West Nile virus in humansin Arizona or most of the Southwest(one case in California). New Mexicohas detected infections in animals butnot humans. Nationwide there have

been 4,156 cases identified in humansand 284 deaths (about three-quartersof the fatalities were people over 60).Arizona is expecting to get its first casesthis summer or fall.

Exposure to West Nile virus comesfrom being bitten by mosquitoes. Birdsand some other animals may carry thevirus, but they are not dangerous tohumans. Most people who are infectedwill not experience any symptoms atall. The Centers for Disease Controlestimate that 20% of those infected willdevelop West Nile fever. The symptomsof West Nile fever are mild, includingfever, headache, body aches, and some-

times rashes and swollen lymph glands.It usually lasts a few days.

The more serious West Nile en-cephalitis, or meningitis, is estimatedto affect 1 in 150 of those infected withthe virus. Symptoms include headache,high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, dis-orientation, coma, tremors, convul-sions, and paralysis.

The following are basic precautionsyou should take. Remove standing wa-ter around your home. If you have afountain or other small water feature,you can buy mosquito “dunks” or“chunks,” made of materials that pre-

West Nile Virus, Birds, and Birdersby Kendall Kroesen

WEST NILE, Continued on page 25


Call in rare bird sightings and updates tothe voice mailbox at 696-4461, option 3, oremail them to [email protected].

Field Trip InformationTAS field trips are free. We strongly encourage carpooling on the field trips and

suggest driver reimbursement of 5 cents per mile. Unless noted otherwise, the“carpooling site” is the parking lot behind the First Baptist Church on 5th Ave., 11/2

blocks south of TAS on the west side of the street. Please arrive before the departuretime listed in the trip description. Don’t forget to stop in the Nature Shop after yourtrip to check out new books, wonderful nature items, and to chat with volunteers. The

field trip coordinator is John Higgins (578-1830).

Field Trips Birding outings for all interests and abilities

July 1 – Tuesday 6 a.m.Bog Springs, Madera Canyon, SantaRita MountainsHigh on the south wall of Madera Can-yon lies a deeply shaded spring thatattracts many birds, including an oc-casional rarity. About three miles ofhiking (round trip) is required, andthere is a fee for parking at the BogSprings Campground. Wear sturdywalking shoes, and bring water andlunch. After the hike we will relax bywatching the feeders at Santa RitaLodge. Meet at the car-pooling site fora 6 a.m. departure (leader not present),or at the Green Valley McDonald’s(Continental Road Exit) before 6:30 a.m.Leader: Dick Palmer (648-6735, [email protected])

July 4 – Friday 5:30 a.m.Upper Madera CanyonInstead of being sane and sleeping inon this holiday, be crazy and get upearly and enjoy the cooler, greenermountains. We will hike 2 miles up thesemi-rough, semi-steep Vault Mine traillooking for “Mexican” specialties likeSulphur-bellied Flycatchers andGreater Pewee. Bring sturdy walkingshoes, sun protection, snack andUSFS fee or permit. We will meet atthe Fry’s parking lot on Irvington justeast of I-19 or 6 a.m. at the GreenValley McDonald’s on ContinentalRoad. Back by 11 a.m. LIMITEDTO TEN BIRDERS. Please sign upstarting 5/11/03 at noon.Leader: John Higgins (578-183,[email protected])

July 8 – Tuesday 4:30 a.m.Monsoon SparrowsThe advent of the summer monsoonsleads many grassland sparrows to be-gin singing. Cassin’s and Botteri’s Spar-rows are easiest to see at this time ofyear. We will explore the foothills ofthe Santa Rita Mountains trying to see

as many of the summer sparrows as wecan. If the monsoons are late this year,we’ll head for the mountains instead.Wear sunscreen and a hat. Bring lunchand plenty of water. Please bring ascope if you have one. Meet at the car-pooling site for a 4:30 a.m. departure,or at the Green Valley McDonald’s(Continental Road Exit) before 5 a.m.Leader: Jim Hays (903-1634, [email protected])

July 11 – Friday 7 p.m.Saguaro National Park EastI’ll do a night nature walk on Friday,July 11 at Saguaro East. Meet at 7:00p.m. at the Visitor Center for 2 1/2hour walk on a trail. We’ll look and lis-ten for owls, nighthawks and poorwills.If the rains have started we may seetoads, frogs, snakes, moths and otherwonderful creatures of the night. Triplimited to 10 people. Call leader forreservations.Leader: Pinau Merlin, 546-9409.

July 15 – Tuesday 3:15 p.m.California Gulch, Pajarito MountainsThis will be an evening trip into Cali-fornia Gulch looking for Five-stripedSparrow and Varied Bunting followedby a few hours of listening for night-jars and other creatures of the night.

Be prepared for the hike into and outof the gulch (daylight), and bring aflashlight, plenty of water and some-thing to eat for the nocturnal vigil. Youmight also want to bring a folding chairor something else to sit on. PLEASECONTACT THE LEADER IN AD-VANCE, since the number of high-clearance vehicles available may limitthe number of participants. This tripmay be cancelled on short notice if theweather doesn’t cooperate. We expectto be back in Tucson by midnight. Meetat the car-pooling site for a 3:15 p.m.departure, or at the Green ValleyMcDonald’s (Continental Road Exit)before 4 p.m.Leader: Melody Kehl (885-6362,[email protected])

July 19 – Saturday 5:30 a.m.California Gulch & Arivaca CienegaJoin our adventure down the ruggedroads looking for the Five-striped Spar-row, Varied Bunting, Tyrannulet, andorioles down in the gulch. On the wayback we will search for Tropical King-bird and Gray Hawk at the Cienega.Bring lots of water, sun protection, andshoes for walking in water and lunch.High-clearance vehicles needed. Wewill leave at 5:30 a.m. from the Fry’sparking lot on Irvington just east of I-19. Back by 3 p.m. LIMITED TO FIF-TEEN BIRDERS. Call or email theleader starting July 6 at noon to sign up.Leader: John Higgins (578-1830,[email protected])

John Higgins


Other FieldOpportunities

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum –birdwalks every day at 7:30 a.m.,May – Sept. Museum entrance. 883-2702. Free with admission.

Arizona State Parks – birding andother walks; www.pr.state.az.us. Fee.(602) 542-4174.

Buenos Aires NWR – Brown Canyon& grassland tours; reservations: 823-4251; Arivaca Cienega birdwalks ev-ery Sat., Nov. – Apr., 8 a.m. 399-0537.

Boyce Thompson Arboretum – Sun-day birdwalks, 8:30 a.m., Oct. 6 – Dec.8, free with admission. 689-2811.Catalina State Park – 5 a.m. - 10 p.m,Fee. 628-5798.

Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve –open 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Oct. -May. (Closed Mon. & Tues.) Dona-tion Required. 394-2400.

Ramsey Canyon Preserve – open ev-ery day 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. $5.00general admission; kids 16 and un-der free. 378-2785.

Sabino Canyon – birding and naturehikes. Parking fee. Call 749-8700.

Saguaro National Park – Call 733-5153 (East) and 733-5158 (West)for schedules of bird and nature walks.

Southern Arizona Bird Observatory– hawk and crane tours on Saturdaysand Sundays, fee. 432-1388www.sabo.org.

Tohono Chul Park – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.daily. Birding walks at 8:30 a.m.Monday, Wednesday & Saturday,Oct. - May. Entrance fee. 575-8468.

Tucson Botanical Gardens – 8:30a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Bird and gardeningtours on Tuesdays at 9:00 a.m., Sept.- May. Entrance fee. 326-9686.

Note: All phones are area code 520unless stated otherwise. TucsonWeekly newspaper lists outdoorevents in “City Week” column;tucsonweekly.com/tw/current/l-out.html.

July 22 – Tuesday 5 a.m.Huachuca Canyon, Huachuca MountainsWe’ll look for trogons and other sum-mer residents in this beautiful ripariancanyon accessed through FortHuachuca. As with other trips on thebase, drivers will need to show theirdriver’s license, proof of insurance andvalid car registration. The trip will con-sist of fairly level walking on a dirt road(~3 miles round trip) through the sy-camore-lined canyon, returning to theparking lot for lunch. Meet at the car-pooling site for a 5 a.m. departure, orat Houghton Road just north of I-10before 5:30 a.m. Back by 3 p.m.Leader: Larry Liese (743-3520, [email protected])

July 27 – Sunday 6 a.m.Catalina MountainsCome up and cool off at the Bickel’scabin near Rose Canyon Lake. You canspend the day sitting on the porchchecking the bird feeders or hike overto the lake. Bring water and potlucklunch. Meet at parking lot on north-east corner of Tanque Verde Highwayand Catalina Highway. Leader will notbe present at the parking lot. Call leaderfor directions.Leader: Barbara Bickel (322-5857)

July 29 – Tuesday 6 a.m.Secret Trail, Santa Rita MountainsWe’ll hike a beautiful and seldom vis-ited trail in upper Madera Canyonlooking for a cool place and the birdsthat might take shelter there. This willbe a rugged loop hike of about fivemiles over steep and rocky trails withconsiderable elevation gain. Wear sturdyhiking boots and be prepared to carrywater and lunch with you. THE TRIPWILL BE LIMITED TO 10 HIKER/BIRDERS; contact the leader no earlierthan July 13 to make a reservation. Meetat the car-pooling site for a 6 a.m. depar-ture (leader not present), or at the GreenValley McDonald’s before 6:30 a.m.Leader: Sally Johnsen (399-4050, [email protected])

August 2 – Saturday 5:30 a.m.Laid-back Hotline BirdingDestination will be a group decisionbased on hotline and listserv reports.This time of year may bring reports ofinteresting hummers, shorebirds andearly migrating passerines. Bring lunch,plenty of water, good walking shoes,and sunscreen. Call leaders with ques-tions. Meet at the carpooling site onwest side of Houghton Road north ofI-10. Return by 3 p.m.Leaders: Ries Lindley (882-6202) andCraig Gordon (721-1092)

August 5 – Tuesday 4:30 a.m.Miller Canyon, Huachuca MountainsThis will be a four-mile (round trip)hike up a steep and rocky trail, but thereward is a chance for some excellentmountain birding and perhaps a realrarity. We will end the morning withsome hummingbird watching atBeatty’s. Be sure to wear sturdy shoesand carry water. Bring a lunch to eatwhile watching the hummers. Meet atthe car-pooling site for a 4:30 a.m. de-parture, or meet at Houghton Roadnorth of I-10 before 5 a.m.Leader: Jim Hays (903-1634, [email protected])

August 12 – Tuesday 5 a.m.Banning Creek Field Station, MuleMountainsThis field station, operated by theSoutheastern Arizona Bird Observa-tory, has wonderful hummingbird feed-ers that should be busy at this time ofthe year. Lucifer Hummingbird is apossibility. We plan to visit the St.David monastery’s bird sanctuary enroute. A contribution to SABO wouldbe appreciated. Wear a hat and sun-screen, and bring water and lunch. LIM-ITED TO 10 PARTICIPANTS. Con-tact leader no earlier than July 5 to makea reservation. Meet at the car-pooling sitefor a 5 a.m. departure, or at HoughtonRoad north of I-10 before 5:30 a.m.Leader: Norma Miller (578-1399,[email protected])


Field Reports

August 16 – Saturday 6 a.m.Hummingbirds for Beginners

This trip is especially for those newto birding or new to birding in South-east Arizona. We will go to three hum-mer hotspots: Madera Canyon, Paton’sin Patagonia, and Miller Canyon nearSierra Vista. Some driving will be ongraded dirt road. Bring water, sun pro-tection, lunch and ice cream money.Back by 5 p.m. LIMITED TO TENBIRDERS: Call or email the leader tosign up starting on July 13 at noon.Leader: John Higgins (578-1830,[email protected])

August 19 – Tuesday 5:30 a.m.Madera Canyon, Santa Rita Mountains

This favorite nearby birding area isusually cool and should have a goodassortment of breeding birds and earlymigrants. Trogons, Painted Redstarts,and many hummingbirds are possible.We will bird near the road at lower el-evations; then those who wish can hikea mile or so up one of the trails at theupper end of the canyon to look forhigher-elevation birds. Wear a hat andsunscreen and bring water and lunch.Wear boots or sturdy shoes. Meet at thecar-pooling site for a 5:30 a.m. depar-ture, or at the McDonald’s in Green Val-ley (Continental Road Exit) before 6 a.m.Leader: David Morrison (498-0637, [email protected])

August 23 – Saturday 6:30 a.m.Willcox Ponds

Let’s drive over and see what shore-birds, herons and terns are movingthrough. Bring water, sun protectionand scope if you have one. Optionalapple pie stop; back by noon. Meet atHoughton Road just north of I-10.Leader: John Higgins (578-1830,[email protected])

August 26 – Tuesday 5:30 a.m.Mount Lemmon, Catalina Mountains

One of the best ways to escape thesummer heat is to bird our way up theCatalina Highway to the cool coniferforests atop Mount Lemmon. We’ll

start at some lower elevation oases andwork our way up to spruce and fir for-ests, sampling the bird life at variouselevations on the way up. Bring lunch,water, and a light rain jacket. Meet atthe car-pooling site for a 5:30 a.m. de-parture (leader not present), or at theMcDonald’s on the northeast corner ofTanque Verde Road and Catalina High-way before 6 a.m.Leader: Sheryl Forte (579-9734, [email protected])

September 2 – Tuesday 6 a.m.Arivaca Cienega, Buenos Aires Na-tional Wildlife Refuge

Migration should be in full swingby now, and many migrants are at-tracted to this (usually!) moist area. Amile or two of leisurely walking on good,mostly level, trails and boardwalks. Weara hat and sunscreen; bring plenty of wa-ter and snacks or lunch. A scope may beuseful. Meet at the car-pooling site for a6 a.m. departure (leader not present), orat the Green Valley McDonald’s (Conti-nental Road Exit) before 6:30 a.m.Leader: Gene Loring (629-0510, [email protected])

September 9 – Saturday 6:30 a.m.Harshaw Creek Road

We will look for Gray Hawk andsoutheast Arizona specialties along theroad and at a newly opened B&B. In-volves three miles of walking on a for-est service road. Bring sturdy walkingshoes, water and lunch. Meet atHoughton Road just north of I-10 at6:30 a.m. Back by 2 p.m.Leader: Mike Bissontz (577-8778)

September 6-9 – Saturday-TuesdayMonterey, California

Highlight will be an eight-hourbirding trip on Monterey Bay lookingfor seabirds and marine mammals. Thegreatest variety of both is seen duringfall migration. Shearwaters, jaegers,alcids, storm-petrels, porpoises andwhales are all possible. The boat trip ison Sunday. We plan to spend most ofMonday at the Monterey Bay

Aquarium. We will visit Point Pinos(surfbirds), Moss Landing (shorebirds),Año Nuevo (harbor and possible el-ephant seals) and Point Lobos (oyster-catchers and otters). Nice place to justbe a tourist too! Birders will make ownarrangements for the boat trip, flight,rental car, motel and meals, but leaderwill give you information. Space on theboat is VERY LIMITED.Leader: John Higgins (578-1830,[email protected]) J

April 13Field Trip Leaders Appreciation Trip

Professional birding guide ChrisBenesh led eighteen volunteer trip lead-ers to Patagonia Lake and Patagonia.Highlights included watching theBlack-capped Gnatcatchers sitting ontheir nest, as well as Black-bellied Whis-tling Duck, Virginia Rail, Cassin’sFinch, and White-throated Sparrow.The volunteer leaders were then treatedto lunch at Sonoita Cafe and givendonated gift certificates from the Tuc-son Audubon Nature Shop.– John Higgins

April 15Pena Blanca Lake

A small group of Tucson Audubonbirders braved rain, hail, wind, andchill, before the warm sun came out.Bird-of-the-Day was an adult LeastTern seen flying over the Palo DuroGolf Club ponds in Nogales during theearly afternoon. Also at Palo Duro werea Snowy Egret and a pair of Blue-winged Teal. The morning walk at PenaBlanca Lake, despite the weather,yielded great views of Hammond’s Fly-catcher, Dusky-capped Flycatcher,Osprey, and Gray Hawk. Also presentwere Bell’s and Warbling Vireos, North-ern Beardless-Tyrannulet, a Zone-tailedHawk and a flock of 20 or more PineSiskins. A total of 64 species were seen.– Jim Hays


Get Involved atTucson

Audubon!We invite you to volunteer withthese Tucson Audubon pro-grams. Check the website forupdates of these and other vol-unteer opportunities (go towww.tucsonaudubon.org, andclick on “Want to help?” in themenu on the left margin).

Vermilion Flycatcher• Help one Friday per month

with sorting and labeling theFlycatcher for mailing.Call Jerry Sweeney, 326-3701

Important Bird Areas Program• IBA science teams; 2-4

people to adopt an IBA andsurvey birdsCall Scott Wilbor, 622-2230

Habitat Restoration Project• Volunteer at the restoration site

Call Ann Phillips or KendallKroesen, 206-9900

Birding Fieldtrips• Volunteer to lead Tucson Au-

dubon birding fieldtripsCall John Higgins, 578-1830

Mason Audubon Center• Grounds helper, general office

work, housekeeperCall Jamie Brown, 744-0004

International Trips Program• Development and distribu-

tion of marketing materials.Especially helpful would besomeone who likes using theirgraphic arts skills. We needjust a few hours of your time.Call Holly Foster, 629-0757

April 22Cascabel/San Pedro area

Twenty-one birders enjoyed a pro-ductive (70 species) trip via Pomereneto the Abbotts. A short stop at an agoverflow pond provided Cedar Wax-wings and a flock of White-faced Ibisamong others; we then stopped at ourneighbors’, seeing Black-throated Spar-rows and orioles (Hooded & Bullocks)before arriving at the river. After divid-ing into 2 groups, we birded the riverbottom, finding 6 raptors, includingZone-tailed Hawk and MississippiKite. Returning summer residents in-cluding Ash-throated and VermilionFlycatchers, Summer Tanager, Bell’sVireo, Cassin’s/Western Kingbird andLucy’s Warbler were all seen in abun-dance, plus the first Yellow-breastedChat of the season. Migrating warblers(Yellow, Wilson’s, Black-throated Grey)were also viewed. The group met backat the Abbott feeders to enjoy the yard-birds and lunch. Special thanks toSheryl Forte and Denis Wright for theirexpert bird-ID-ing. One out-of-statevisitor added 12 life birds to his list.– Mike & Janet Abbott

April 24Sulphur Springs Valley / Miller Canyon

Our small but fiercely enthusiasticgroup first stopped at Willcox TwinLakes, where waterfowl and shorebirdswere abundant. These included nineduck species, White-faced Ibis, a Semi-palmated Plover, Avocets and Black-necked Stilts in good numbers, bothYellowlegs and a few dozen WesternSandpipers and Wilson’s Phalaropes.Later, we found Whitewater Draw to bealmost waterless, but pumps were work-ing hard to fill one section. Here, too,both Yellowlegs were on hand and an-other sizeable group of Western Sandpip-ers. A Bank Swallow and Bullock’s Ori-ole were also found. We finished our tripat Beatty’s, where we saw seven species ofhummers were seen. These, along with apair of Black-headed Grosbeaks, com-pleted our day’s list of 60 species.– David West

April 26Restoration Site and Pecan Grove

Seventeen people had some nicesightings and learned about recenthabitat work on the normally off-lim-its restoration site. Wilson’s, Yellow,Orange-crowned, and Yellow-rumpedwarblers were seen in relatively lownumbers in the willows along the river.Migrating Lazuli Buntings put in anappearance. Two male Bullock’s Orioleschased each other through cotton-woods where a pair of Western King-birds were building a nest. TwoSwainson’s Hawks migrated past, anda Sharp-shinned Hawk flapped andglided its way through the fields to thesouth. Numerous invisible CommonYellowthroats called from dense river-side growth. At the Pecan Grove fourEnglish guests were delighted by viewsof a Great Horned Owl and a pair ofVermilion Flycatchers. Also at the grovewere a migrating Hermit Warbler anda Plumbeous Vireo.– Kendall Kroesen

May 3Tanque Verde Ranch

Nineteen birders gathered on a coolclear morning on this private ranch lo-cated at the very end of East Speed-way. Forty-two species were seen bymost of the group. The unusual sight-ing was a Grey Hawk, soaring high tothe east. (The ranch naturalist con-firmed that Grey Hawks are periodi-cally seen, sometimes flying very low.)However, the sightings that definitelydrew the most accolades were two sepa-rate close-up views of Gila-monstersranging from 18 to 23 inches, on thesecond leg of the trip. A good time washad by all.– Bill Wieboldt

May 6Fort Huachuca and Ash Canyon

Despite some wind, Tucson Audu-bon birders had a good day in Garden,Sawmill, Scheelite, and Ash Canyonsin the Huachuca Mountains. High-lights of the day were: Clark’s Nut-


cracker (overhead flyby in Sawmill Canyon), two maletrogons in the Upper Picnic Area of Garden Canyon (andtwo others heard in Garden and Sawmill Canyons), SpottedOwl in Scheelite Canyon, and Lucifer Hummingbird inAsh Canyon. A total of 94 species were seen or heard.Special thanks to Rick Taylor for finding the owls and toMary Jo Ballator, of Ash Canyon Bed and Breakfast, forher hospitality!– Jim Hays

May 10Catalina Mountains

Eighteen birders found 68 species including a great manyGrace’s Warblers and excellent views of a Painted Redstartand a Red-faced Warbler. A Sharp-shinned Hawk at Geol-ogy Vista was most unexpected, as there are only a few breed-ing records for the Catalinas and the migrants are supposedto be through by the end of April.– Bob Bates

May 12Aravaipa Canyon

We had a good start to our trip with four desert bighornsheep on the bluff on the way into the canyon. One ram,two ewes, and a youngster were high up on BrandenburgMountain. We proceeded to the Wilderness, hoping our luckwould hold for our other targets. Common Black-Hawkshave seemed harder to come by the last two summers, as aquick look at a single bird was all we had. Lots of YellowWarblers, Brown-crested Flycatchers and Summer Tanagerswere present, along with a sprinkling of other birds totaling42 species. Beautiful perched and flying views of a GreenHeron were nice in the riparian setting, as were a male West-ern Tanager and Yellow-breasted Chats.– Larry Liese

May 14Patagonia Area

Our visit to Temporal Canyon, just north of Patagonia,was highlighted by soaring Gray Hawk, but we missedMontezuma Quail—our target bird. At the Roadside Restwe found Canyon Wren, White-throated Swift and BlackVulture. The Paton’s produced the day’s best bird, a Thick-billed Kingbird, high in the cottonwood; also Violet-crownedHummingbird, Western Tanagers and Bronzed Cowbirds.Along Harshaw Creek Road a Hammond’s Flycatcher and apair of Painted Redstarts were good finds. On our wayback we crossed the beautiful, but very dry San RafaelValley, where birds were few. For the day, our group of sixtallied 62 species.– David West

May 18Madera Canyon

Thirteen birders visited Madera Canyon, which was awashwith migrant Western Wood-Pewees, Black-headed Gros-beaks, Western Tanagers, and an amazing number ofSwainson’s Thrushes. At the Kubo cabins we were treated toa male, and probable female, Flame-colored Tanager. Up theVault Mine trail we found many southeast Arizona special-ties including Elegant Trogon, Painted Redstart, ArizonaWoodpecker, Red-faced and Grace’s Warblers, and Dusky-capped Flycatcher. After lunch we added a few more speciesto our list at the Santa Rita lodge feeders.– Dr. Stephen Barlow

May 24De Anza Trail, Tubac

Eleven birders walked south on the de Anza Trail fromTubac. We saw many pairs of Summer Tanagers, includingone that copulated rather provocatively before us. Bell’sVireos, Lucy’s Warblers, and Yellow-breasted Chats sang likecrazy. Several Bridled Titmouses foraged in the willows.Dennis Jex, a de Anza trail volunteer, was invaluable in guid-ing us back north along the river to the bridge in Tubac. Hehad seen Gray Hawks just south of the bridge. We saw onecircling this area. Also near the bridge was a CommonGround-Dove, which was much appreciated by those whohad never seen one. Apparently a new section of the trailgoes north from the bridge in Tubac for some distance—new birding territory!– Kendall Kroesen J

Help WantedWe are updating our book, Finding Birds in South-east Arizona, and need assistance checking outvarious areas featured in the book. There are alsosome clerical and desk jobs for those who don’tgo out much in the summer. If you can help withany of these tasks, please contact us at 629-0757or [email protected].


Calendar July-AugustSubmit calendar items and information [email protected], or call 749-2139.

Arizona-Sonora DesertMuseum

September 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, October 7Fundamentals of Nature Drawing: Instructor ChrisBondante teaches the fundamentals of graphitepencil technique and how to create what they seewith a few basic shapes. Certificate course, no pre-requisite. Tuesdays, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Cost: $95for ASDM members, $105 for non-members.

September 4, 11, 18, 25, October 2, 9Nature Drawing – Surface Detail and Texture: Stu-dents will learn from Instructor Chris Bondantethe specific techniques for rendering surface de-tail and texture in graphite. Certificate course.Prerequisite: Fundamentals of Nature Drawingand Intermediate Nature Drawing. Thursdays,1 pm to 4 pm.

September 5, 12, 19, 26, October 3, 10Intermediate Nature Drawing: Instructor ChrisBondante teaches how to pay more attention toaccurate observation, resolution of issues of per-spective and how to render a concave or convexsurface in a manner that will be clearly understoodby the viewer. Certificate course. Prerequisite: Fun-damentals of Nature Drawing. Fridays, 9 am to12 pm. Cost: $95 for ASDM members, $105 fornon-members.

September 6, 13, 27, October 4, 11Rendering Birds in Colored Pencil: Students willlearn from Instructor Larry Wollam how to accu-rately render birds in their natural habitat, usingpreliminary sketches, visual observation and pho-tos. Elective course. Saturdays, 9 am to 12 pm.Cost: $80 for ASDM members, $88 for non-members.

All classes are at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Mu-seum Art Institute Oro Valley Classroom (10355N. La Canada Dr., #133). For registration or moreinformation, call Carol Owens at 883-3024 or visitwww.desertmuseum.org.

Saturday, July 5, 8:00 – 10:00 a.m.Mason Audubon Center Public Tour: “Monsoons”Cost is $5.00, $3.00 for Audubon members, and free forchildren 10 and under. Space is limited to 30 participants,so you must call Jamie at 744-0004 to reserve your space.The Mason Audubon Center is located at 8751 N.Thornydale Road, two miles north of Ina Road on the south-west corner of the intersection of Hardy and Thorndale.Please park along Hardy Road. We hope to see you there!

Wednesday, July 9, 6:30 p.m.Winged Migration Fundraiser ScreeningReception 5:30 p.m.; exclusive screening of the acclaimednature film Winged Migration at 6:30 p.m. Lowes CineplexCatalina Cinema, 2320 N. Campbell Avenue. (See front cover.)

Saturday, July 12, 6:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.Mason Audubon Center Work PartyHelp set up a basin for the expanded Ethnobotanical Gar-den (digging the basin, mulching, assembling some ocotillofencing). Bring water, work gloves, hat, and sturdy shoes.We can also harvest some saguaro fruit for refreshments!

Thursday, July 31, 6 – 8 p.m.Environment and Transportation ForumLearn more about how environmental issues impact trans-portation planning at this educational forum. Our own SonjaMacys, Tucson Audubon’s Executive Director, will be thekeynote speaker. The forum will have panel presentations,break-out sessions and input to the 2030 regional long rangetransportation plan. There is no charge, but pre-registrationis requested. Contact Karen Lamberton at the Pima Associa-tion of Governments, 792-1093 or [email protected]: Tucson Botanical Gardens, 2150 N. Alvernon Way.

Saturday, August 2, 8:00 – 10:00 a.m.Mason Audubon Center Public Tour: “Butterflies”Cost is $5.00, $3.00 for Audubon members, and free forchildren 10 and under. Space limited to 30, so call Jamie at744-0004 to reserve space. The Mason Audubon Center islocated at 8751 N. Thornydale Road, two miles north ofIna Road on the southwest corner of Hardy and Thorndale.Please park along Hardy Road. We hope to see you there!

Friday – Saturday, August 22-23Tucson Audubon Back-to-School Yard SaleYard sale starts at 2 p.m. on Friday in the courtyard behindthe Audubon Nature Shop. Bring in items to donate to thesale before that date. Yard sale continues all day Saturday. J


Tucson Audubon�s Fourth Annualby Jamie Brown

Bobcat in one of thewildlife demonstrations at

the Ironwood Festival

Bob W

enrick

The Fourth Annual Ironwood Festival has come andgone—the music has stopped, the tents are down, and thehundreds of people have left. Yet, the momentum and en-ergy created by this fun and educational event propel for-ward all who were involved, with renewed excitement anddetermination.

We’re delighted to report that this year’s Ironwood Festi-val was the best yet. Signs of success include facts such as:

d We continue to receive excellent feedback from someof the nearly 500 festival-goers exclaiming how muchthey loved the live animal presentations, cultural per-formances, live music, the variety of food and bever-ages, interpreted trail tours, and more

d Thousands heard about the Festival through newspa-per advertisements, calendar an-nouncements, posters, and radiointerviews

d We had more volunteers and con-tributing businesses and individu-als than ever before, and

d Proceeds from the Festival, whichwill be used to benefit the iron-wood preservation and environ-mental education programs of theMason Audubon Center, ex-ceeded $6,000

A community event of this calibersucceeds only with the help of hundredsof folks who care about the Mason Au-dubon Center and our environmentaleducation and ironwood preservationmission. This year’s Ironwood Festivalwas certainly no exception. With ourdeepest gratitude, we wish to thank thefollowing sponsors, planning committee members,partnering organizations, contributing organizations, busi-nesses, individuals, volunteers, and the organizations thattook part in the Festival.

Many, many, thanks . . .. . . to our sponsors:Tucson Electric Power, Tucson Newspapers, Inc., Com-

mercial Printers, New Belgium Brewing, The Home Depot,and Summit Hut.

. . . to our planning committee members:Wendy Burroughs, Jamie Brown, Mary Chassels, Scott

Davis, Carrie Dean, Doris Evans, Sharon Foltz, HollyHenning Foster, Linda Greene, Dorothy Gyurko, Sue Jensen,Sonja Macys, Chris McVie, Robert Merideth, Ed Moll, ElissaOstergaard, Susan Shobe, Lisa Stage, Linda Stitzer, SaraVenturini, Diana Videtti, Peggy Wenrick, and Dan Wolgast.

. . . to our partners:Arizona Game & Fish Department, Arizona Department

of Water Resources, Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protec-tion, Cooper Environment Science Campus/TUSD, Inter-national Dark-Sky Association, Pima County Natural Re-sources Park & Recreation, Sierra Club, Tohono Chul Park,Tucson Botanical Gardens, and Tucson Herpetological Society.

. . . to our contributing organizations,businesses, and individuals:

Tortilleria Arevalo, Bach’s CactusNursery, Lou & Robyn Benson, TimBlowers, John Bodenchuk, Dana Brentt,Pima County Supervisor SharonBronson, Bob’s Honeybee Roasters, ScottDavis, Alison Dean, Desert Watch, LasDoñas, Eegees, Elle Restaurant, FoothillsMall, Heather Garrick, Regina Harmon,Bob Hassan, KXCI Community Radio,Lane Affiliated Companies—Pepsi-ColaBottling Company, Tim Lengerich, Mag-pies Gourmet Pizza, Marana UnifiedSchool District (MUSD), Mason Audu-bon Center volunteer naturalists, Morton,O’Connor, and Davies, Ken Mroczek,Oasis Bottled Water, Mike Olson, OrganDonors, Cele Peterson, Pastiche Restau-rant, Martha Pille, Daniel Preston, Janice

Pryzbll, Sabaku, Saguaro Environmental Services, San XavierDistrict Tohono O’odham Food Booth, Kathy Schroeder,Jessie Shinn, Ronnie Sidner, The Singing Beekeeper, Lisa Stage,Thayer Software, Tortolita Middle School, Townsfolk ofTortolita, Trees for Tucson, Gerard Tsonakwa, UncommonFolk, Diana Videtti, Villa Feliz Flowers, Wa:k Tab Basket Danc-ers, Bob Wenrick, Wild Bird Store, and Alex Yelich.

. . . to participating organizations:Alaska Coalition, Arizona League of Conservation Vot-

Bob W

enrick

Prairie Falcon, wildlife demonstration


Saguaros and palo verdes characterize the Sonoran Desert,but this most diverse of North American deserts is also de-fined by its two, equally productive seasons of rainfall – thewinter equipatas and the summer las aguas or monsoon.‘Monsoon’ derives from an Arabic word, meaning season.Strictly speaking, it refers to winds that change direction sea-sonally and not to rainfall.

The air circulation pattern that brings our wide-spread,gentle winter rains is associated with frontal storms from thePacific Ocean. Our monsoon is delivered when the PacificHigh moves northward between July and mid-September,allowing moist Pacific air to move up from Baja Californiaon a southerly or even south-easterly flow. When this ladenair passes over the superheated desert, it rises into thermalsas much as 40,000 feet high, producing the sometimes vio-lent thunderstorms for which the area is famous.

The monsoon season, thought to be the beginning of theyear by native peoples, is the main time of growth for deserttrees and shrubs. Summer wildflowers, such as devil’s claw,morning glories and desert sennas, spring forth. Barrel cac-tus, jumping cholla, and prickly pear bloom and fruit.Saguaros expand their pleats as they efficiently absorb soilmoisture. Butterflies are abundant, ants swarm, and localhummingbirds fatten up for migration.

In puddles remaining after thunderstorms desertspadefoots vocalize. This amphibian (not a true toad) isalerted to breeding opportunities by the vibrations of rain-fall and thunder. With adequate rain, the male emerges fromits burial in sandy soil, bleating its desire for a female. Aftera frenzy of mating, the female may lay up to 3,000 eggs inthe ephemeral water. Eggs hatch within 15 hours to producetadpoles that must metamorphose before the puddle dries(from nine days to two weeks). One meal of monsoon-abun-dant beetles, grasshoppers, and spiders can provide all thespadefoot’s annual calories before it digs itself undergroundwith the “spades” on its hind feet.

Humans also welcome monsoon rains with exuberance,but have not learned to use or conserve this precious resourceas effectively as desert plants and animals. Each of Tucson’s840,000 people consume an average of 160 gallons of watera day (58,400 gallons per year). You probably know of wa-ter-saving measures for inside, but because 30% to 50% ofyour 58,400 gallons is used outdoors, we suggest opportuni-ties to conserve: use low water-use plants; minimize evaporativelosses from swimming pools, fountains, misters, coolers; andemploy water-harvesting techniques in landscaping.

To learn more about our monsoon season and some ways toconserve water, come to the Mason Audubon Center at 8 a.m.on July 5 for another in the Desert Life Series of public tours. J

MAC Naturalist Notebookby Peggy Wenrick

ers, Arizona Native Plant Society, Arizona-Sonora DesertMuseum, Bureau of Land Management, Ironwood NationalMonument, Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders ofWildlife, Native Seeds/SEARCH, Oracle State Park Cen-ter for Environmental Education, Raptor RehabilitationProject, Sonoran Permaculture Guild, Tohono O’odhamCommunity Action, Trees for Tucson, and Tucson Her-petological Society.

. . . and, finally, to the many wonderful volunteers whohelped throughout the Festival.

Thank You!(Note: If somehow we forgot you on this list, please ac-

cept our sincere apologies.) J

An Ironwood Festival ExperienceJamie Brown, Community Outreach Coordinator

If you stopped by the Ironwood Festival on that warm,breezy Saturday in May, your first festive encounter was prob-ably with the friendly and chipper Tucson Electric Powervolunteers. They spent the evening cruising down HardyRoad in double-sized golf carts, shuttling festival-goers or

taking tickets atthe entrancegate. As youpassed throughthe gate to theCenter, youp r o b a b l ycouldn’t helpbut notice BenSchwartz fromthe Raptor Re-h a b i l i t a t i o n

Project sitting under a tree with that gorgeous Prairie Falconon a perch. Walking by the food booths, I’m sure you couldn’thelp but smell the yummy fry bread tacos and roasted cornwhile hearing the entertaining rhythms and sounds of bandssuch as Morton, O’Connor, and Davies.

Daniel Preston blesses Festival

Bob W

enrick

Bob W

enrick

Tohono O’odham dancers

IRONWOOD, Continued on page 25


Birdathon 2003by Jessie Shinn

Fundraising is a key part of life at any non-profit organi-zation, and though vital, it is, well, not necessarily as muchfun as exploring tide-pools with kids, planting a tree on theSanta Cruz River, or watching birds. The Birdathon is theexception to this rule, for obvious reasons: you get to watchbirds. And, every species seen is all the more satisfying whenyou know that it means another dollar raised for your favor-ite cause. During my group’s stop at the Patons’ feeders, weraised a few eyebrows when one group member called outexcitedly, “A cardinal, a cardinal!” The rest of us jumpedup, binoculars at the ready, asking, “Where is it?” Afterall, it was another “new” bird, our first and only cardinalof the day.

This year’s Birdathon was a successful money raiser,and a lot of fun. Pledges exceeded $17,000, and an addi-tional $3000 were brought in by the Birdathon raffle andsupertrips, for a total of $20,000, when all the pledgescome in. Many thanks to the hard-working and intrepidbirders who participated in the Birdathon competitionand fundraising.

The Calliope GirlsThe Desert DingbatsThe Eagle TeamThe Good Old BirdsThe MAC MutesThe Red RobinsThe RoadrunnersThe Wolf PackCathi Costa and Dorothy HarrisKevin DahlCecily Gill and Alec and Vivian MacKinnonHolly Henning FosterKendall Kroesen and Scott WilborJean and David RiosRuth and Steve RussellLinda Stitzer and Kathy JacobsAudrey ToepperWill Turner and Wade LeitnerWill Turner and Wade Leitner again captured the prize

for the most bird species seen, a total of 207 species. At theBirdathon pizza party, Will shared their secret. They’ve beenbirding the same route year after year and know just whatthey need to see at each stop before they leave. We thinkthere must be at least some birding skill involved as well.

Congratulations to Jean and David Rios for signing upthe largest number of donors. Jean and David helped 39people make a connection to Tucson Audubon.

Our own Sonja Macys of the Desert Dingbats raised themost donation dollars, at $3,759.50. And, she can bird too,

as evidenced by the Desert Dingbats’ impressive runner- uptotal of 149 species seen.

The most unusual bird seen was the infamous Flame-colored Tanager of Madera Canyon, spotted by my own team,the Calliope Girls.

Our Birdathon would not be possible without the gener-osity of those individuals and businesses that donated prizes.We hope you’ll show the following businesses your appre-ciation for their community spirit and generosity by re-membering them when you shop, dine out, and travel.Thank you:

Arizona Sonora Desert MuseumBlue Willow RestaurantBookman’s Used BooksBrunton BinocularsCafé RokaCasa de San Pedro B&BCave Creek RanchDakota CaféThe DoubletreeFoothills MallGeorge Walker HouseGuest House Inn B&BJavelina CantinaJeremiah Inn B&BKarrels Double K RanchKristi KellerNative Seed SearchPastiche Modern EaterySandy PetersonRamsey Canyon B&BSusan RandolphSilverbell TradingSolipaso ExcursionsSummit HutSwenson’sThayer SoftwareTierra de los SuenosTucson Audubon Nature ShopTucson Botanical GardensTucson Film SocietyThe Wild Bird StoreWildflower RestaurantWhat makes the Birdathon such an exceptional fundraiser

is the teamwork involved. Whether through participating ina Birdathon, pledging, buying raffle tickets, participating ina supertrip, or donating a raffle prize, more communitymembers take part in the Birdathon than any other TucsonAudubon fundraiser. Thanks for doing your part! J


Institute of Desert Ecology�33 Years & Going Strongby Jessie Shinn

This year’s Institute of Desert Ecol-ogy, held at Catalina State Park April24 through 27, brought 60 participantstogether forfour won-derful daysof explora-tion andlearning inour SonoranD e s e r t .Many par-t i c i p a n t swere Tucsonans, but others came fromas far away as New York and Pennsyl-vania, and from as diverse backgroundsas wildlife biology, computer manage-ment, environmental consulting, de-fense and aerospace, teaching, home-making, law and graduate studies.There was also awonderful mix ofages, personalities,and talents. Manythanks to our fac-ulty, Carl Olson,Bob Scarborough,Cecil Schwalbe,Ronnie Sidner, Linwood Smith andCarl Tomoff for sharing their expertiseand for creating the dynamics thatmake this such a fun and inspiring timefor all involved. Thanks also to thosewho contributed their time and energyas volunteers, staff, and adjunct instruc-tors: Marilyn Bicking, Kevin Dahl,Bill Doelle, Judy Edison, DorisEvans, Karen Krebbs, KendallKroesen, Sonja Macys, Bill Mannan,

Craig Marken, Pinau Merlin, JeriOgden, Ben Schwartz, Peggy andJohn Smith, Bob Steidl, Joan Tedford,

T o mW e b s t e r ,and WandaW y n n e .What agreat groupof people!

As alwaysInstitute par-ticipants en-

joyed scrumptious meals provided bySutter’s catering. This year we were alsoblessed with near perfect weather, nottoo hot, not too cold and not toowindy. One highlight of the Instituteoccurred when a Zone-tailed hawkcircled low right through our camp,

awing birders andnon-birders alike.Another highlightwas our skit night,with perfor-mances from par-ticipants inspiredby their experi-

ences at the Institute. Included beloware pictures taken by Institute partici-pant Larry Wasielewski and some ex-cerpts from skit night.

Ode to I.D.E.To be sung to Ode to Joy by Beethoven

Lyrics by Becky Schaller and JamieBrown with editing and title byCarole Warneke. Sung by “Group CChorale” at IDE graduation onApril 26, 2003.

Time to wonder; time to questionAt the Desert Institute

How does climate and the landscapeAffect all life here on earth?

Pre-adapt and find your nicheIn this desert habitat

Learn to find your food and waterWhere you can or you’ll fall flat.

Glean for insects; probe for bugsSnatch one as you fly right by

Digging, drilling; get your foodSally round in open sky.

Find a way to eat and prosperSave your time and energy

Finding ways to raise your youngHoping they will soon fly free.

Time to listen and to noticeIs there one bird, two or three?

Which bird do you hear right now?What does that one say to thee?

Is it courting or imprintingOr protecting its own turf?Time to listen and to notice

What has changed on planet Earth.

Time to wonder; time to questionAt the Desert Institute

How does climate and the landscapeAffect all life here on earth?

IDE HaikuWritten and performed by Group E

Listen. Close your eyes.Bring together what you know.

See the connections

Santa Catalina Mountains, backdrop for the InstituteLarry W

asielewski

Larry Wasielew

ski

Giant saguaro at Catalina State Park

INSTITUTE, Continued on page 25Carl Tomoff teaches at the Institute

Larry Wasielew

ski

The next Institute of DesertEcology will be April 22-25,

2004. Call 628-1730 for moreinformation or to register.


International Birding Trips Larry Liese, ed.

Morning mist is rising over the tranquil river waters asthe boat glides between living walls of red, white, and blackmangroves. Fishing along the banks are Wood Stork, WhiteIbis, and Bare-throated Tiger-Heron. Boat-billed Herons,with huge, scoop-shaped bills, roost quietly in buttonwoodtrees that arch over the boatway. Perched on top of the man-groves are Common Black-Hawks, Osprey, and even, possi-bly, Crane Hawks with scarlet red legs. Emerald Green King-fishers flash across the canals; skulking in the shadows areRufous-necked Wood-Rails and Mangrove Cuckoos. Smallbirds include Tropical Parula and the red-headed “Mangrove”subspecies of Yellow Warbler. The most common bird of all,perhaps, is the Anhinga. Loafing on boughs, five-foot-longGreen Iguanas stare with beady eyes as the boat passes by.

This outing is only one of many gifts awaiting you dur-ing our weeklong stay at San Blas, Nayarit. The hotel chefwas trained in Europe and the grounds of our hotel featurean inviting swimming pool. Best of all, there are no hotelchanges the entire tour. Located approximately 1,000 milesdown the west coast of Mexico, San Blas is surrounded byjungles, rivers, beaches, and mountains. It is here that theSierra Madre Occidental plunges into the Pacific Ocean.

A leisurely walk under 150-foot-tall silk cotton kapokand gumbo limbo trees may yield Citreoline and ElegantTrogons, Mexican Woodnymph and Cinnamon Humming-

Tucson Audubon’s travel program is rolling out three exciting new trips, and new versions of two existing trips (see pages16-19). This is in addition to three other trips we currently offer (see page 19). These trips all present opportunities toexplore wonderful places, see new birds, experience different cultures, and stay in fine accommodations. The price of eachtrip includes a donation to the Tucson Audubon Society. J

bird, both of the large, flame-crested tropical woodpeckers—Lineated and Pale-billed, as well as the endemic Gray-crowned Woodpecker, the endemic Russet-crowned Motmot,and parrots, parakeets, and parrotlets. The Barranca coun-try between Puerto Vallarta and San Blas is famous for itsflights of turquoise-winged, scarlet-tailed Military Macaws.In a single ravine on Cerro San Juan we may find Bumble-bee Hummingbird, White-striped Woodcreeper, Blue Mock-ingbird—and, perhaps, Red-headed Tanager.

There is no better place in the Mexican lowlands to seelong-toed Northern Jaçanas walking on lily pads and Rose-ate Spoonbills in the lagoons, or wintering Black-cappedVireos. There will also be time to visit the old church andruins of Fort San Bacilio overlooking the harbor, as well astime for swimming or just relaxing at our beautiful hotel.

The leader of this trip is Rick Taylor. Cost of San Blas,Jungle & Barranca includes all accommodations, all meals,our chartered boat rides, and all air and land transportationbeginning and ending in Phoenix, Arizona. A second leaderwill be added if group size warrants. $150 of the tour price isa donation to the Tucson Audubon Society. $2,445.

For registration and further information, contact Bor-derland Tours, toll free: 1-800-525-7753; in Tucson: (520)882-7650; [email protected]. J

San Blas, Mexico: �Jungle and Barranca�January 15-22, 2004, Rick Taylor

Linneated Woodpeckers Russet-crowned Motmot


Join Larry Liese and Rochelle Gerratt as they offer anexciting birding trip into new territory for Tucson AudubonSociety!

Explore the wild side of Belize and Tikal with us. We’llhike in the rainforest amid howler monkeys and three vari-eties of Toucans; explore the ancient Mayan ruins of Lamanaiand Tikal; snorkel in the aquamarine waters of the Carib-bean next to a one-mile long caye (island); and search formanatees from our canoes on a huge lagoon.

We will be experiencing several of the diverse bioregionsof Belize: a palm-fringed offshore island bordered by crystalwaters with tropical fish, dolphins, and coral formations;the mangrove swamps along the coast; and the interior tropi-cal rainforest, the heart of diversity of birds, exotic plants,flowers, and animals. Belize teems with wildlife: jaguars,pumas, tapirs, iguanas, monkeys, and hosts of exotic birds.Nearly 550 species of birds are found in Belize and 350 havebeen recorded at Tikal alone. A highlight of this trip is ourtwo full days to bird and explore Tikal with an archaeologi-

Want to see an outstanding oa-sis for wildlife, as well as wide-opengrasslands with short-grass prairiebirds and the last known black-tailedprairie dog town in the state ofSonora, Mexico? All of these treatsawait us just south of the border.

Join us for an all-day tour ofthe areas involved in ProyectoCorredor Colibrí in the Upper SanPedro Watershed. Tucson Audu-bon Society fiscally sponsors thisbi-national collaborative project,which was featured in a story in the last issue of the Fly-catcher. We will spend the morning birding and exploring

Birding in Belize and Tikal: Jungle, Ruins, and Reefs February 14-24, 2004, Larry Liese and Rochelle Gerratt

cal guide. Tikal was built between AD 250 and 900, and isamong the most impressive of the Mayan archaeological sites.It is truly one of the most unforgettable sites of world travel.

Tinamous, hawk-eagles, forest-falcons, crakes, parrots andparakeets, four kinds of trogons, puffbirds, woodcreepers,potoos, and becards . . . all of these and others await us there.

This trip is designed for folks who enjoy moderate physi-cal activities. We’ll be staying at comfortable inns and “junglelodges” for the most part. We’ll be visiting two reserves ad-ministered by Belize Audubon Society as well as staying at afield research center run by the premier environmental agencyin Belize called Programme for Belize.

This tour is limited to a maximum of 12 participants.The price of $2449 per person includes all accommodations,meals, guides, and transportation from Belize City. $150 ofthe tour price is a donation to Tucson Audubon Society.

For more information and a detailed itinerary, please con-tact Rochelle Gerratt at 696-2002, [email protected],or visit www.naturetreks.net. J

the Villa Verde reservoir and ad-jacent riparian habitat, headacross the San Pedro Valley to anenvironmental education centerwhere we will enjoy a traditionalSonoran carne asada lunch, andthen travel north to the black-tailed prairie dog town, return-ing to Tucson by early evening.

This is a one-day tour in theUpper San Pedro Watershed,south of Bisbee: $89. For moreinformation and a detailed itin-

erary, please contact Rochelle Gerratt at 696-2002 [email protected] or visit www.naturetreks.net. J

Birding and Natural History in Sonora, MexicoDecember 6, 2003, Juan Caicedo of Proyecto Corredor Colibrí and Rochelle Gerratt

Young Villa Verde birders

Jennie Duberstein

Birding by boat in Belize Beach birding in Belize

Rochelle G

erratt

Rochelle G

erratt


Do not miss the opportunity to experience fall migra-tion in one of the world’s largest desert river deltas. OurApril trip to the Delta got raving reviews from members whosaw 126 species of birds,learned about conservationefforts of this importantbird habitat, and delightedin the history, culture andculinary flavors of the Ari-zona-Sonora border region.Here is what some mem-bers had to say about thisauthentic eco-adventure:

“I expected to learnabout the Colorado River Delta and see a lot of birds. WOW!Couldn’t have been better! A+ A+ A+.”

“Thank you for a great trip! I learned about the Deltaand history of the Colorado River. Good to know that bothMexico & the US are working together to make a betterplace for birds & the ecology of the region.”

This water-based adventure begins with a boat ride atImperial National Wildlife Refuge, a natural flyway to thou-sands of migratory birds. We get an overview of the naturalhistory of the Colorado River and restoration efforts to pro-tect this important wetland habitat for over 380 species ofbirds and other wildlife. Our next stop is Betty’s Kitchen, aWildlife and Interpretive area known for bird watching, fish-ing, and nature photography. We cross the border and spendthe night in SanLuis Río Colo-rado, Sonora,Mexico and driveearly next morn-ing on a ruggedroad to LaCiénega de SantaClara, the area’smost importantwetland. Thicklyvegetated withcattail, reeds, andrushes, thisunique wetland of12,000 hectareslies along the east-ern shore of theColorado River

Birding in the Colorado River DeltaSeptember 25-28, 2003, La Ruta de Sonora

flood plain. La Ciénega supports over 6000 endangered YumaClapper Rails and numerous other resident and migratorywaterfowl, shorebirds, and even Bald Eagles. Residents of

the Ejido Johnson will escortus on a canoe ride. Our nextstop is El Golfo de SantaClara, located within theAlto Golfo de Californiaand Delta del Río ColoradoBiosphere Reserve. We get afascinating perspective ofthe Gulf of California’s eco-system and the efforts toprotect the endangered

vaquita porpoise, the world’s smallest and most endangeredmarine mammal. Next day, we travel by panga (motor boat)up the Gulf of California to the delta of the Colorado River.We pass Montague and Pelícano Islands and may spot someunique species of bird that make these islands their home.We make our way back to Tucson through the Pinacate yGran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve. We get a glimpseof the majestic volcanic beauty of this unique desert land-scape and make a brief stop at Crater Celaya.

Tour departs from Tucson on Thursday, September 25and returns on Sunday the 28th, 2003. Tour is priced at$720 for double occupancy and $820 for single occupancy.Price includes all hotel accommodations, transportation,meals, activities, entrance fees and guides. Alcoholic bev-

erages are not in-cluded. $100 of thetour price is a do-nation to the Tuc-son Audubon Soci-ety. Group size islimited to 12. Reg-istration deadline isSeptember 8, 2003.

For more infor-mation on this excit-ing eco-adventure,or to sign up, pleasecontact La Ruta deSonora EcotourismAssociation at792-4693, [email protected] now! J

Canoeing on the Colorado River Delta

La Ruta de S

onora

Boating on the Sea of Cortez

La Ruta de S

onora


Our trip offers an opportunity to experience some of themost breathtaking scenery of North America and see excit-ing neo-tropical bird species such as Russet-Crowned Mot-mot and Eared Trogon, as well as to observe the fascinatingmix of Mexican and Tarahumara cultures. Activities includea float trip near the charming colonial town of El Fuerte,the magical train ride across the Sierra Madre to Creel,

Copper Canyon BirdingOctober 7-16, 2003, October 18-26, 2003, January 24-February 1, 2004, Larry

Liese and Rochelle Gerratt

and two full days in Batopilas, located deep within thishuge canyon system.

October 7-16, 2003 ($1799); October 18-26, 2003($1749); and January 24-February 1, 2004 ($1949). Formore information and/or a complete trip packet pleasecontact Rochelle Gerratt at 696-2002, [email protected], or visit www.naturetreks.net. J

Birding by rail and by boat on the Copper Canyon excursion

Rochelle G

erratt

Rochelle G

erratt

Other Current TripsFull trip descriptions below can be found on the Tucson

Audubon website, www.tucsonaudubon.org, or contact thetour provider (see information below).

Costa Rica Birding with Borderland ToursJuly 1-13, 2003, Rick Taylor

Explore Costa Rica’s scenic national parks from lowlandrain forest to the tropical alpine zone. Views of 350-400 birdsare expected, with visits to Carara National Park, the RioSavegre area high in the Cordillera Talamanca, RanchoNaturalista in the bird-rich foothill zone of the Cordil-lera Central, the La Selva field station in the Caribbeanrain forest, and the world famous Monteverde Cloud For-est. $2,845. Call Borderland Tours at 882-7650, or [email protected].

A Week at Palenque with Rich HoyerOctober 18-25, 2003, Rich Hoyer of WINGS

Many birders first become acquainted with tropical birdsat Palenque, and they return time and time again. The spec-

tacular Maya ruins of Palenque lie in the Gulf lowlands, atthe foot of the Yucatán Peninsula near the vast Usumacintamarshes. A week at Palenque is an excellent tour for thosewho wish a pleasant introduction to tropical birding, a shorterMexican experience, and a trip with the comfort and conve-nience of a single locality. $2040. Contact WINGS at 320-9868, or [email protected].

Yécora and Alamos, SonoraOctober 5-12, 2003, David & Jennifer MacKay

Like the Alamos trips that we have offered for the pastseveral years, this trip includes time in beautiful colonialAlamos, and exploring the tropical deciduous forest that sur-rounds it. Additionally, this trip offers three days in the higherelevation pine, oak forests of the Sierra Madre Occidentalnear Yecora, Sonora, where many other interesting bird speciescan be found. Upwards of 250 species are possible on thistrip, including 30 Mexican endemics. $1,600. ContactDavid and Jennifer at 011-52-647-428-0466, [email protected]. J


Audubon Nature Shop Judy Edison

Summer Reading“But the love of wilderness is more than a

hunger for what is always beyond reach; it isalso an expression of loyalty to the earth, theearth which bore us and sustains us, the onlyhome we shall ever know, the only paradisewe ever need—if only we had the eyes to see.”– Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire

It’s been many years since I first readthis book. Abbey’s observations, boththought provoking and mystical, remainas relevant now as the day he wrote them.I rediscovered this book while arrangingshelves in the Nature Shop and immedi-ately decided to put it on my summer read-ing list.

Summer is a great time to discover newbooks and become reacquainted with oldfavorites. The Nature Shop is not just aplace to pick up a field guide, we also carrya variety of thoughtful books by wellknown nature writers and some good mys-teries featuring bird watching as an under-lying theme. The Abbey book, Desert Soli-taire, ($13.00), is one of my favorites.

Here are some other possibilities foryour summer reading list. In 1940, JohnSteinbeck and biologist Edward F. Rickettsboarded the sardine boat Western Flyer fora 4,000-mile voyage from Monterey, Cali-

fornia around theBaja peninsula intothe Sea of Cortez.The Log from theSea of Cortez($13.95) bySteinbeck is a day-by-day account ofthat journey. An-other book about agreat journey tellsof a young highschool dropoutwho hitchhikedback and forth

across America in pursuit of birds. KennKaufman’s Kingbird Highway ($13.00) isa unique coming of age story combininga lyrical celebration of nature with wildadventures and some unbelievable char-acters. This is a great read for the birderand non-birder alike.

Additional books include BarbaraKingsolver’s Small Wonder Essays($12.95) and High Tide in Tucson($13.00), and John Alcock’s SonoranDesert Summer ($17.95) and In a DesertGarden ($17.95).

If you enjoy mysteries, ChristineGoff ’s “Birdwatcher’s Mystery Series” cancombine your interest in birds with thethrill of a good mystery. Meet birdersRachel Stanhope and her friend LarkDrummond as they chase rare birds andsolve crimes in the wilds of Colorado. Thefirst three books in this series are: A Rantof Ravens, Death of a Songbird and A Nestin the Ashes ($5.99 each). Another mys-tery written by John Gregory Brown isinspired by a brief entry in John JamesAudubon’s journal. It links Audubon andDr. Emile Gautreaux with the death ofthe doctor’s wife. Part historical novel, partVictorian murder mystery, Audubon’s

Watch ($13.00) is apowerful tale of long-ing and regret, passionand remorse.

Check out theseand more in the essaysection of the Audu-bon Nature Shop, andto make your summerreading even more en-joyable use the 15% offcoupon on the nextpage for all books inour essay section dur-ing July and August. J


KIDZBOOKS

There is 1-hour parking directly infront of the Shop. There is also parkingon 5th Avenue north of University Bou-levard or on the north side of University(residential permit parking, but you canpark here 9-5 weekdays). You can alsopark on University just west of 5th Av-enue or in the alley east of the building.

Shop Parking

Summer is a great time to get kids introduced to booksand the pleasures of reading for fun. Local author SusanLowell has created a collection of books based on classicchildren’s stories and fairy tales. But these are classics witha twist—a western twist. Her first two, The Tortoise andthe Jackrabbit ($15.95) and The Three Little Javelinas($15.95) are set inthe desert South-west. The javeli-nas, of course, arenot stalked by thebig bad wolf, butby that trickster ofthe desert—Coy-ote. Jim Harris il-lustrates both inan appealing andhumorous style.Other books in thiscollection includeCindy Ellen—AWild WesternCinderella ($6.95),Little Red Cowboy

The Nature Shop will be closed Mondays from June throughAugust. Shop open 10�4 Tuesday�Saturday (10�5 Thursday).

COUPON COUPON COUPON COUPON COUPON

AUDUBON NATURE SHOP

15% OFF ALL CHILDREN’S TITLES &

BOOKS ON ESSAY SHELF

Expires August 31, 2003

COUPON COUPON COUPON COUPON COUPON

Hat ($6.95), The Bootmaker and the Elves ($6.95), andDusty Locks and the Three Bears ($15.95). All are great sto-ries for summer fun.

For older kids we have a great new book with a lot ofadventure and an environmental theme. In Hoot ($15.95),author Carl Hiaasen tells a tale of young Roy Eberhardt whoteams up with a group of kids to save the home of some tinyBurrowing Owls. The story is full of offbeat humor, buf-foonish yet charming supporting characters, and genuinely

touching scenes ofchildren enjoyingthe wildness ofnature. It’s a goodsummer read forgrades 5 – 8.

To encouragereading duringthe summer weare offering a cou-pon for 15% offon all ourchildren’s titles. Seecoupon below. J


Larry LieseDastardly DuosDastardly DuosReady for hummingbird season? Recent years have been

good to southeast Arizona, with many of the rarer speciesbeing seen, and some even breeding. Last year saw one-siteresults of 13 hummingbird species, a new ABA record, and alucky group or two tallied 14 in one day. Whew!

This month we’ll look at two pairs of similar lookingfemale hummers to help you avoid a misidentification in asudden attack of ‘Rare-bird-itis.’ Our first pair is one of myfavorites, female White-eared Hummingbird (Hylocharisleucotis) and female Broad-billed Hummingbird (Cynanthuslatirostris). I’ve seen more than one eager visiting (and some-times local!) birder exclaim “There’s the White-eared,” whenthe bird in view is just a regular ol’ Broad-billed female. Calledthe ‘Poor man’s White-eared’ by Tom Beatty, who with hisfamily operates a B&B in Miller Canyon that’s famous forits hummingbirds, it sports a faintish white stripe behindthe eye, absent on the male, and bears some similarity forthe unacquainted.

The real McCoy is quite different, with the brilliant whitepost-ocular stripe that gives it its name. It has rows of greendots on the breast, particularly on the throat center. It has ashort bill, blackish above and red below with black tip, adark square tail, a round head and a black ear patch. Thefemale Broad-billed’s corresponding features show a dingy

gray breast, a long slightly curved bill that is blackish aboveand red below (again with black tip), a dark notched tail,flat crown, and grayish ear patch.

Our second pair shows the problem of concentrating ona single field mark. While a female Lucifer Hummingbird(Calothorax lucifer) has buffy flanks, so does the much morecommon female Broad-tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorusplatycerus). While the Broad-tailed is sometimes thought ofas a higher altitude bird, they are often the dominant speciesin lower Miller Canyon. Lucifer Hummingbirds have astrongly decurved bill, which will be obvious with a goodview. Females have a buffy supercilium and look much cleanerin the throat area. Broad-tailed females have spotted cheeks,with a shortish straight bill. At Ballator’s B&B in Ash Can-yon in the Huachuca Mountains, Lucifer Hummingbirdshave been regular in summer months. Many were also treatedto views of Plain-capped Starthroat there last summer. Manythanks to the Beattys and Ballators for their generosity insharing their businesses with the birding public. Muchas gracias!

So, head to one of these hotspots in the Huachuca Moun-tains, pull up a seat with a good view of the feeders, and getready for a possible rare hummingbird. But you better bequick and be ready to ID them fast. Sometimes they don’tstick around long. Good luck! J


April � May, 2003

Highlights from the Rare Bird Alert Compiled by Susan Birky

This two-month period was truly incredible. What startedout fairly normally in early April turned into a birder’s dreamcome true by the end of May.

The Green Valley area hosted the highlight for the pe-riod when a Crescent-chested Warbler was discovered inMadera Canyon 4/25 and continued through 4/28. Thereare very few records for this species in North America andtherefore it was sought after by many birders from aroundthe U.S. Due to the intense scrutiny in the area where theCrescent-chested Warbler was found, many other interest-ing, if not so rare, birds were reported including Red-eyedVireo, Prairie, Worm-eating, and Hooded Warblers, and anOvenbird. A Crested Caracara was observed along ArivacaRoad 5/4 and a Bonaparte’s Gull was seen the same day atthe Amado Sewage Treatment Plant. Amazingly, 3 ElegantTerns were discovered 4/29 along Arivaca Creek and a BrownThrasher was seen there 4/7. A Lucifer Hummingbird wasseen in Madera Canyon 4/28 and a Rufous-backed Robinlingered in the Tubac area and was last reported 5/18. IfMadera Canyon was not famous enough yet for the season,a male Flame-colored Tanager was found 5/3 near MaderaKubo rental cabins and has continued through the month.Since this beautiful bird could be viewed easily from theroad it attracted numerous birders. Cassin’s Finches werereported during April fromthe Santa Rita Lodge inMadera Canyon.

Willcox Twin Lakes wasdefinitely the hotspot duringthe period. April startedslowly there, but by early Mayit was hosting the most excit-ing birds in the area. The bestfind was a White-rumpedSandpiper discovered 5/15that remained through themonth. If accepted, thiswould be about the fourthrecord for the area. Two of thethree previous records werealso from Willcox. Other rareor casual birds seen there were;Western Grebe, Bufflehead,Black-bellied Plover, Whim-brel, Marbled Godwit, Sand-erling, Semi-palmated Sand-piper, Baird’s Sandpiper, Pec-toral Sandpiper, Short-billed

Dowitcher, Red-necked Phalarope, Laughing, Bonaparte’s,and California Gulls, Forster’s, Least, and Black Terns; and aNorthern Waterthrush was also seen.

In the Chiricahua Mountains a Short-tailed Hawk, de-scribed as a light-morph juvenile, was reported from theRustler Park area on 5/26. A Lucifer Hummingbird was seenin Portal 5/10 and Pinyon Jays were observed near SilverCreek 5/4. Clark’s Nutcrackers were seen in several locationsduring the period. A Black and White Warbler was reportedMay 9-18, and a Kentucky Warbler 5/26, along the SouthFork Trail. In Whitetail Canyon a Golden-crowned Sparrowwas seen 4/24 and Cassin’s Finches 4/24 and 5/4.

In the Huachuca Mountains area a Crested Caracara wasa great find at the Sierra Vista Water Treatment Area 5/14. AWhite-eared Hummingbird was discovered 5/27 and theBerylline X Magnificent hybrid continued in Miller Can-yon. Reports of Lucifer Hummingbirds increased during theperiod with observations from Bisbee, Ash Canyon and MillerCanyon. Pinyon Jays were reported in Bisbee 4/21 and inGarden Canyon 5/14. A Hooded Warbler was also reportedfrom Garden Canyon 4/8 and a male Flame-colored Tana-ger was seen for the first time this spring in Miller Canyonon 4/10 and remained through May. A female Flame-col-

Red-necked Phalarope

David M

enke/US

FW

S

RARE BIRDS, continued on page 24


ored Tanager was reported from Ramsey Canyon 4/16 and4/24 and a Baltimore Oriole was found along the San PedroRiver near Highway 90 on 5/7.

In French Joe Canyon the Rufous-capped Warblerscontinued. An Oven-bird was found 5/18and Cassin’s Fincheswere seen 4/8.

In the CaliforniaGulch area the Buff-collared Nightjar wasdiscovered 5/6.

The Patagonia areahosted a Tri-coloredHeron at PatagoniaLake State Park 5/27.Other birds seen thereincluded a Bonaparte’sGull 4/3, Forster’s Tern5/7, Least Terns 5/14and 5/22 and thefamily of Black-capped Gnatcatcherswere reported through theperiod. Cassin’s Finchescontinued to be seen at thePaton’s during April.

In the Tucson area theLeast Grebe continuedthrough the period atSweetwater Wetlands and an-other Least Grebe was discov-ered at Sam Lena Park 4/19and remained through theperiod. A Marbled Godwitwas also reported from SamLena Park 4/19 and 4/26. AClark’s Grebe was a good findat Kennedy Park Lake 5/15and a Forster’s Tern was ob-served there 5/8. A CanadaGoose was seen in northeastTucson 5/8. At the Avra Val-ley Sewage Treatment Planta Sanderling was reported 5/10 and a Baird’s Sandpiperon 4/27. At Reid Park a Yel-low-shafted Northern Flickerwas found 4/6 and a Lewis’sWoodpecker was seen there4/16 and 4/24. Pinyon Jayswere reported from east Tuc-

RARE BIRDS, Continued from page 23

Tricolored Heron

Gary M

. Stolz/U

SF

WS

son 4/30 and a Varied Thrush was reported from the SantaCatalina Mountains 5/11. Also in Reid Park, a NorthernParula and Prothonotary Warbler were seen 4/6 and 4/8respectively.

If you have wadedthrough these high-lights, the best hasbeen saved until theend. Although techni-cally not in this area, aThick-billed Parrotwas reported from theArmendaris Ranch,which is east of Truthor Consequences,NM, in Engle, NM on5/9. It remainedthrough the periodand a reported 800people have alreadybeen to see, photo-graph and admire it,even though it isdoubtful the New

Mexico Bird Records Com-mittee will accept it. Therehas been much discussionon the origin of this birdwith no definite conclu-sion. Then on 5/20 a Pa-cific Loon was reportedfrom Montezuma Wells,north of Camp Verde. It ison a small pond and is be-ing watched carefully incase it needs to be rescued.

The Rare Bird Alert issponsored by the TucsonAudubon Society and re-ported by Bill Scott. Reportsightings to voice mail at520-696-4461 option 3, [email protected]. RBA re-por t s a r e pub l i shedweekly on Thursday eve-nings and can be accessedat 798-1005 or by visitingwww.tucsonaudubon.org.Directions to many of thesites mentioned can befound in Davis andRussell’s Finding Birds inSoutheast Arizona. JCanada Goose

Glen S

mart/U

SF

WS


vent mosquitoes from reproducing (generally available atplaces like Ace Hardware, Home Depot, or the A.M. Leonardmail order catalog). Mosquitoes reproduce in two to threedays, so replace water in birdbaths every two days duringmosquito season. Clean birdbaths thoroughly at least twicea week (you should do this anyway to reduce transmissionof other diseases among birds).

Any time you are in areas with mosquitoes (and espe-cially at dawn or dusk), wear clothing that covers as muchskin as possible. Since mosquitoes can bite through thin fab-rics, wear thicker clothing or apply onto your clothing re-pellants containing permethrin or DEET. (Do not applypermethrin directly to skin.)

The CDC recommends applying a repellant containingDEET to exposed skin. There are other products that pro-vide some protection, but they are either less effective or donot last as long. (Some repellants containing DEET do notrefer to DEET on the label—look for “N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide” in the list of ingredients.)

Cases of side effects from DEET are few, and are relatedto 1) ingesting it internally, 2) applying it to open cuts orsores, or 3) reapplying it repeatedly without washing skin.Safety precautions for applying DEET are as follows: washskin between applications, do not apply under clothing, donot apply heavily, do not use aerosol sprays in enclosed ar-eas, and do not spray onto face (spray hands and rub onface—avoiding eyes). For children, spray on your hands andrub it onto their exposed skin.

Birders beware! DEET can “melt” plastics such as thehousing and eyecups of cameras and binoculars, and mighteven damage lenses. Wash your hands thoroughly after ap-plying DEET.

Tucson Water is actively controlling mosquitoes atSweetwater Wetland by applying larvicide every Mondaymorning. The wetlands are closed (to all but tour groups) onMondays until about 1 p.m. (To arrange a tour, contactJoaquim Delgado at Tucson Water’s Public Information Of-fice, 791-4331.)

The State of Arizona monitors West Nile virus (as well asSaint Louis encephalitis virus and western equine encephali-tis virus). In Pima County, report dead birds or mosquitoproblems to Pima County Health Department, 740-2760.Do not report dead pigeons (Rock Doves) or birds that havebeen dead more than 24 hours (or that are decomposing).Bag and chill the bird if possible.

For more information on West Nile virus, go to theCenters for Disease Control at www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm, the Arizona Department ofHealth Services at www.hs.state.az.us/phs/oids/vector/wnv_surv.htm, or call the Pima County Health Depart-ment at 740-2760. J

WEST NILE, Continued from page 5 IRONWOOD, Continued from page 13Heading back toward the classroom you may have wit-

nessed Daniel Preston’s traditional Tohono O’odham bless-ing, or heard Pima County Supervisor Sharon Bronson’smessage to the audience. If you were lucky, you probablysaw the colorfully adorned stilt dancer and his musical en-tourage pass through the Festival near the cultural stage. Af-ter spending time in the cultural area with basket weaversand traditional dancers from the Tohono O’odham Nation,perhaps you waited in line to see the bobcat presentation.Hopefully you got in because every session was packed withpeople. After the bobcat presentation or any of the manyother animal presentations, you may have walked out at theend with eyes bulged and nothing more to say than, “Wow!”

Later, hopefully you had a chance to take a leisurely strollthrough the preserve, occasionally encountering volunteernaturalists eager to share their knowledge of the desert. Onyour way back, you probably talked to the friendly folks inthe more than 20 conservation organization and agencybooths. If you stopped by the Cooper Environmental Sci-ence Campus booth you could have seen a 4-year-old boyand his just slightly older brother standing behind him asthey gingerly touched a gopher snake for the first time. Atthe end of the evening, after much dancing and celebration,you may have stopped to rest for a cold Fat Tire beer, and saton straw bales underneath strings of white lights and theclear, desert sky. By that time, if you hadn’t already, you prob-ably said to yourself, “What a fantastic way to enjoy thisbeautiful place!”

We hope to see you next year! J

Amazing bugs here.Life in the span of a day.

How do they do that?

Search with reddish lightinsignificant mammals

hiding in the night.

Hard to imagine.Earth’s crust stretches, valleys sink.

How did life begin?

See the saguaro.Think about that a minute.

And take it with you. J

INSTITUTE, Continued from page 15


bequest (bi-kwest'), n. 1. A dispositionof assets by will 2. A lasting legacy support-ing stewardship of southern Arizona’s naturalresources and preservation of critical habitat.

As a member of Tucson Audubon Soci-ety, you help us develop a comprehensiveapproach to conservation through environ-mental education and activism in southernArizona. Now help us maintain this legacy:Include Tucson Audubon Society in your will.

Please call or write today for more information:

Name ________________________________________

Address _______________________________________

City _________________________________________

State __________________________ Zip ___________

Send to: Executive DirectorTucson Audubon Society300 E. University Blvd, #120Tucson, AZ 85705 Ph: (520) 622-5622

Tucson Audubon Membership

q Yes, make me a Friend of Tucson Audubon

q $15 Students/Seniors (62+)

q $20 One-year membership

q $35 Two-year membership

Additional gift to Tucson Audubon Society

q $50 q $100 q $250 q $500 q $1000 q $_______

q Enclosed is my matching gift form

q Please do not share my information with other organizations

Total: $______

Benefits:3 All your funds are used locally!3 Subscription to the Vermilion Flycatcher newsletter3 10% discount in the Nature Shop3 Bulletins about local conservation issues3 Monthly membership meetings3 Low organizational overhead – 93% of funds go to

programs

q Gift membership – recipient’s info below & mine enclosed on separate sheet)

Name _____________________________________

Address ____________________________________

City _________________ State _____ Zip _______

E-mail ____________________ Phone ___________

q Send me e-mail updates about local events and issues

Address changes – send new & old addresses:Friends of Tucson Audubon – send to Tucson Audu-bon, at address to right.National Audubon – call NAS Data Center at (800)274-4201, or write to NAS Membership DataCenter, PO Box 52529, Boulder, CO 80322-2529

q Enclosed is a personal check or money order

q Please bill my q Visa q MasterCard

Credit card #: ____________________ Exp. date: _____

Signature: ______________________

Print name: ____________________ q Gift membership

Make check payable to Tucson Audubon Society

Mail form (and check if applicable) to:Tucson Audubon Society300 E University Blvd, #120Tucson AZ 85705(520) 629-0510


Thanks & Wishes Jessie Shinn

Tucson Audubon Offices

w Office supplies

w Digital projector

w Lap top computer

w 17� computer monitor

Mason Audubon Center

w New soaker hoses for pollina-tor and ethnobotanical demon-stration gardens

w Donated irrigation (suppliesand installation) for pollinatorand ethnobotanical demonstra-tion gardens

w Tall, locking cabinet, com-puter tables, and cubicle parti-tions for the new researchlibrary

w Extension cords

w Strings of white lights fornighttime events

w Hand truck

w Palm fronds for ramada roof

Current Wish List

Our sincere gratitude goes out toall of Tucson Audubon’s members andsupporters. Together, our combinedefforts ARE Tucson Audubon Society.We feel lucky to live in a birder’s para-dise, and through our work togetherwe plan to sustain our little piece ofparadise long into the future. Thankyou for all that you do for Tucson Au-dubon Society through your member-ship, your volunteerism, participationin workshops or field trips, or throughyour financial and in-kind donations.

Thanks to all who gave in-kind giftsduring April and May:

Linda Figueroa for the typewriterNedra Kayner for the binoculars

and booksBarker Houghton for the binocularsNancy Kelly for the backpack, tri-

pod, binoculars, and monocularRay Turner for the videosDora Thayer for the collection of

bird’s eggsBob Wenrick for the film scanner

and softwareCraig Marken and Wanda Wynne

for the laptop computerPat Dean for the many supplies for

the Mason Audubon Center and for thefour octopus agaves you planted in ourNature Shop garden.

Thanks to all who contributedbooks to our library:

Roger WolfTerry LangendoenShirley ParmanJean Rios

Gene Loring for his large donationof books, and special thanks to the fam-ily of Jack Miller for the many booksdonated from his estate. We appreci-ate your thinking of us.

We also appreciate the donation ofin-kind services. Thank you:

Rick Taylor for the BirdathonSupertrip

Jeremiah Teague for the boundarysurvey at Mason

We are indebted to the many busi-nesses and organizations that supporttheir local environment and commu-nity through contributions to TucsonAudubon. Thank you for your gifts tothe Mason Audubon Center:

Old Pueblo Adobe for the flagstoneTerra Systems Southwest for the mapsand Desert Garden Club for fund-

ing our ethnobotanical garden.Many thanks to Miller’s Surplus for

the generous donation of clothing forour yard sale

and to Tucson Electric Power for agrant to fund avian research.

We deeply appreciate contributionsto the Herold Hicks Memorial Fundfor Environmental Education from:

Mr. and Mrs. Richard WittyMargery and William MayerDennis and Luella HicksAnd thank you to those who re-

membered Canny Clark with contri-butions in his honor:

Jillean JohnsonBill ShepardHelen and David Crowell. J

Web Corner Kendall Kroesen

At Tucson Audubon we are pleasedto see that our website is receivingabout 160 visits a day. Visitors are us-ing the birding resources, the IBA page,and the conservation resources heavily.

Don’t forget about the other re-sources available at the website!

A new item on the home page is aspace where we will feature a less wellknown part of the website each month.In June we featured the Mason Audu-bon section. Check there for upcom-ing events. In July it will be the TravelProgram page! Have a look! J www.tucsonaudubon.org

Tucson Audubon Society

300 E. University Blvd #120 Tucson, AZ 85705

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDTUCSON, AZ

PERMIT #1345

The Vermilion Flycatcher is the newsletter of theTucson Audubon Society, a chapter of the NationalAudubon Society. Members of other chapters may receive theFlycatcher by joining the Friends of Tucson Audubon. Seemembership information on page 26.

Silent Hunters of the NightMonday, September 8, 2003, DuVal Auditorium, University Medical Center

7:00 p.m. International Dark-Sky Association7:20 p.m. Break7:30 p.m. “Silent Hunters of the Night, the Owls of NorthAmerica,” by Tom DeMoss, Program Chair

September 2003 Meeting:

Parking Note: We are fortunate to beable to use the auditorium at UMC. Thereis parking in the multi-tiered Patient/Visi-tor parking garage closest to the auditorium;however, a fee is charged. Free parking isavailable south of Mabel Street, across fromthe College of Nursing (see map). You haveto walk a bit farther, but as birders, a littleexercise is often in our best interest.

Short ProgramInternational Dark-Sky Association--topic to be announced.

Main ProgramOwls capture everyone’s interest and imagination. Who hasn’t heard and

been moved by the mysterious low hoots of a lone owl deep in the nightforest? Or felt a chill when an owl suddenly appeared in the headlights ofthe car and disappeared into the dark, searching for a victim to clutch in itsdeadly talons? And there’s the superstitious association of owls with deathand doom. The ancient Greeks began the familiar adage, “Wise as an owl.”The history of owls, unlike most other birds, is replete with superstition,philosophy, fear and eerie tales. In reality, an owl is simply a bird, albeit afascinating and challenging bird. When the light of day is pushed beneaththe skirts of night, birders do not have to headfor home and wait until the next day to be-gin birding again. They can, with a little ef-fort, go owling. I have participated manynights in owling trips over the past years andthey are among my fondest and most excit-ing birding memories.

The September 8, 2003 main Tucson Au-dubon presentation will be on owls with atwenty-minute audio/visual slide presentationput together by Cornell University School ofOrnithology that will cover all of the owls inthe continental United States. There will alsobe a presentation on the owls of Arizona. Thisis an especially exciting way to kick off a newseason of Tucson Audubon Society monthlypresentations.

Spotted Owl

John & K

aren Hollingsw

orth/US

FW

S

Documents

Vermilion Flycatcher - Tucson Audubon SocietyJuly Œ August 2003 Tucson Audubon Society Vermilion Flycatcher 3 Many Thanks to Our Spring Donors Green Kingfishers ($1,000-$4,900) T