• Southern California and Arizona at start of Fall Migration
• Search for California and Arizona rarities including endangered California Gnatcatcher, Elegant Trogon, and many others
• Visit to the Salton Sea, one of North America's premier birding location, for Yellow-footed Gull and plethora of other water birds and shorebirds
• Two days at Madera Canyon, one of North America's best birding locations
• Patagonia roadside stop, Sonoita Grasslands, Sierra Vista and other great birding locations.

Spotted Owl in Miller Canyon

Day 1 Travel day. Arrive in Los Angeles and meet as a group in the evening. Night in Los Angeles.

Day 2 The day will be spent in the coniferous forests of the San Gabriel Mountains on the N. side of Los Angeles. The mountains run atop the San Andreas Fault and separate the city of L.A. and the high deserts to the N. The highest peaks are over 10,000 feet. We’ll begin our tour of the San Gabriel Mountains at La Canada Flintridge and then quickly ascend the mountain via a series of winding turns. Some interesting species we hope for today include White-headed Woodpecker, Band-tailed Pigeon, Black-chinned Sparrow, Mountain Quail, Northern Pygmy-Owl, Green-tailed Towhee, ‘Thick-billed’ Fox Sparrow and Red-breasted Sapsucker to name a few. With luck we’ll find Lawrence’s Goldfinches. Again, there will be possibilities for migrant passerines as well. Later on in the afternoon, once we’re satisfied with our San Gabriel experience we’ll return to Los Angeles where we spend the night.

Day 3 This morning we’ll drive S. along the coast to San Diego. En route we’ll stop at Crystal Cove State Park for California specialties such as the rare and local California Gnatcatcher. We’ll also pause at Upper Newport Bay for ‘Light-footed’ Clapper Rails, ‘Belding’s’ Savannah Sparrow and a number of shorebirds. We’ll also have a look at the mouth of the San Diego River where more shorebirds, gulls, and terns, including Least Tern, can be found. We’ll spend the night in San Diego.

Day 4 Our coastal exploration ends today as we head inland through the Laguna Mountains and onward to Brawley. We begin today at San Elijo Lagoon where herons, egrets and shorebirds can be found. California Thrasher, California Towhee and California Gnatcatcher are all possible here as well. In the mountains we’ll explore the Kitchen Creek area, excellent for breeding Gray Vireos and Black-chinned Sparrows. Lawrence’s Goldfinches are often seen here as well. Later on this afternoon we’ll complete the drive to the Salton Sea and Brawley where we’ll spend the next couple of nights.

Day 5 One of North America’s premiere birding locations, the Salton Sea is an important area for migrating and wintering shorebirds, waterfowl, terns, gulls, pelicans and cormorants. It is also one of the hottest places in all of the USA with temperatures regularly exceeding 40 degrees Celsius. We’ll spend as much of the day as we can bare birding the sea and searching for the plethora of uncommon and rare species that call the area home. Yellow-footed Gulls, found in North America only here, are usually easy to spot. Big flocks of American Avocets, Willets, Marbled Godwits and Long-billed Curlew will be encountered along with good numbers of peeps, yellowlegs, dowitchers and perhaps Wilson’s and Red-necked phalaropes. Both American White and Brown Pelicans are common here as are Double-crested Cormorant. Thousands of Cattle Egrets and White-faced Ibis will be seen throughout the Salton Sea area, especially at dawn and dusk as they travel to and from their roosts. In open fields near the sea, Burrowing Owls poke their heads out from road side burrows while Western Meadowlarks, Savannah Sparrows and Horned Larks blend in with the soil and dead grasses.

Later on in the afternoon we’ll visit Raymer and Finney lakes where both Western and Clark’s grebes can be studied side by side. Also here will be great numbers of nesting Cattle Egrets along with Snowy and Great egret, Great Blue Heron and numerous Black-crowned Night-Herons. Night in Brawley.

Day 6 We’ll start off with a little pre-breakfast birding for anyone who wants to join us at Cattle Call Park in Brawley. This park is fantastic for Gila Woodpecker, Abert’s Towhee, Gambel’s Quail, Cactus Wren and a variety of migrant passerines. We’ll then head back to the hotel, have breakfast and begin our journey to Tucson, Arizona. Enroute well explore the Imperial Dam along the border of Arizona and California. Here, marshes attract Least Bitterns, and ‘Yuma’ Clapper Rails. Night in Tucson.

Day 7 Pre-breakfast birding to Agua Caliente Park in Tucson. There should be a good variety of birds here including Rufous-winged Sparrow, Lucy’s Warbler, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Bell’s Vireo and Phainopepla to name a few. Migrant passerines will also be passing through.

After breakfast back at hotel we’ll depart for day of birding in the Madera Canyon area, one of North America’s best known birding locations. Here, in the Santa Rita Mountains, we’ll watch feeders at Madera where all sorts of hummingbirds including Broad-tailed, Broad-billed, Blue-throated, Magnificent and Black-chinned hummingbirds can be seen. Rarities are possible in August so we’ll keep our fingers crossed for a Plain-capped Starthroat, Berryline Hummingbird or White-eared Hummingbird. Also at feeders here there will be flocks of noisy Mexican Jays jousting for food with Arizona Woodpecker, Bridled Titmouse and White-winged Doves. Wild Turkeys are seen regularly near the feeders in Madera Canyon as well. We’ll take a hike at the top end of the canyon where Elegant Trogon is possible along with Sulphur-bellied Flycatchers, stunning Painted Redstarts and Hepatic Tanagers. Warblers, including Red-faced and Hermit should be moving through. Evening owling tonight in Madera Canyon for possible Whiskered Screech-Owl, Great Horned Owl or Mexican Whip-poor-will. Night in Green Valley.

Day 8 This morning we’ll continue our explorations of Madera Canyon checking washes for Varied Bunting, Crissal Thrasher and perhaps Black-capped Gnatcatcher. Cassin’s and Botteri’s sparrows, the latter frustratingly hard to find, should be singing in grassland areas. We’ll then carry on towards Patagonia, stopping at Patagonia Lake State Park and the famous Patagonia roadside rest stop enroute. These famous locations are the haunts of such gems as Black-capped Gnatcatcher, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Thick-billed Kingbird and potential rarities. Patagonia Lake is excellent for Neotropic Cormorant and other marsh birds. Who knows what will be awaiting us at the Patagonia Roadside rest stop? Night in Patagonia.

Day 9 Pre-breakfast birding back to Patagonia roadside rest stop. Early morning is best for elusive Montezuma Quail. We’ll then head for the Sonoita Creek Preserve where a long list of riparian species can be found. Of interest are Gray Hawk, Northern Beardless-Tyrranulet, Varied Bunting, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Yellow-breasted Chat, Summer Tanager and southbound migrant songbirds.

After a brief visit to the Paton’s feeders where we might see Violet-crowned Hummingbird, we’ll begin our drive from Patagonia E. to Sierra Vista, watching along the way for Pronghorn Antelope grazing in the grasslands. Birds to watch for here include Swainson’s Hawk and Chihuahuan Raven. Night in Sierra Vista.

Day 10 This morning we’ll return to the Sonoita Grasslands to search for Horned Larks, Botteri’s, Cassin’s, Lark and Grasshopper sparrows, Eastern Meadowlarks and both Scaled and Montezuma quail. We return to Sierra Vista then head up to Miller Canyon and the Beatty Guest Ranch where hummingbirds are the star attraction. Amongst the hordes of Broad-billed, Broad-tailed, Blue-throated, Magnificent and Anna’s hummingbirds we’ll search for rarities such as White-eared Hummingbird. A walk up Miller Canyon should produce stunning Red-faced Warblers, Painted Redstarts and Sulphur-bellied Flycatchers. We’ll head back down to Sierra Vista and have dinner. In the evening we’ll head back up Miller Canyon and try for Mexican Whip-poor-will, Common Poorwill and Whiskered Screech-Owl. Night in Sierra Vista.

Day 11 This morning we’ll visit Ramsey Canyon where hummingbirds often steal the show. Other oak / pine woodland birds like Mexican Jay, Bridled Titmouse, Painted Redstart and White-breasted Nuthatch are fairly common. Wild Turkeys often roam around the canyon. Cooper’s Hawk is often seen hunting through the canyons. We’ll then stop at Ash Canyon B & B to watch feeders that sometimes have Lucifer Hummingbird, rare in America. The drive from Sierra Vista to Portal takes a couple of hours and along the way we’ll search for Chihuahuan Ravens, Burrowing Owls and Swainson’s Hawks. Once in Portal we may take a stroll around town to see what is about. The single main street in town often produces Bullock’s Oriole, Northern Cardinal, Band-tailed Pigeon, and Acorn Woodpeckers to name a few. At night we may find Western Screech-Owl. Night in Portal.

Day 12 Our explorations of the Chiricahua Mountains will be dependent on conditions after 2011s huge Horse Ck Fire. We will likely be able to explore Paradise where we’ll search through desert for Juniper Titmouse and Black-chinned Sparrow. We’ll try to get as high up into suitable habitat for Mexican Chickadee if there is some forest remaining after the fire. This species inhabits just these mountains in the USA and the fire is predicted to have taken a large toll on Mexican Chickadees. We’ll also explore the South Fork of Cave Ck Canyon, famous for Elegant Trogons. Otherwise the canyon is fantastic for birding with Blue-throated Hummingbirds and Scott’s Orioles to name a few. Canyons overhead may have White-throated Swift, Canyon Wren or Rock Wren. Night in Portal.

Day 13 This morning, our last morning of the tour, we’ll do some birding around Portal, possibly in town or back at Cave Creek. We then must begin the journey to Phoenix where the tour concludes. On the way we’ll have a look at the famous Willcox Sewage Ponds, excellent for ducks, shorebirds and other migrants.

Brown Pelican