VermilionFlycatcher March 2008 - Tucson Audubon Society | Bringing you the birds … ·...

Volume 52, Number 6 March 2008

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

I S S N 1 0 9 4 - 9 9 0 9

Inside this issue

VermilionFlycatcher

The Vermilion Flycatcher is published monthlyexcept for combined May-June, July-August, andDecember-January issues. For address changes orsubscription problems call 629.0757, or write toMembership Coordinator, Tucson Audubon, 300 E.University Blvd., #120, Tucson, AZ 85705.Submissions for the April issue are due Mar. 1.Please send submissions as Microsoft Word or RTFdocuments, or plain text files, to Matt Griffiths [email protected].

Coordinator, Matt Griffiths 206-9900Proofreaders, Jane & Warren Tisdale 749-2139Layout Editor, Julie St. John

9 Audubon Afield12 Audubon Nature Shops 10 Birdathon23 Business Members18 Conservation Update

2 Director’s Perch4 Events & Classes5 Field Trips & Carpooling

16 Important Bird Areas13 Institute of Desert Ecology15 Native Plant Garden Tour

3 President’s Perspective17 Riparian Family Institute22 Thanks! 20 Travel Opportunities

4 Tucson Area Birding23 Wishes

ExperienceSpringMigrationwith TucsonAudubonby Kendall Kroesen, RestorationProgram Manager

Bird migration is one of the mostphenomenal processes in our naturalworld. If you don’t know much about it,go to one of the Nature Shops andpurchase Scott Weidensaul’s book Livingon the Wind: Across the Hemisphere withMigratory Birds.

Another way you can learn about migration is to hang out with Tucson Audubon this springand observe spring migration firsthand. Spring holds some of the best birding in southeastArizona because of the great diversity of birds present and because of our wonderful springweather.

Birds you can see in the spring include not only our resident birds, but also nesters returningfrom the south, some winter birds that have not yet left, and those that are migrating throughon their way north. In southeast Arizona expert birders have seen over 190 species in a single24-hour period in April.

Tucson Audubon offers many ways in which you can experience spring migration. First, thereare our free birding fieldtrips. Virtually all the spring fieldtrips offer opportunities to see

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SupportTucson

Audubon!One hundred percent of

“Friends” membership duessupport Tucson Audubon’s goalsof protecting habitat, educating

about the environment, andsupporting birding in southeastArizona. To donate, see page 23or www.tucsonaudubon.org

Spring is an excellent time to go birding aroundTucson with the arrival of summer nesters andmany winter birds still here.

TOP LEFT White-crowned Sparrow courtesy Vireo.BOTTOM LEFT Hooded Oriole. RIGHT Sam Lena Parkcourtesy Kendall Kroesen.

2 Tucson Audubon Society Vermilion Flycatcher � MARCH 2008

Director’s Perch Paul Green, Executive Director

Rethinking our legal framework

As a relatively new inhabitant of the desertsouthwest, one of my first ecosystem-related questions was “shouldn’t a riverecosystem have a fundamental right toexist?” This was in response to seeing riversrun dry from over-pumping ofgroundwater. Should our natural systems,and especially riparian systems in ourregion, have legal standing?

Another way of thinking about thisconcept would be to ask “should we nothave the responsibility to maintain anecosystem in a functioning condition?”Many concerned citizens are exploring thisquestion. In 1948, Aldo Leopold developedhis land ethic, which describes “a thing asright when it tends to preserve theintegrity, stability, and beauty of the bioticcommunity . . . wrong when it tendsotherwise.” Although we may need to re-examine what this means for landmanagement in the light of shiftingequilibria resulting from our changingclimate, the principle surely still holds true.

In a recent issue of Orion magazine,Cormack Cullinan, a Cape Town-basedenvironmental attorney, wrote: “In the eyesof American law today most of thecommunity of life on Earth remains mereproperty, natural “resources” to beexploited, bought, and sold. This meansthat environmentalists are seldom seen asactivists fighting to uphold fundamentalrights, but rather as criminals who infringeupon the property rights of others.”

Climate change, he comments, is anobvious symptom of the failure of humangovernment to regulate human behavior ina manner that takes account of the fact thathuman welfare is directly dependent on thehealth of our planet, and cannot beachieved at its expense.

How easily we allow our world to be stoodupon its head. You can read on page 18how Pinal County is seeking to prevent aprivate landowner near Dudleyville fromending a temporary access easement ontheir land and seize the land througheminent domain, even though it is subjectto a federal conservation easement.Eminent domain, by definition, means for

the greater publicgood. Yet thelandowner, byseeking to close theeasement, is the onefighting for thegreater good bytrying to prevent thedegradation of one ofthe most valuednatural habitats inthe state, which Scott Wilbor describes onpage 16. The degradation comes fromheavy and illegal all-terrain vehicle usealong the bed and banks of the San PedroRiver, and removal of fences that stop cattlestraying into the riparian area. The result is“take” of an endangered species, theSouthwestern Willow Flycatcher. Whatwould motivate a county to seize privateland in order to keep open a temporaryroad when it causes such major damage?

Thomas Alan Linzey, Esq., ExecutiveDirector of the Community EnvironmentalLegal Defense Fund considers that we haveended up in this place (diverse groups ofpeople who care about nature, joininghands in their communities, raising money,hiring experts and lawyers, losing battles,and often crumbling and disappearing)because under our current system of law,mountains, lakes, rivers, forests, javelinas,saguaros, ironwoods, and whole ecosystemshave no rights, no legal protectionsstemming from the fact that they exist.Nature is simply property—to be bought,sold, traded, and destroyed.

Many environmental lawyers feel that lawsostensibly designed to protect nature arebeing used to regulate the process in a waythat benefits a few empowered individualsor organizations but not necessarily theenvironment or wider community. Hencethe scenario in Dudleyville right now: thelegal owners battling for control of publicaccess across their land, and tryingvaliantly to save one of the most importantnatural sites in our state.

Clearly the framework of our legal systemneeds careful examination and revision ifour natural environment is to survive.

VF

Tucson Audubon Society is dedicated to improving the quality of

the environment by providing education,conservation, and recreation programs,

environmental leadership, and information.Tucson Audubon is a non-profit volunteer

organization of people with a commoninterest in birding and natural history.

Tucson Audubon maintains offices, a libraryand nature shops in Tucson, the proceeds of

which benefit all of its programs.

Tucson Audubon Society300 E. University Blvd. #120, Tucson, AZ 85705

629-0510 (voice) or 623-3476 (fax)All phone numbers are area code 520 unless otherwise stated

www.tucsonaudubon.org

Board Officers & CommitteesMessages 622-5622

President Herb TrossmanVice President Mich CokerSecretary Julia GordonTreasurer Barbara Heineman

Conservation Chris McVie, Development Sandy Elers, Education Doris Evans, Finance Barbara Heineman, Nominating Robert MeridethVacant: Community Presence, Personnel

Additional Directors at Large: Clark Blake, Don Eagle, Mary Kay Eiermann, Sandy Elers, Linda Greene, Craig Marken, Robert Merideth, Robert Mesta, Liz Payne, Susan Randolph, Bill Roe, Bob Wenrick

Programs & ActivitiesField Trips Darlene Smyth 297-2315Library David West 629-0510Membership Meetings Vivian MacKinnon 629-0757Rare Bird Alert John Yerger 798-1005Report Rare Birds 798-1005

StaffExecutive Director Paul Green 235-1796Operations Manager Michael Monyak 629-0757Bookkeeper Jeff Burrows 629-0757Education Program Manager Carrie Dean 622-2230Membership Development ManagerVivian MacKinnon 629-0757

Membership Coordinator Jean Barchman 622-5622IBA Conservation Biologist Scott Wilbor 628-1730Restoration Program Mgr. Kendall Kroesen 206-9900Field Supervisor Rodd Lancaster 256-6909Restoration Specialist Matthew Griffiths 206-9900Mason Outreach Coordinator Lia Sansom 971-6238Environmental Educ. Specialist Matt Brooks 622-2230University Shop Manager Sara Pike 622-2230Assistant Shop Manager Heather Hatch 622-2230Agua Caliente Shop Mgr. Becky Aparicio 760-7881

Nature ShopsTucson Audubon Nature Shop

300 E. University Blvd. #120 629-0510Hours: Monday–Saturday, 10a.m.–4p.m.

(10a.m.–5p.m. Monday & Thursday); closed Sunday

623-3476 fax / 622-2230 Shop Manager

Tucson Audubon at Agua Caliente Roy P. Drachman Agua Caliente Park12325 E. Roger Rd. 760-7881

Hours: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday,9a.m.–3:30p.m.; Sundays: see page 12

This month I would like to revisit someof my past articles. I have written aboutthe Galapagos a few times (last monthand in the October 2007 issue) and theseislands seem to be in the news more thanever. A recent article in the NY Timespointed out that while the Galapagoswere designated the first World Heritagesite by the United Nations Education,Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO) in 1978, its fragile ecosystemis now endangered because of thegrowth of tourism and immigration. Notonly does increased tourism negativelyaffect the environment, only $63 millionof the $418 million dollars generated bytourism annually in the archipelago staysin the local economy, and of the 80 or sotourism boats only about 32 are locallyowned. The Ecuadorian government istrying to address these problems, and itrecently revoked permission for a 500-passenger boat to bring tourists to theislands; but it is not certain whether it’stoo late to stop the degradation. Thisproblem is not unique to the Galapagos,either. Other popular nature areas are

facing similar problems of balancingtourism and protecting the environment.

This past November I wrote about birdscolliding with your windows. There weretwo versions of the article, one publishedin the Flycatcher and another online atthe Tucson Audubon website. The printversion stated that to be effective thedecals have to be within 4 inches of eachother and the online version didn’t statehow close the decals should be, butrecommended that you put on as manyas possible (“the more the better”). I hadintended that the online version wouldalso be the one in the Flycatcher. Whilethe 4-inch distance between decals isbased upon research of Dr. Klem, I feltthat most people would be discouragedby this requirement because so manydecals placed so close together wouldobstruct most of the vision and lightthrough the window. After my ineffectiveuse of three large hawk-like decals on a4-by-4-foot window, I made a screen of1-inch plastic mesh and hung it over thewindow. As far as I know, there has not

been a collision onthis window for thepast 4 months. Whilethe mesh is notterribly attractive, itdoes not obstructmuch light or vision.Another unfavorableaspect of using somany decals is thecost. I estimate thatplacing decals 4inches apart on my 4-foot-by-4-footwindow would cost more than using thefilm I wrote about in my article ($3 persquare foot). I will be applying the filmto one of my windows this spring andwill report to you on the results. If any ofyou have tried other techniques toprevent birds from colliding with yourwindows, please let me know. You cancontact me at [email protected] orwrite me in care of Tucson Audubon.

VF

The President’s Perspective Herb Trossman, Board President

MARCH 2008 � Vermilion Flycatcher Tucson Audubon Society 3

Volunteer!Letter Stuffing Crew: We’d like to assemble three to five volunteersto gather every other week on Thursdaymornings to assist with sending out renewalnotices, thank-you letters, membershipwelcome letters, etc. Come enjoy coffee, tea,cookies, and lively conversation while gettingthe job done. Contact Vivian at 629-0757.

Special Events & Tabling Opportunities:We are looking for a cadre of talented peoplewilling to donate their time to specific specialevents including but not limited to staffingmembership tables at area special events. Allmaterials are provided, and this is an easy andextremely important way to help TucsonAudubon get the word out about ourorganization while enjoying a variety ofoutings around southeast Arizona! Call VivianMacKinnon at 629-0757.

Birding Field Trips:Volunteer to lead birdingfield trips. Instructions andhelp are available. Yes, YOUCAN DO IT! Call DarleneSmyth at 297-2315.

Education Program: Assist with environmentaleducation programs forchildren and adults! Becomea trained VolunteerNaturalist! Enjoy giving PowerPointpresentations?… Train tobecome part of our SpeakersBureau Series! Call CarrieDean at 622-2230.

University NatureShop: Contact Heather Hatch [email protected] 622-2230.

Mason Center: Volunteers needed for a variety ofprojects: re-thatching a couple of ramadaroofs (some thatch material needed);clearing out dead citrus trees; graftingaging citrus trees planted by Mr. Masonin 1950; and refinishing floors (materialsand equipment needed). Call Lia Sansomat 971-6238.

Agua Caliente Nature Shop:Volunteer to help out at the Nature Shopat Agua Caliente Park. Call Becky Aparicioat 760-7881.

Lecture Series Set-up Crew: Come join the excitement of our LectureSeries: Living with Nature. Your obligationwould be to attend the event, meet withthe program chair, and assist in making ita successful event — second Monday ofthe month at 6:30p.m. in Tucson, or thirdSaturday of the month at 9:30a.m. inGreen Valley. Contact Vivian at 629-0757.


Saturday, March 1, 8:30–10:30a.m. — Mason Center Public Tour: DesertHoles …Join Mason Center naturalists to learn how to identify some of the holesseen in saguaros, trees, and in the ground. A brief presentation will be followed by awalk on our half-mile trail. This is a popular walk, so reserve your space early! Forreservations, contact Lia at 971-6238.

Saturday, March 15, 8–10a.m. — Mason Center Birds & Bugs …Join TucsonAudubon Society and the Sonoran Arthropods Studies Institute (SASI) for a morningof educational fun for kids and adults. Live critters, trail walks, hands-on activities andcraft projects. No reservations required, and this event is free although donations willbe graciously accepted. For more info, contact Lia at 971-6238.

Saturday, April 5, 8:30–10:30a.m. — Mason Center Public Tour: Herps!…Learn about snakes, lizards, turtles and other herpetofauna of the Sonoran Desert. Apresentation including live animals will be followed by a half-mile trail walk. Forreservations, contact Lia at 971-6238.

Tucson Audubon Events & Classes

Tucson Audubon Society’s Lecture Series: Living with Nature

Green Valley LectureCOLORS OF THE ANDES: BIRDING & NATURAL HISTORY IN A VIBRANT LAND

with Peg Abbott, of Naturalist Journeys

Saturday, March 15, 10a.m. at the Green Valley Public Library*

From colorful birds to butterflies to busy markets, the Andeannations of Ecuador and Peru provide spectacular experiencesfor the naturalist. Join Peg Abbott, of the travel companyNaturalist Journeys as she shares tales of trips to thesefascinating countries over the past several years. Peg will describe the geology, ecologyand biodiversity of the Andes and highlight conservation efforts of the JocotocoFoundation in Ecuador www.jocotocofoundation.org. She shares images oflandscapes from lush Amazonia to snow-capped volcanoes, and birds such as thesecretive Zig-Zag Heron, the boldly marked Toco Toucan, and the rare JocotocoAntpitta.

Peg Abbott lives in Portal, Arizona. She owns and guides for a small travel companyshe created 10 years ago—Naturalist Journeys, www.naturalistjourneys.com. Some ofyou may remember Peg, as she worked for the National Audubon Society for 17 years,directing Audubon Camp in the West, teaching at the ornithology sessions of theAudubon Camp in Maine, and organizing and guiding Audubon ecology workshops.She has a great love of all aspects of nature, with a focus on birding and geography.She is involved with a number of conservation issues—most recently the YellowstoneWolf Reintroduction and several non-profit efforts in the Andes. Peg holds a Master’sDegree in Forestry and Wildlife from Northern Arizona University, and got her startbirding with the Colorado Springs, then Sedona Audubon chapters in her collegeyears. She travels extensively throughout the year, and looks forward to sharing herexperience.

*(601 N. La Canada). DIRECTIONS: From I-19 take exit #69, Duvall Mine Rd., go west to Duvall Rd., go left on La Canada, right on Desert Bell Rd. Go 1⁄2 block, turn left and stay left for the library.

tucson area birding:

Bird Walk in the Foothills First Thursday of the month, 7a.m. Beginningbirders meet at La Encantada parking lot, offCampbell, north of Skyline. For information,contact Michael Smith at [email protected] or299-0122.

Wake up with the Birds at Roy P.Drachman Agua Caliente Park Every Tuesday. Pima County guided bird walks forbeginners and families. Binoculars available. Meetat the Ranch House. For information and times,call 749-3718.

Catalina State Park Bird walks led by Denis Wright on Fridays,7:30–10a.m. at the first picnic area — time willchange in 30-minute increments as weather/lightconditions require. Open daily 5a.m.–10p.m.; fee.Call 628-5798 for information about walks.

Sabino Canyon Birding and nature hikes. Parking fee. Call 749-8700.

Saguaro National Park Call 733-5153 (East) or 733-5158 (West) forscheduled bird walks.

Tohono Chul Park Birding walks at 8:30a.m. Monday, Wednesday &Saturday. Open 8a.m.–5p.m. daily; entrance fee.Call 575-8468.

Tucson Botanical Gardens Open 8:30a.m.–4:30p.m. Entrance fee. Call 326-9686.

OTHER AREAS

Arizona State Parks: Birding and other walks;www.pr.state.az.us. Fee. Call (602)542-4174.

Buenos Aires NWR: Tucson Audubon bird walk atArivaca Cienega every Saturday at 8a.m.,November through April, whatever the weather.Meet at the trailhead for a mostly flat walk ofapproximately 2 miles. You can expect to seebetween 30 and 55 species, depending on theseason. For more information, call Bob Rolfson at399-2873.

Boyce Thompson Arboretum: Open 8a.m.– 5p.m.daily (last admissions 1 hour before closing). Call689-2811. Visit ag.arizona.edu/BTA/events/birdwalks.html for bird sightings.

Ramsey Canyon: Open every day 8a.m.–5p.m. Fee.Call 378-2785.

Southern Arizona Bird ObservatoryTours of birding sites available; fee. Call 432-1388or visit www.sabo.org.

Peg Abbott.

MARCH 4—Tuesday 6a.m. Patagonia Lake State ParkWe’ll look for waterbirds, flycatchers,gnatcatchers and whatever else we can find.There is usually considerable diversityaround the lake at this time of year. We’llwalk a couple of miles on mostly level butnot always clearly delineated trails. Expectmud, so wear appropriate footgear. Bringwater, lunch and a scope if you have one.Note: there is an entry fee for the park, orbring your state park pass if you have one.Depending on where the birds are we mayvisit other sites in Patagonia and/orNogales as well. Meet at Fry’s parking lot(I-19 and Irvington) at 6a.m. or at theGreen Valley McDonald’s (ContinentalRoad Exit) before 6:30a.m. (140 milesroundtrip).Leader: Dave Dunford [email protected]

MARCH 8—Saturday 4:30a.m.BuckeyeSee Le Conte’s Thrasher and other thrasherspecies in the narrow seasonal window

MARCH 1—Saturday 8a.m.Beginning Birdwatching atSweetwater WetlandsThis excursion is specifically for those newto birding and those new to or just visitingthe Tucson area. As we stroll along a slowand easy walk on paved/level dirt paths, wewill chat about using binoculars and fieldguides, as well as the primary habitats,behaviors and identification of birds at thisurban reclaimed-water site. We’ll likely shareour walk with warblers, hawks,woodpeckers, flycatchers, sparrows, grebes,ducks, rails, shorebirds and others amidstthe cattail marsh, open-water ponds, shallowbasins, water-loving cottonwoods andwillows, and desert scrub along the adjacentSanta Cruz River bed. Bring binoculars,drinking water, hat/sunscreen and insectrepellent. Meet at 8a.m. at the SweetwaterWetlands parking lot (find directions atwww.tucsonaudubon.org). RSVP notrequired. Done by 11a.m. (Local)Leader: Cynthia [email protected]

Upcoming Field Trips Darlene Smyth, Field Trip Coordinator

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For the latest information on field trips, visit us online atwww.tucsonaudubon.org

or call us at 629-0757

General InformationTucson Audubon field trips are free.The field trip coordinator is DarleneSmyth (297-2315).

Carpooling SiteTucson Audubon stronglyencourages carpooling. Unless notedotherwise, the “carpooling site” isthe parking lot behind the FirstBaptist Church, on the west side of5th Ave., 1.5 blocks south ofUniversity Blvd and the AudubonNature Shop. Be aware that if thereare two or more meeting sites for afield trip, you may be the only personto use one of them. Every personarriving for a trip should be preparedto drive, or make other arrangementsprior to meeting time. Visitwww.tucsonaudubon.org/birding/carpool.htm for more informationabout carpool locations.

Driver ReimbursementsWe recommend that each passengerreimburse the driver 10¢ per mile.Each trip description includesestimated trip mileage.

Arrival TimesPlease arrive before the departuretime listed in the trip description.Trips will leave promptly at the timegiven.

After your Field TripDon’t forget to stop in the AudubonNature Shop after your trip to checkout new books, see wonderfulnature items, and chat withvolunteers.

Rare Bird AlertListen to the latest rare bird alert at 798-1005. Report rare birds to theRBA compiler at 798-1005 [email protected].

field trips:

Ninth Annual Ironwood Festival!Featuring International Migratory Bird DaySaturday, May 10

2–5:30p.m. Free for all

Education Fairwith live raptorpresentations &hands-on, bird-related activities

6–9p.m. $10/adult or $7 if you attend the Education Fair

Celebration with live music and dancingFor more info, contact Lia at 971-6238 or [email protected]


MARCH 22—Saturday 7a.m.Amerind Museum Birding andNature Walk (Dragoon, AZ)Join us for a trip to Texas Canyon, with itsbeautiful boulders and interesting geology,and the Amerind Museum, with one of thefinest private collections of NativeAmerican archaeological artifacts in theworld. We’ll be looking for birds, tracks,plants, scat, and any critters that cross ourpath on the museum’s 1600 acres of un-grazed desert grassland. We’ll finish ourwalk around noon and eat lunch at theirpicnic grounds. Optional museum visit inafternoon (fee). Limited to 10 participants.Call Larry to sign up and get meeting info.(Approx. 130 miles roundtrip)Leaders: Larry Liese [email protected] and Pinau [email protected] 546-9409

MARCH 25 – Tuesday 6a.m.Miller CanyonAn early start to get to the destination. Wewill leisurely hike up Miller Canyon trail,birding along the way, to the second streamcrossing where a pair of Spotted Owls haveoccasionally been seen. Our hikeis approximately 4 miles roundtrip andmoderately steep and rocky. After returningto the parking area, we will have lunch atMr. Beatty’s hummingbird feeders.Wear appropriate footwear; bring snacks,fluids, lunch and a donation for the sugarfund at Mr. Beatty’s. Meet at HoughtonRoad to carpool at 6:30a.m. (leader notpresent) or 7:30a.m. at the commuter loton N. Garden Ave., Sierra Vista. From thenorth, take Buffalo Soldier Road to FryBlvd, turn left (east), take the 1st left ontoN. Garden, the lot is on the left. No signupnecessary, but feel free to call the leader forany questions.Leader: Lainie Epstein [email protected]

MARCH 29—Saturday 7:30a.m.Sabino CanyonThe largest cuckoo, the GreaterRoadrunner, may greet us. When alarmedor curious, it raises its shaggy crest andoften clatters its beak. This is a gentle hike,approx. 3 miles, in a brilliant corner of theCoronado National Forest. The creek willsurely be flowing and we’ll take pleasure inthe permanent resident suspects of open

setting at Catalina State Park. This parkoffers good birding all year. We willexplore the picnic area, the trailheadsarea, and then walk lower portion ofthe birding trail if there is time. We willwatch out for common desert birds thatcan be seen here year-round such asGambel’s Quail, Gilded Flicker, Curve-billed and Crissal Thrashers, Pyrrhuloxia,and various towhees and sparrows. It maybe chilly, so be prepared to keep warmand then de-layer as the day warms up.The walk will be very easy, but there couldbe a minor climb along the Birding Trail ifwe make it that far. There is a fee to getinto the park if you don’t have acurrent State Parks pass. We will meetclose to the restrooms in the picnic areawhich is a left turn off of the main road.This turn-off is just beyond the roadleading to the Equestrian Center. Bringwater, a hat and appropriate footwear. Wewill try to finish up by 11a.m. Limited to8 birders. Please RSVP.Leader: Sara Pike [email protected]

MARCH 18—Tuesday 6:30a.m. The Santa Cruz River from Tubacto TumacacoriCome along for a leisurely-paced strollalong some of the most lush stretches ofthe Santa Cruz River. We’ll bird along thehistoric De Anza trail around Tubac andthen drive south to the riparian forestsnear Tumacacori. Along the way weshould encounter a nice mix of residentspecies in full song, with an assortment oflingering winter species and a few earlymigrants. These stretches of the SantaCruz River are typically very birdy, and wewill take time to sort through some of themore difficult groups (sparrows). Bringwater, a packed lunch, comfortablefootgear (trail should be level and wellgraded, but can be a bit muddy withrecent rains). Meet in Fry’s parking lot atI-19 and Irvington at 6:30a.m. or at theMcDonald’s in Green Valley (ContinentalRoad exit) before 7a.m. We should beback in Tucson by 3:30pm. (Approx. 90miles roundtrip)Leader: Gavin Bieber [email protected]

when they tend to be perched up andsinging! Sage Sparrows are also likely. Theearly start is required because the drive toBuckeye is long and the birds sing mostlyin the early morning. We’ll visit PaintedRock Dam and Gila Bend Sewage Ponds,afterward returning to Tucson in the lateafternoon. Time permitting we will comeback through the Santa Cruz Flats lookingfor some of the local specialties. We willbe walking through mostly level fields(watch for mammal burrows) plus somebirding along the roads. Bring water,lunch, and a scope if you have one. Meetbefore 4:30a.m. at the Kohl’s parking lotclose to the I-10 and Cortaro Road exit.(Directions from Cortaro Rd. and I-10:head west on W. Cortaro Farms Rd., turnleft at West Arizona Pavilions Dr. toKohl’s, 850 W. Arizona Pavilions Dr. Thisis approx. ½ mile from I-10 and Cortaro.)Plan to carpool if at all possible as thedrive is quite long (330 miles roundtrip).Leader: Melody Kehl [email protected]

MARCH 11—Tuesday 9a.m.Desert Gardening for the BirdsSpring is in the air, and many birds are ontheir way back from a long journey. Theyneed food, shelter and water, and will bedropping in to locations where their needswill be met. I want to help thoseinterested in learning how to createhabitat in their own back yard. Desertgardening can be tricky in general;however, it is very rewarding to watchhungry birds come in close within theyard to gorge on native plant food. Someof the topics to be discussed include: whatplants attract birds; how to get new plantsestablished; planting design; and waterharvesting techniques. Join trip leaderJanine McCabe at 9a.m. at DesertSurvivors Native Plant Nursery, 1020 W.Starr Pass, just two-tenths of a mile westof I-10 on Starr Pass on the north side ofthe road. Done by noon.Leader: Janine McCabe [email protected]

MARCH 15—Saturday 8a.m.Catalina State ParkBirdwatching for beginners, wintervisitors, and anyone else who wishes tojoin Tucson Audubon in the gorgeous

Field Trips continued


desert and lush riparian habitat. Thewillows, cottonwoods and Arizonasycamore along Sabino Creek often giveup fun surprises, and it’s not uncommonto spy deer or a bobcat. Meet leader priorto 7:30a.m. at the front Visitor’s Centerkiosk; we’ll depart promptly for the lowerdam area. Please dress for the weather andbring binoculars, hat, water, sunscreen,snack, and good walking shoes. The parkhas an entry fee, and we’ll finish around11a.m. (Local)Leader: Liz Payne [email protected]

APRIL 1—Tuesday 6a.m.Boyce-Thompson ArboretumState ParkSpend April Fool’s Day in beautifulBoyce-Thompson Arboretum. Spring isan excellent time to bird this IBA(Important Bird Area) as both thenumber and diversity of birds can be attheir peak. We will follow a 1½ mile looptrail through the arboretum (easy walkingwith minor 100 ft. elevation gain). Bringbinoculars, hat, sunscreen, plenty of waterand a snack and/or lunch. Meet the leaderat 6a.m. at the Northwest Tucsoncarpooling site: Ina Road and Via Pontecommuter parking lot one block west ofOracle and Ina, on the south side of Ina.We will carpool from there, (about 190miles roundtrip). Or meet the group at8a.m. in the BTA visitor center lobby justoutside the nature shop. Finish aroundnoontime. Picnic table area is available forthose who bring lunch. $7.50 fee or validArizona State Park Pass is required forentrance. Boyce-Thompson is located onRte 60, milepost 223, about 1 hour dueeast of Phoenix. From Tucson, take OracleRoad (Rte 77) to Rte 79; continue on 79through the town of Florence to thejunction of Rtes 79 and 60. Turn right(east) on 60 and drive 12 miles to thearboretum (right turn off of Rte 60 intothe parking lot). Limited to 12participants, so please contact the leader.Leader: M.E. Flynn [email protected]

APRIL 5—Saturday 6a.m.North Simpson HabitatRestoration SiteLook for residents and winter visitors atthis site along the lower Santa Cruz River

near Marana. We’ll stop to scan aburrowing owl relocation site, walk about1.5 miles along the river corridor, andthen do an optional trip to the PinalAirpark Pecan Grove. The restoration siteis normally off limits, so this is a goodchance to see restoration efforts and birdthis stretch of river. Bring water, snack,good walking shoes, and dress in layers.Scope useful. Meet for a 6a.m. departurefrom the Jack-in-the-Box on Ina Roadjust east of I-10. Done by noon (40 milesroundtrip). Leader: Kendall Kroesen and JanineMcCabe [email protected] (cell)

APRIL 8—Tuesday 7:30a.m.Pima CanyonJoin a hike up one of the CatalinaMountain’s most pristine canyons. Thisnarrow canyon has a well developed trailand is very moderate hiking. The trail isfairly level with maybe an 800 foot gain inthe first three miles, but we probablywon’t go that far. We’ll walk slowly up thetrail starting in Sonoran desert scrub atthe parking lot, and make our way up thecanyon to see what the secluded riparianstrip has to offer. We will look for Crissaland Curve-billed Thrashers, Phainopepla,Costa’s Hummingbird, and Black-tailedGnatcatchers. Further into the canyon wewill watch the steep hillsides looking forBlack-chinned and Rufous-crownedSparrows, Canyon and Rock Wrens, and ifwe get lucky we may see the residentnesting pair of Golden Eagles.Meet at the Pima Canyon parking lot (atthe far eastern end of Magee Rd.) by7:30a.m. Done by 2p.m. at the latest.Bring binoculars, water, sunscreen, and ahat; lunch is optional. Trip limited to 8people, please contact leader to sign up.Leader: Rob Payne 867-0490

APRIL 11–13—Friday–SundayFlying Chickens & FlyingSaucers, Roswell, New Mexico(UFO Capital of the US)We will make an early departure on Fridayto drive all the way to Roswell to seeLesser Prairie Chickens dancing on theirleks in the afternoon sun. We’ll stay 2nights to be sure we see them. In addition,we should find Scaled Quail, Snowy

Plover, Franklin’s Gull and other springmigrants at Bitter Lake National WildlifeRefuge. Other stops will depend on theweather and where the birds are. Email theleader for motel suggestions and to registerfor this trip, which is limited to 12participants. We’ll try to organize carpoolsin advance. The trip will end at noon onSunday in Roswell. (Leader is heading toTexas to visit relatives.) There are manybirdy ways back. (Approx. 920 milesroundtrip)Leader: Richard Carlson [email protected]

APRIL 12—Saturday 8a.m.Birding in the Buff We’ve all experienced it: sitting in ameeting, or out on the sidewalk, or over ameal, we glimpse something interestingand reach for our binoculars. They’re notthere. And as birders we blush, as surely asif we’d been literally caught with our pantsdown.

I love my Zeiss FL’s like life itself, and mostbirders have a similarly passionaterelationship with their optics. Butmitteleuropäisch glass and the beautifulviews it gives us can, paradoxically, get inthe way of our truly learning the birds; lostin the splendor of feathers, we can betempted to ignore the bird-as-organism,and miss out on opportunities to learnmore about our object and its habits.

Let’s experiment. Leave your binoculars,your scopes, even your field guides athome, and we will spend a few hourssimply watching the birds as they come tous, concentrating not on details but onimpressions, not on knowledge but onknowing. Limited to 14 birders.

Email the leader beginning March 12 toreserve a space and to learn the meetingsite. Bring water, a snack, sunscreen and ahat, and a notebook and pencil. And yes,wear clothes; you really don’t want thatkind of sunburn. Leader: Rick Wright [email protected]

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Tucson Audubon Society is a registered501(c)(3) non-profit organization. 100% ofyour financial and in-kind donations andmembership dues are tax deductible.

Other Ways to GiveThe Vermilion Society Create a legacy that will benefit others forgenerations by including TucsonAudubon Society in your estate planning.Your gift will express, in a lasting way,your commitment to preserving thediversity of southern Arizona’s richavifauna and the habitats they call home.

If you have already included TucsonAudubon in your estate plans we hopethat you will share this information withus. We would like to express our gratitudeand welcome you to the VermilionSociety. As always, your wishes foranonymity will be respected. If you wouldlike to know more about how to designateTucson Audubon as a recipient in yourwill, please contact our ExecutiveDirector, Paul Green, at 622-5622 [email protected].

Donor Wall Whenever you visit our main offices andNature Shop on University Blvd you’llnotice our donor wall honoringsignificant giving with brightly coloredbird and plant tiles. For information onmaking a memorial gift or honoring aloved one with a tile on our donor wallplease contact Vivian MacKinnon, [email protected] or629-0757.

Workplace GivingDonations can be made to TucsonAudubon through payroll deduction foremployees who work for the City ofTucson and Pima County through theEmployees Combined Appeal Program(ECAP). Designate our number, #1434, asyour recipient and your gifts will go toTucson Audubon; it’s just that easy!

Many other companies offer an EmployeeMatching Gift Program where they match(some even triple!) employee charitablecontributions. Many will do so even ifyou are retired. Check with youremployer for more information.

migrating birds. Typical spring trips go to places like Sweetwater Wetland, MaderaCanyon, Cienega Creek, the Huachuca Mountains, and many others.

Then, starting in mid-April, join us in doing a Birdathon! A Birdathon is a birdingfundraiser in which you collect pledges and then go birding for a period up to 24hours. People pledge either a fixed amount or an amount per species, and then youreport the number of species you saw and collect the pledges — all to benefit TucsonAudubon programs. In the process you’ll see everything from warblers dancingthrough the trees to swallows streaking overhead.

The third event is the Institute of Desert Ecology. Spend a long weekend April 17–20studying Sonoran Desert ecology at Catalina State Park with some of the region’sforemost experts. Along with all the learning, there will be ample opportunities towatch for migrant birds arriving in the park.

Finally, on May 10, Tucson Audubon offers its ninth annual Ironwood Festival. Thisyear it is being held in conjunction with International Migratory Bird Day. The all-dayevent includes morning field trips, afternoon educational events, and finally theevening Ironwood Festival. All birds sighted that day will be reported to the NorthAmerican Migration Count, a citizen-science effort that tracks spring bird migrationall over North America.

While you’re at it you might adopt a Tucson Bird Count route as well. While not aTucson Audubon event, this research project of the University of Arizona provides uswith critical data for conservationists about the birds in the Tucson area. Spring routesare run between April 15 and May 15. For more information, see the box below.

So stick with Tucson Audubon this spring. Do a big day for your Birdathon, countbirds for the North American Migration Count, and dance the night away at theIronwood Festival. Make a new list; see how many migratory birds you can see thisspring!

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Experience Spring Migration with Tucson Audubon continued from page 1

WANTED: VOLUNTEERS FOR THE 2008 TUCSON BIRD COUNT!

Are you interested in contributing to our knowledge about birds in Tucson? Canyou correctly identify most birds found in our area? Are you willing to spend onemorning (you choose the day) between April 15 and May 15 counting birds? If so,the Tucson Bird Count (TBC) needs YOU! After 7 years, thanks to the ongoingefforts of our volunteers, the TBC has grown into the world’s only ongoing,citizen-science-based urban bird count, and we need new volunteers. There aresurvey sites available all over the city and surrounding areas, ranging from urbanneighborhoods to national parks! To find out more about the TBC, sign up toparticipate, and view the results so far (including Tucson-area distribution mapsfor more than 200 species), visit us on the web at www.tucsonbirds.org, or emailRachel McCaffrey at [email protected].


As I write, it’s still brisk outside, by Tucson standards at least, andfrost again sparkled along the walls this morning. Despite highwinds and hard rains lately, I know—I really know—SPRING iscoming! Unmistakably, my calendar again announces the GreatBackyard Bird Count. The neighborhood Great Horned Owls aredisplaying and very vocal, calling almost until sun-up. Hummersare arcing and hissing; thrashers are skulking less and singingmore and still, it’s just barely February.

Exciting finds have been seen about our region recently. TheNorthern Jacana continued in Casa Grande, and a Long-tailedDuck was also seen there. The Lewis’ Woodpecker continues atReid Park; Tucson’s resident (?) Zone-tailed Hawk has madesteady appearances midtown, too. An out-of-season MagnificentHummingbird was noted in Madera; Green Kingfisher at ArivacaCienega, pair of Hooded Mergansers at Kino Springs. Dusky-capped Flycatcher at Sonoita Creek where 2 Trumpeter Swanstouched down briefly. A Male Aztec Thrush was observed inMadera Canyon; the Rufous-backed Robin continued at CatalinaState Park. Dudleyville weighed in with Gray Catbird(!) andHarris’s Sparrow. A third-year Bald Eagle was seen in the SanRafael Grasslands. My personal favorites were the very cooperativeWhite-eyed Vireo on the Anza Trail and the equally welcomeBlack-throated Blue Warbler found along the Bonita Road bikepath near Congress Street.Wow!

Well, you can’t win if you don’t play—that’s for sure, so it certainlypays to be in the loop and out and about the area. Fields, ponds,high desert valleys, riparian edges, feed lots—this round ofmagnificent Tucson Audubon field trips covered these and more.Cynthia Taylor gathered a group of 10 for the (literally) first of theyear trip on New Year’s morn to Sweetwater Wetlands. The diversegroup included friends from South Africa, Canada, Seattle andMassachusetts, as well as local Tucsonans. Forty species includedtwo Sharp-shinned fly-bys, resident Harris’s Hawks, severaladorable Sora, a Plumbeous Vireo peek, a gorgeous Great Egret,and a huge flock of Yellow-headed Blackbirds displaying brightly.Green Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron; Snowy Egret andBlue-gray Gnatcatcher, too.

Sarah Pike led a group to Catalina State Park on January 5; 3 weretrue beginning birders, and all were delighted with a total 27species—swell for a breezy day. The Gray Flycatcher was fun and aRufous-backed Robin the icing on the cake—a life-bird for many.A Lawrence’s Goldfinch flock was spotted at the trailhead, and aHutton’s Vireo near a Ruby-crowned Kinglet was a fine study—the perfect opportunity for everyone to view similarities anddifferences at the same time.

Thirty-seven birders had a glad time participating in 2007/2008’sfinal day of the Christmas Bird Count with Doug Jenness on theDudleyville count, January 5. Of the 127 species ticked, the starwas a Gray Catbird found at the confluence of Aravaipa Creek andthe San Pedro River. Other highlights were three Bald Eagles, aHarris’s Sparrow, Wilson’s + Townsend’s Warblers, and severalhigh-elevation species: three Mountain Chickadees, severalGolden-crowned Kinglets, Red-breasted Nuthatches; a Cassin’sFinch.

Clait Braun’s January 8 trip to Pena Blanca Lake began foggy andwet but ended with excellent weather. Warm sun, a bright bluesky, great company—and productive! A 4-wren day (Bewick’sCanyon, Marsh, Rock), a 5-raptor species day, and sparrowsscattered in mixed flocks, for a 6-species day. Canyon, Spotted andGreen-tailed Towhees showed well and woodpeckers werecommon. Loggerhead Shrikes, vibrant male Canvasbacks andRedheads, Bufflehead, and a pair of Gadwalls. More notablesincluded Hammond’s and Gray Flycatchers, Marsh Wren¸ Zone-tailed Hawk, Hermit Thrush, American Pipit. The day’s total wasat least 66 species, and bird o’the day was the displaying BlackVulture. A bright male Common Yellowthroat was a near second.

On January 12 Kendall Kroesen led a very special trip to theprivate Tucson Audubon Esperanza Ranch property. Thiswonderful conservation easement is strictly off limits unlessaccompanied by Tucson Audubon staff or board of directors. Achilly 39 species day at 3100 ft, and it was slightly unusual to view4 duck species in the river. (Tell that to the foraging AmericanWidgeon, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Green-winged Teal!) Manytypical suspects: Northern Flicker (Red-shafted), Yellow-rumpedWarbler, Canyon Towhee, 9 sparrow species including Lark,Savannah and Lincoln’s; and another happy find was a Golden-crowned Kinglet.

Richard Carlson led an exciting Whitewater Draw/Sulphur Springstrip January 15. Gorgeous day and great birds! Whitewater offered10 Barn Owls, a blue-phase Snow Goose, a White-fronted Goose,1000s of Sandhills and dozens of Pyrrhuloxias and CanyonTowhees. The far-south ponds had a large Pipit flock skating onthe ice with several Least Sandpipers. Hawks were rampant.Harriers frequently dive-bombed Red-tails. Prairie Falcon,Harlan’s Hawk, 4 Ferruginous Hawks and a large flock ofMountain Plovers, a flock of Vesper Sparrows. Lark Buntingflocks. The dove tree assisted with 4 species: White-winged,Collared, Mourning & Inca. A Sharpie buzzed by. 500+ Yellow-headed Blackbirds at the AEPCO feed lot, and on the way home a

Tucson Audubon Afield Liz Payne, Field Trip Leader

Many Tucson birders were delighted by the rare Black-throatedBlue Warbler visiting downtown recently. Courtesy Mark Suomala,www.marksbirdtours.com.

continued next page


surprise pair of Tree Swallows and aCanvasback at Benson sewageponds.

John Yerger led 12 folks, bravingTubac’s morning temps of 23°F toinvestigate the upper Santa CruzRiver. Fortunately, it was not in vain.After detecting 4 woodpeckerspecies in the first ¼ mile (Gila,Northern Flicker, Red-napedSapsucker and Ladder-backed), wehad stellar views of the continuingWhite-eyed Vireo. We then headedto Tumacacori. At Santa GertrudisLane, we walked towards the riverand peered into berry-ladenbushes—pyracantha, hackberry, etc.Ahoy! American Robins, manyCedar Waxwings, and a HermitThrush. A stunning Green-tailedTowhee and Ash-throatedFlycatcher. About Rio Rico, onebright male Vermilion Flycatcherand several Black Vultures, a BeltedKingfisher, Great Egret and somelovely Northern Pintails andLawrence’s Goldfinches. Lastly, theAmado sewage pond gave up 2Wilson’s Snipe and a soaringFerruginous Hawk, a bit of asurprise for that area. Great day!

Eleven Tucson Audubon fieldtripsters and Mary Ellen Flynnbirded Sweetwater on January 22.Fifty-one species with Black-crowned Night-Herons, a dazzlingarray of ducks including LesserScaup plus a Plumbeous Vireo madethe outing a wonderful success.

Spring is on the way and by mid-March, noticeable changes will beobvious. Some specialties will arrive,others will depart. Look out forBell’s Vireos, increasing warblerspecies, Swainson’s Hawks, TurkeyVultures. Watch for local nestingactivity, and definitely join us formore invigorating field trips fromTucson Audubon. Hope to see youafield!

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Afield continued

Birdathon is in the Air! by Vivian MacKinnon

Tucson Audubon Society’s annual spring fundraiser, Birdathon, will be flying strong from April15 through May 15. We encourage you and your friends to get your teams together and startmaking plans. Half the fun of Birdathon is the plotting and planning of your strategy, oh, and,of course, talking smack about the other teams!

Once you’ve got your team together the next step is to come up with a catchy name. One of thebest ever was last year’s “The Empire Shrikes Back” with team leader “Darth Verdin.” Silly teamphotos are especially encouraged; remember to make it a real eye-catcher. Nobody could resistsponsoring the pirates of “Sparrow’s Wenches” once they saw them photo-shopped onto a tinygalleon on our website.

We’ll put your team, your photo, and a short write-up on our website, www.tucsonaudubon.org.Fundraising can be as easy as asking your family, friends and co-workers to go check it out anddonate online. Several teams opted for snail-mail and sent notes to everyone they knew alongwith a pre-stamped envelope addressed to Tucson Audubon Society, making sending in thepledges almost painless. Some simply did it the old fashioned way and went door to door intheir neighborhoods. And others opted for all three approaches.

This year we’re on the lookout for creative team ideas from our members. Some teams arealready making plans to bicycle up Madera Canyon, walk the length of the Rillito inside the citylimits, and at least one group plans to sit in one spot for the entire afternoon. An easy strollaround your favorite park with your kids is a guaranteed good time for all. With so manydifferent styles of Birdathons being planned we’ve opted to simply have a drawing for most ofthe prizes at the Birdy Brunch this year! We hope you’ll enter your bird sightings to eBird too.

The rules are simple: get out with your friends and family and do some birding in whateverfashion you most enjoy. Ask your friends for their $upport. Collect pledges and turn them in toTucson Audubon. Then come on down for the Birdy Brunch where teams will swap tall tales,the first liar won’t stand a chance, and all teams will have an equal chance to win a prize or two.Good Birding!

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The Sparrow’s Wenches Birdathon team should have won the prize for most props used in ateam photo. Instead they won for most money raised! Courtesy Kendall Kroesen & Doris Evans.


As birders most of us have heardof the term “Big Year.” The itch tosee as many birds as possible inone calendar year is a strong one;whether for fun or forcompetition. Into this field stepAlan Davies and Ruth Miller, two“twitchers” from Conwy, NorthWales (UK) to take this idea to theextreme. On January 1, theyembarked on the Biggest Twitch—a worldwide Big Year quest to see5000 species in 2008 (the currentworld record stands at 3,662).Over the course of 2008, they willvisit 24 countries worldwide, fromthe U.S. to Ecuador, South Africato Australia, and Thailand to India.Their route will take them throughalmost every habitat type on Earth: from desert to rainforest tosavannah to boreal forest to the open sea.

To begin this epic, continent-hopping journey, they chose to startin Tucson, AZ on New Year’s Day, 2008. They chose to start insoutheastern Arizona because they’d heard for years about thefamous birding locations we have locally and were interested inseeing some of our fantastic local desert birds firsthand. For threedays, they birded across southeastern Arizona with TropicalBirding/Birding America guide and Tucson Audubon field tripleader Moez Ali, racking up their first 165 species for the year.Fittingly, their first bird for the year was our state bird, the CactusWren—and a lifer for them both!

Their route took them on a big arc through the many of thebirding locales in the area, including Sweetwater Wetlands,Madera Canyon, the Patagonia area, the Huachuca Mountains,Sulphur Springs Valley, and locally in Tucson. Bird highlightsincluded Harris‘s Hawk, Painted Redstart, Olive Warbler,Magnificent Hummingbird, Black-capped Gnatcatcher, White-

throated Sparrow, Gray Hawk, Sandhill Crane, Bald Eagle,Ferruginous Hawk, Bendire’s Thrasher, Lewis’s Woodpecker,Burrowing Owl, and Mountain Plover. A stop by TucsonAudubon’s Nature Shop allowed them to peruse our diversebirding products and extensive library, as well as to meet some ofour staff and volunteers.

To keep up with the frantic pace of this challenge, they need toadd an average of 14 birds to their list every day. To accomplishthis they will have to move to areas where there are plenty of newbirds to see. After Tucson, they stopped briefly in southeasternMexico before moving on to Ecuador. By the end of January theirlist was well over 1,000 species, with Ethiopia being the next stopon the itinerary. They have quite a challenge ahead of them!

To find out where in the world the Twitchers are, visitwww.thebiggesttwitch.com for daily blogs, photos, lists,schedule, progress, and more.

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The Biggest Twitchby Matt Brooks and Moez Ali

The Biggest Twitchers: Alan Davies, Ruth Miller, and Toco the Toucan, with local bird guide Moez Ali. Courtesy Liz Payne.

Book Couriers NeededColorado Springs, CO — Starting in mid-January, additional copies of the Spanish language version of the highlyacclaimed book, A Neotropical Companion, an Introduction to the Animals, Plants and Ecosystems of the New World

Tropics by John Kricher, will once again be available for distribution at no cost to individuals and organizationsthroughout the Neotropics. Made available by Birders’ Exchange, a program of the American Birding Association,the books need to be delivered by volunteer couriers in the U.S. traveling to Latin America. If anyone is travelingto any country in the Neotropics in the coming months and could distribute the book, please contact Birders’Exchange Program Director, Betty Petersen, at [email protected]. This book is also available for purchasethrough Tucson Audubon’s Nature Shops.

Book Review by Heather Hatch

Finding Butterflies in Arizona: A Guide to the BestSites, by Richard Bailowitz and Hank Brodkin, 2007,$22.50

In Arizona we are blessed not only with a wondrous diversity ofbutterflies but also with wonderful butterfly experts who writebooks, share their knowledge, and make it available to the rest of us.

This book has three main sections which make it very user-friendlyand helpful to everyone from the beginner to the advanced scholar.The first section divides the state into seven regions and tells youwhere good butterfly spots are in each of those areas. It tells youwhat you are likely to see and provides maps and usefulinformation on amenities, road conditions, etc.

The second section tells you when and where to look for butterflies by species. The “Best Bet“locations — highlighted in bold type — tell you where to look for specific butterflies. For example,it is very easy to figure out that in June you might get a glimpse of the Nevada skipper if you go toEscudilla and take the loop road through Terry Flat. The map in the first section will guide you.

The third section of the book tells you how to find butterflies by month. For example, to quote theauthors, “In April, almost the entire state — with the exception of the highest mountain ranges —has come alive with butterflies.“ In discussing the month of April in an area near Redington Passeast of Tucson they tell us “…The terrain is perfect for checkerspots such as sagebrush, variable,fulvia and theona. Once you are in the oaks, look for duskywings such as the mournful, Arizonajuvenal’s, sleepy, and meridian.”

I like the frequent references to the different plants and variable habitats utilized by the butterflies.It also teaches us to factor in weather conditions, light, and topography in your pursuit ofbutterflies. In every section of the book you know these authors have a thorough understanding andappreciation for butterflies. In addition, the organization of all this information makes it a greattrip-planning tool.

Finally, the book includes a checklist and a list of butterfly gardens in the state. Even as an armchairguide it will provide you with an inspiring amount of information about butterflies. It will be a treatfor anyone, even the most casual observer. This book will make you want to grab your binocularsand get outside at once.

Main ShopMonday–Saturday

10a.m.–4p.m.,except Monday

& Thursdayuntil 5p.m.

Located on thesoutheast corner of

University Blvd. and5th Avenue.

AguaCaliente

Park ShopIn March:

Tuesday, Thursday,Friday & Saturday9a.m.–3:30p.m.,

and two Sundays,March 9 & 16,10a.m.–3p.m.

Phone: 760-7881

Directions: From TanqueVerde Rd. and Houghton,continue east on TanqueVerde 2 miles. Turn left

(north) onto SoldierTrail, continue north for2 miles. Turn right (east)onto Roger Rd., continue

¼ mile to the parkentrance on the left

(north) side of the road.

Tuesday Bird Walkat Agua Caliente

Park, 8:30a.m.Loaner binoculars

available, meet in frontof the ranch house. Formore information callPima Co. Parks & Rec.

at 877-6111.

For permit requests andgeneral informationabout park rules and

regulations call 749-3718


At the Tucson Audubon Nature Shops

Binocular FAQsI want to watch butterflies. What binoculars should I use?

The key factor to consider when selecting butterfly binoculars is the CLOSEFOCUS measurement. The close focus measurement tells you how close an object, like a butterfly,can be and still appear in sharp focus. Some good butterfly binoculars focus as close as 3 feet. Otherexcellent models have a close focus measurement of 5 to 6 feet.

The second factor to consider is the feel of the binoculars. Select your binoculars yourself so the pairyou get is just right in your hands and just right for your eyes. With the perfect pair of binoculars youwill be able to focus on the beautiful details and shimmering colors of butterflies.

Close-focus binoculars are also perfect for watching dragonflies, lizards, and birds coming to thosefeeders outside your window, so a good pair of close-focus binoculars is a very good investment forthe nature lover.


Registration Form for the Institute of Desert EcologyA non-refundable deposit of $80 per person must accompanythe registration form. The balance is due March 7, 2008.

Please make checks payable to the Tucson Audubon Society.Use a separate registration form for each participant (copy ifnecessary). Fill out both sides and mail to:

Tucson Audubon Society, Institute of Desert Ecology, 300 E. University Blvd., Suite #120, Tucson AZ 85705

Name: _______________________________________________

Address: ______________________________________________

City: _________________________ State: _____ Zip: ___________

Home phone: (____)____________ Work phone: (____)____________

Email: _______________________________________________

Tucson Audubon Member? � Yes � No

Study Group AssignmentThe following information will be used to assure a mix ofparticipants in study groups:

Occupation (if retired, please specify): ____________________________

Special interests or hobbies: __________________________________

___________________________________________________

Age Group: � 18-35 � 36-60 � Over 60

How much previous exposure to natural history have you had, on a scale of

1 (no previous exposure) to 10 (college degree or equivalent)? ______

Try to put me in the same study group with: ________________________

Accommodations� I will bring a tent and sleeping bag

� I will bring a camper: _________________________(type of camper)

Other InformationWe compile a roster for distribution to Institute participantsonly. We will include your registration information withname, telephone, occupation and interests. If you do not wantyour information included, mark below.

� Please do not include any of my information

� Please do not include my telephone number

� Please do not include my occupation or interests

I learned about this program from: ______________________________

In case of an emergency, notify:

Name: _______________________________________________

Address:______________________________________________

City: ______________________________________State: ______

Home phone: (____)____________ Work phone: (____)____________

If my registration is accepted, I understand $80 of the fee is not refundable. I am at

least 18 years of age, in good health and plan to participate in the full Institute

program.

Signature: _______________________________________

Date: _______________________________

Happy institute participants take a break for coffee. Courtesy Sara Pike.

2008 Institute of Desert Ecology:There’s still time to register. Don’t delay!The deadline for registration for the 2008 Institute of Desert Ecology isalmost here. Now is the time to make the decision to join us. Each year, theinstitute brings the enthusiastic and inspirational teaching of our localexperts to participants from around the world. More than two thousandindividuals have graduated to date, learning and sharing experiences thatconnect them with the unique habitats of the Sonoran Desert. The instituteis held at Catalina State Park, located in the foothills of the spectacularSanta Catalina Mountains near Tucson, Arizona.

ProgramWe focus on Sonoran Desert ecosystems with emphasis on the dynamic,and often surprising relationships between plants, animals and the physicalelements of the desert, moving beyond classification and identification.Our days start early. Optional activities extend into the evening hours andinclude owling, blacklighting for nighttime invertebrates, and astronomypresentations. Participants and faculty interact in small groups during thefirst three days. On Sunday, a final hike ties together the experiences ofearlier sessions for the entire group. For a complete schedule and list of theoptional workshops, visit our website.

Fee & RegistrationThe fee of $425 per person ($395 for Tucson Audubon members) includespark entrance fee and camping from 4/16 to 4/20. It also includes expertinstruction and all meals beginning with Thursday breakfast andcontinuing through Sunday lunch. The institute ends Sunday, April 20 at2:30pm. The $80 deposit must accompany the registration form. Registersoon to reserve a space. The balance ($345/non-members and$315/members) is due by March 7, 2008. No refunds given after this date.

To register, contact Matt Brooks, Institute Director, at 622-2230 or [email protected]. Register online at

www.tucsonaudubon.org/education/ide.htm.


During the last several decades, a major extinctionhas been taking place worldwide that has gonemostly unnoticed. When comparing the lastseveral millennia, this level of extinction has notoccurred since the dinosaurs. Across the world inponds, creeks, forests and backyards the songs,chirps, croaks and peeps of the local frogs aredisappearing. But why is it we should care about abunch of slippery, squiggly, jumpy critters?

Unprecedented disappearanceAmphibians are a very unique group of animalsrepresented by over 6,000 known species of frogs,toads, newts, salamanders and caecilians(blindworms). A recent assessment of this groupby the World Conservation Union (IUCN) foundthat at least one-third of the world’s amphibianspecies are threatened with extinction and at least122 species have gone extinct since 1980. Whiledeclines have taken place across the globe, theareas most affected are Central America, theCaribbean, Asia and Australia.

Here in the U.S. the IUCN has recognized four amphibians ascritically endangered: the Mississippi gopher frog, the mountainyellow-legged frog, the Wyoming toad and Arizona’s ownChiricahua leopard frog. On top of these rare four, thirty-sevenother species have been listed under the U.S. Fish & WildlifeServices Endangered Species Act.

Canary in a coal mine?As amphibians are considered bio-indicators — species sosensitive to changes in their environment the ecological health ofan area can be measured by studying its amphibian population —scientists, conservation organizations and other concerned groupshave joined forces to create a successful action plan to beginconserving this group of animals. Beyond being a critical part of ahealthy environment, amphibians are also important contributorsto the field of bio-medicine. Compounds found in their skin helpus learn more about pain killers and antibiotics and there are stillmany species being discovered or lacking scientific study.

The reasons for the widespread declines in amphibian populationsare varied: habitat loss, climate change, invasive predators,pollutants, and the recent discovery of a lethal fungal diseasecalled chytridiomycosis (also, “chytrid”). This chytrid fungus israpidly spreading across the globe and causing population andspecies extinctions at an alarming rate. For many species, captivebreeding programs have become the only hope and are animportant component of conservation efforts.

In our own backyardWorking with Arizona Game & Fish, the Phoenix Zoo has beenrunning a tadpole taskforce made up of staff and community

volunteers to help give a head start to native Chiricahua leopardfrogs. Egg masses are collected from wild adult frogs and raised atthe Zoo until the small frogs are able to survive on their own. Thiscollaboration has been successful in releasing over 7,000 frogsback into the streams of southern Arizona.

Just as with the Chiricahua leopard frogs at the Phoenix Zoo,many zoos and aquariums are already committed to ensuring thesurvival of amphibian species with their captive populations. Insome cases, these breeding groups have become the only hope formany species of amphibians faced with eminent extinction.However, we need to take our combined efforts to the next level,not only by increasing the conservation and breeding programs,but by exciting and engaging the public to learn more about andto support the critical work needed to prevent further amphibiandisappearances.

2008 Year of the FrogWith organizations across the globe working to mitigate the issuesfacing amphibians through a variety of conservation programs,the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), along with manyother global partners, has designated 2008 as the Year of the Frog.In this globally coordinated public awareness campaign and withpeople across the globe rallying together, we hope to findsolutions to the amphibian crisis.

How can you learn more?The Phoenix Zoo is eager to join this global education effort andwill be featuring amphibians in a new exhibit on the Arizona Trailcalled “Amazing Amphibians.” Containing species from aroundthe world, this new exhibit will feature a diverse and intriguingselection of frogs, toads, newts and caecilians. “Amazing

Citizen Stewards Call: Hop to it for the Year of the Frogby Melanie Nelson, School Program and ZooTeen Supervisor, Phoenix Zoo

Chiricahua Leopard Frog. Courtesy Tara Sprankle, the Phoenix Zoo.

continued next page

Education News by Carrie Dean, Education Program Manager


Amphibians” Grand Opening Weekend is set to coincide with theZoo’s Leap Day Weekend scheduled for February 29 throughMarch 2. During this weekend, staff and volunteers will beengaging visitors in amphibian activities for all agesdemonstrating some of the unique features of this animal group.

Keep an eye out for details of the Leap Day Weekend on thePhoenix Zoo’s website at www.phoenixzoo.org. In themeanwhile, be a friend to frogs — and toads and salamanders, too— with these eight things you can do in 2008 to help amphibians:

1. Educate yourself, your family and your friends aboutamphibians

2. Visit an AZA-accredited zoo to experience your very ownamphibian adventure

3. Provide amphibian-friendly environments with clean water andhiding places and with insects to eat

4. Don’t pollute

5. Be a responsible pet owner

6. Conserve water at home, work and school

7. Reduce your fossil fuel use

8. Sign up to be a friend of the frog at www.yearofthefrog.org. VF

Year of the Frog continued

by Julia Fonseca, Arizona Native Plant Society

Do you want to recreate your yard as native wildlife habitat in thecity? Hear about Tucson Audubon’s urban wildlife restorationeffort? See how you can reconnect your yard to larger wildlifespaces in Pima County? Attend the Arizona Native Plant Society’stour of six gardens, and learn about gardens for butterfly, mothand other pollinators; backyard ponds for native frogs and fish;native desert tortoise foods and the tortoise adoption program;how to create lizard habitat in your yard; and native desert andriparian bird habitat.

You can buy tickets the day of the event at The NatureConservancy campus at 1510 E. Fort Lowell, anytime after 12noon on Saturday. The event runs until 4p.m. A tour fee ($6 forindividuals, or $10 per group of two or more) covers the costs ofplant lists for each site, and will assist efforts of the Arizona NativePlant Society’s conservation committee.

This is a wonderful opportunity to meet with experienced ownersand wildlife experts on this self-guided tour:

The Nature Conservancy: This is the suggested starting locationfor the Arizona Native Plant Society’s garden tour. The campushas been retrofitted with street-side and rooftop water harvesting

features leading to native plantings. The mature parts of the siteare well known for their spring wildflowers and coveys of quailamong native creosote and prickly pear. The Arizona Native PlantSociety will be on hand at this site and others to assist you withyour questions and provide information, including a plant list.Tucson Audubon Society will join us here to talk about urbanwildlife habitat restoration. Learn the recipe for urban lizardhabitat at 1:30 and 2:30p.m.

Homesite 1: This midtown urban lot once featured oleander andnon-native African sumac, like so many other Tucson homes.After removing these non-native plants, the owner/horticulturalist used Southwestern desert plants and found objectsto create habitat for many birds and lizards in a beautiful andvaried setting — on a modest landscaping and water budget. Thisyard won the 2006 Arizona Water Department/Tohono ChulXeriscape award for ‘Best Use of Sonoran and ChihuahuanNatives,‘ Homeowner Category.

Homesite 2: This southside yard shows an astonishingly rapidturnaround from bare suburban lot to wild-pollinator garden andwetland habitat for native frogs and fish. The owner/artist hasused native plants to create a vibrant palette of colors andtextures. The challenges included learning to choose plants nativeto and tolerant of the heavy floodplain soils of the Santa CruzRiver.

Homesite 3: The central yard is “Totally Tucson:” all plants arenative to the Tucson Basin and arranged with the care of thisaward-winning landscape designer/owner. Learn about how youcan create a place for many bird and lizard species, in particular.Read more about the owner’s landscape ethic atwww.gardeninsights.com. He is the winner of the “best nativeplants” and “best water harvesting” awards for 2007 in the annualXeriscape contest.

Desert Survivors: This native plant nursery (West Starr PassRoad at the Santa Cruz River) now features gardens for moths,butterflies and other insects where you can see mature plantspecimens and their pollinators. Come and see a recreated area ofthe Santa Cruz River floodplain, and hear about native bees froman insect expert.

Homesite 4: This westside yard includes a garden of native plantsthat provide food for desert tortoises. Learn about how you canuse native plants and new designs for tortoise burrows to createideal conditions for adoptive tortoises. This home also featuresworm composting, rock piles for lizards, and native plants andother habitat features for birds. The owner, an urban wildlifespecialist, will be on hand to answer questions, along withmembers of the Arizona Native Plant Society.

Additional information is posted at the AZNPS website:www.aznps.org/chapters/tucson.html. Or, contact Julia Fonsecaat 792-2690 for more information.

VF

Native Plant Society’s “Wild in the City” Garden Tour SAVE THE DATE: SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 2008


Where else in Arizona do youhave four riparian obligatenesting raptors, four speciesof nesting Tyrannusflycatchers, five vireos (two insummer, three in winter), andthe largest population of anendangered riparian obligatebird in Arizona, not tomention a remnant lowlandbeaver population? Yes, it’s the22-mile reach of the LowerSan Pedro River fromCascabel toDudleyville/Winkleman (theriver corridor just east theRincon & CatalinaMountains, west of theGaliuro Mountains, flowingnorth to meet the Gila River).This intermittent perennialflowing river is a true jewel ofriparian associatedbiodiversity of all kinds.Numerous mammals, reptiles,amphibians, fish (Threatenedspikedace), butterflies anddragonflies, all make this rivertheir home in southeasternArizona.

What are these special bird populations? For starters the raptorcommunity consists of Gray and Zone-tailed Hawks,Mississippi Kites, and a few Common Black-Hawks, all riparianobligates nesting along this river reach, plus Red-tailed,Swainson’s and Cooper’s Hawks and American Kestrels.Cassin’s, Western, Tropical, and Thick-billed Kingbirds are allpresent, plus Northern Beardless Tyrannulet. Bell’s Vireo (13detections per linear km. max.) and Warbling Vireo breed in thesummer, and Plumbeous Vireo (the highest CBC count in theU.S.), Hutton’s and Cassin’s Vireo take up winter residency.Approximately 35% of the federally listed EndangeredSouthwestern Willow Flycatcher population in Arizona occurshere, the greatest density in the state (155 pairs in 2004 and 143pairs in 2005). Lucy’s Warbler nests in spectacularly densenumbers in major mesquite bosques along the river (28detections/linear km. max.). Yellow Warblers occur in greatdensities in spring migration in cottonwood/willow habitat (47detections/linear km. max.). Still, much of the area remainsunsurveyed in the breeding season, and distribution anddensities are not known for all the raptor species nor for someother species such as the Yellow-billed Cuckoo; new finds maybe forthcoming as well.

Unfortunately, this river reach, of varying ownership, issignificantly threatened. Much of this tremendous biodiversitycould be severely diminished, and some species could be lost. Whycould this happen? Much of this land along the river and in thevalley is in low management status, owned by internationalmining companies (BHP, Rio Tinto, and ASARCO), the ArizonaState Land Department, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), oris within private ranches. Fortunately, The Nature Conservancy ofArizona (TNC) has long had a presence along the river and ownsa preserve at Dudleyville and manages another preserve (BinghamPreserve Cienega, owned by Pima County), and has a patchworkof conservation easements along the river. Salt River Project (SRP)Inc., a major Phoenix utility, also owns a number of parcels underconservation easements. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) ownsCooke’s Lake for conservation management and BLM also holds afew conservation easements. So, there is the beginning of aprotected land base along the river.

But, proposals for a new Interstate Highway 10 (Tucson) by-passthrough this valley are being evaluated by the Arizona Departmentof Transportation. A new interstate would slice through presentlywild Arizona State Lands, cross the river with numerous bridges,and open up the valley to new (and first ever) development.Already, a massive new development (35,000 new residents) is

Important Bird Areas Program by Scott Wilbor, IBA Conservation Biologist

The Lower San Pedro River IBA—A Conservation Priority & Challenge!

Lower San Pedro River IBA. Courtesy Marty Jakle.


being considered on land holdings of the mining company BHP(near San Manuel), which recently closed its smelter operations inSan Manuel. The water use for these new homes, if fully built out,could have severe effects on the groundwater availability to sustainriver flow and support riparian vegetation along many miles of rivercorridor between San Manuel and Mammoth. State Trust Lands,managed by the Arizona State Land Department for highesteconomic benefit (pending State Trust Land reform), could next falllike dominos to new developments in the river valley (particularlyaround San Manuel and Mammoth). Right now the river corridor isbeing used as a playground and off-road vehicle highway for all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), and trash dumping is rampant andwidespread along the river. BLM management of their remote parcelsfrom their distant Tucson offices is minimal. SRP is stretched tomanage their remote parcels. The Nature Conservancy works hard topatrol and protect lands under its management, but is alsocontinually challenged by illegal dumping, ATV trespass, and by straycattle impacting sites under their management along the river.

The IBA Program and The Nature Conservancy recently met andhave agreed to jointly work to add value to each other’s efforts alongthe Lower San Pedro River. We are in the planning stage of how wecan promote the biological values (particularly the special birdpopulations) of the river, and introduce ways local folks can help ourorganizational efforts. Opportunities include “wet/dry” river mappingled by TNC, raptor sighting reports, trash reports, illegal ATV usereports, and participation in Audubon bird surveys for moreexperienced birders (look for a special event announcement in afuture Tucson Audubon Society Flycatcher). Advocacy with publicagencies and public policy makers to promote and advance ecosystemprotection will of course also be needed. We also plan to continue ourgood partnerships with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and ArizonaGame and Fish Department, reporting our bird survey results in aneffort to better document the distribution and density of many of ourbird species of conservation concern. Ultimately, we hope we canadvance continuity of resource protection under a federalconservation designation and fulltime management. This will requireCongressional action, and we will let you know how you can help, asthe opportunity presents itself.

Our first-of-the-season, “IBA Team Group Survey” for the Lower SanPedro River, is being planned for April 5. If you have been to one ofour past IBA workshops (or have some bird survey experience), giveus a call and come on out to help us document bird speciesdistribution over an expanded area of the river. Ultimately, throughall our combined efforts, we hope to ensure the protection of theentire San Pedro River, providing a healthy functioning riparianecosystem and conserving its wonderfully diverse species richness tobenefit ecological and human communities alike! (Call TucsonAudubon IBA Program at 628-1730 to sign up for the IBA GroupSurvey on the Lower San Pedro River.)

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Important Bird Areas Program continued

Riparian Family Institute:Deadline for registration

is March 14, 2008 Join us for this year’s Riparian Family Institute March29-30, 2008. The institute focuses on the rich plantand animal life found streamside along the beautifulSan Pedro River near Dudleyville, Arizona. One of thelast free-flowing rivers joining Mexico and the UnitedStates, the San Pedro provides a green oasis in thedesert, and is home to hundreds of species of plants,birds, insects, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals.This river corridor is considered one of the mostbiologically diverse areas in the North America.Families will delve into river ecology while gettingclose to streamside flora and fauna. Hosted incooperation with Pima County Natural Resources,Parks and Recreation and The Nature Conservancy.Price is $240.00 for a family of four and includes allmeals from lunch Saturday to lunch Sunday. Campingequipment and transportation to the site is theresponsibility of the participants. To register or formore information, contact Matt Brooks,Environmental Education Specialist, at 622-2230 [email protected]. Registration is limitedto 28 participants, so register soon.

Happy and muddy at Riparian Family Institute. Courtesy Matt Brooks.


Location: the Lower San Pedro River, near Dudleyville, PinalCounty. On Google Earth go to 32°54'59.93"N 110°44'5.36"W.If you attended the Dedication Celebration of Liz’s Grove onFebruary 17 you will know the area. In 1993 the nearbyRomero Bridge to the north was washed out and the ownersof the Double Check Ranch granted Pinal County atemporary highway easement until the county rebuilt thebridge. The current owners purchased this land and in 1996established a conservation easement, now managed by theBureau of Land Management, which is responsible for theenforcement of the easement. Southwestern WillowFlycatchers, listed as federally endangered in 1995, breed alongthis stretch of the San Pedro at the highest density recorded byArizona Game and Fish in Arizona. See Scott Wilbor’s articleon page 16, The Lower San Pedro River IBA—A ConservationPriority & Challenge! for an overview of its value.

Threats to our birds identified . . .Scott mentions the many threats to this habitat, and effectiveconservation of habitats begins with an assessment andmanagement of threats. Over the last 13 years, illegal anddestructive motorized traffic through the San Pedro River atthis point has increased, with people riding OHVs (off-highwayvehicles) through the river and along the delicate riverbanks,destroying fencing that is intended to exclude cattle from theriparian areas. Campfires are built and left burning, and eachmonth the landowners pick up 50-60 gallons of trash. Motorizedtraffic has enabled people to engage in extensive damagingactivities in and about the river, and the absence of lawenforcement officers exacerbates the problems.

. . . and removedWe can remove the threats to an endangered species by restrictingmotorized access across this private land. The owners plan to dothis, and so rehabilitate the damage caused by the abuse frommotorized users and so also reduce harassment or harm to theflycatchers during their feeding and breeding activities. To thisend, the owners notified the County in June 2007 of their intentto terminate the temporary easement with the County as of theend of 2007, though continuing to allow passage of non-motorized and emergency medical and fire traffic in the future.Since a much less sensitive crossing of the San Pedro exists 3.7miles north of this one, where owners have not voiced anyobjection to the County’s pursuit of an access easement, we’dexpect that to be the end of the story.

Pinal County is required to erect barriers to prevent motorizedpublic access through the riparian area protected by the federalconservation easement as part of the termination of thetemporary highway easement. However, the County has refused tocomply.

Eminent DomainImagine our shock and dismay when we learned that PinalCounty obtained a temporary restraining order forcing thelandowners to allow the removal of a barrier that preventedunauthorized motorized access. Pinal County forced the re-opening of the river to destructive motorized access, giving thelandowners less than six hours notice of their intent to file at thePinal County Superior Courthouse. The Pinal County Board ofSupervisors appears singularly focused on securing continuedaccess to the federally protected temporary crossing and has notentered into a meaningful dialog with the landowners.

Despite having an extreme budget shortfall, the County intends topursue through condemnation, and acquire through eminentdomain, this land that is protected by a federal conservationeasement, costing local taxpayers many thousands of dollars. If theCounty achieves their goal, citizens of Arizona and Pinal County

On notice: Conservation easementsin Pinal County. A story of our times.by Paul Green and Chris McVie

Conservation Update

The dense willow and cottonwood thickets along the lower San PedroRiver at Dudleyville provide prime breeding habitat for theSouthwestern Willow Flycatcher. Courtesy Paul and Eng-Li Green.

Conservation Update continued


will witness continuing adverse ecological impacts to one ofthe most prized riparian ecosystems in our state.

On the morning of February 6, the Pinal County Board ofSupervisors voted to continue its plan to condemn. Thoughthey heard that the property is protected by a federalconservation easement held by the Bureau of LandManagement and that an endangered species occurs on theland in question, the three members, Lionel Ruiz, SandieSmith and David Snider, chose to ignore the destructive useby illegal OHVs and seek to maintain the crossing as an OHVplayground for a few vocal citizens of Dudleyville.

InterventionTucson Audubon, and our partner Audubon Arizona, askedthe U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to intervene on behalf of theSouthwestern Willow Flycatcher, and we have asked theBureau of Land Management to defend the terms of theeasement they hold, as they are required to do. We have alsodiscussed this issue with a member of the Arizona Game &Fish Commission, asking the Commission to consider thecurrent illegal use as adversely affecting the conservation ofwildlife resources, specifically the Endangered SouthwesternWillow Flycatcher, which the Arizona Game & FishDepartment is constitutionally mandated to manage andprotect.

Major conservation issuesWhile the specifics of this case are distressing to all involved,some more major issues are raised by the behavior of PinalCounty, such as the future of federal conservation easementsin general. Legally, there are serious and far-reachingquestions about Pinal County’s right as a government agencyto condemn land encumbered by a federal easement, whichexpressly prohibits motorized traffic. The even larger issue atstake is the future of federal conservation easementsgenerally. If this case fails, then conservation easementseverywhere are under threat, to be brushed aside by localgovernments at a whim.

If the Pinal County court determines that this issue is out oftheir jurisdiction, the case will pass to federal court and theowners will defer to the legal counsel of the U.S. attorneyrepresenting BLM as the defendant in a federal case.Alternatively, Pinal County may determine that they have theright to condemn the land and take it through eminentdomain, and so compromise the conservation value of theland.

What can you do?The Double Check Ranch would welcome pro bono legalcounsel. You can also contact the chair of the Pinal CountyBoard of Supervisors, Lionel Ruiz, at (520)866-7830 [email protected] to voice your opinion. You canalso visit the site for yourself to assess the situation.

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Pima County Natural Resource EventsFor more information: 615-7855 or [email protected]

Sunday Morning Bird Walk Enjoy a naturalist-guided birdwalk designed especially for beginning birders of all ages. Binocularsare available for use during the program, or bring your own. Programlasts approximately 60 minutes.

Sunday, March 9, 2008, 9a.m. Agua Caliente Park, 12325 E. Roger RoadFree, all ages welcome. Reservations not required.

Birds of Cienega Creek One of southern Arizona’s specialplaces, it contains a well-developed cottonwood forest and perennialstream. This type of habitat is critical to wildlife and is known for itsabundant bird life. The trip leader will be Tucson Audubon’s MattBrooks, who will be discussing characteristic plants and wildlife of thearea. Van transportation will be provided.

March 15, 2008, 8a.m.— Call for meeting location $10, ages 18 and up. Reservations not required.

Family Birding Bring the whole family and discover the diversityof birdlife attracted to Agua Caliente’s spring-fed ponds and lushriparian and desert habitats. Birders of all ages and abilities arewelcome to attend. Experienced bird guides will offer helpful tips foridentifying birds. Binoculars are available for use during the program,or bring your own. Program lasts approximately 90 minutes.

Saturday, March 22, 2008, 9a.m.Agua Caliente Park, 12325 E. Roger RoadFree, all ages welcome. Reservations not required.

Tucson Mountain Park Wildflower Hike JoinEnvironmental Educator and local wildflower expert Meg Quinn, for aguided wildflower walk in Tucson Mountain Park. Early winter rainsare sure to bring a colorful, blooming bounty to the desert southwest.Hike is moderate to strenuous with some uphill portions. Dressappropriately and bring plenty of water. Hike lasts about 4 hours.

Saturday, March 29, 2008, 8a.m.— Call for meeting locationTucson Mountain Park, 2002 S. Kinney Road Free, ages 14 and up, please. Reservations required.

Tucson Mountain Park Birding Walk Join birding expertJohn Higgins, for a guided bird walk in Tucson Mountain Park. Spotthrashers, wrens, quail, hawks and other birds of the desert southwestnestled among the saguaros and paloverdes. Be sure to bring plenty ofwater. Walk lasts approx. 90 minutes.

Saturday, March 29, 2008, 7:30a.m.Tucson Mountain Park Ironwood Picnic Area, 1548 S. Kinney Rd. (on Kinney 1.5 miles south of Gates Pass Rd. or 3.8 miles north of Ajo Way)

Free, ages 12 and up, please.

Wake Up with the Birds This casual stroll through Agua CalientePark is geared more towards beginning and intermediate birders. Spotcardinals, thrashers, hummingbirds, songbirds and raptors nestledamong the mesquites and palms. Binoculars are available for useduring the walk, or bring your own. Program lasts 60-90 minutes.

Every Tuesday in March, 8a.m.Agua Caliente Park Ranch House, 12325 E. Roger RoadFree, all ages welcome.


Andean AdventuresSally Johnsen 399-4050; [email protected]

Birding America www.birding-america.comToll-free: (800)774-6150; [email protected]

High Island Birding Information CenterCome visit us in Texas during spring migration from March 22through May 4 for free bird walks, site information, rarity news,and bird talks. Check out the new website atwww.birdinghighisland.com!

“Upper Texas Coast,” April 18–27, 2008, $1990. Leader: MichaelRetter. The big draw for this tour is the abundance of interestingmigrant birds, and the upper Texas coast offers a very real chance ofseeing over 200 species in a single day. Our tour covers all thevaried habitats of the region, from migrant traps on High Island, tothe inland Pineywoods with their Red-cockaded Woodpeckers andBrown-headed Nuthatches, to coastal beaches and marshes for thehuge numbers of shorebirds, and finally to the prairies for thechance of Attwater’s Greater Prairie-Chicken.

“High Island Migration,” April 14–18 & April 21–25, 2008, $990.Leader: Moez Ali. We also offer a shorter version of the previoustour for people with limited time available, concentrating on thespectacular migration hot-spot of High Island, Bolivar FlatsShorebird Sanctuary and Anahuac NWR. We'll also visit thePineywoods region for Red-cockaded Woodpecker and Bachman'sSparrow among other specialties and offer short extensions to theHill Country for the striking Golden-cheeked Warbler and Black-capped Vireo. With our new visitor center and unique canopytower right in High Island, we'll have our finger on the pulse likeno one else. Visit our exciting new website atwww.birdinghighisland.com for more information about thefantastic spring migration spectacle.

Nature Treks and Passages www.naturetreks.net696-2002; [email protected]

“Birding in Alamos, Mexico: Tropical Deciduous Forest,” March26–30, November 15–19, and December 13–17, 2008, $1349.Explore the exotic flora and fauna of the deciduous tropical forestof southern Sonora. Founded in the late 17th century, Alamos isfilled with charmingly restored haciendas and cobble-stoned alleys.We take an all-day float on the Rio Mayo with its large heron andegret rookeries, and explore the banks of the Cuchujaqui River withits enormous old cypress trees as we look for neo-tropical birdspecies. We’ll also take a tour of the city of Alamos and of thenearby old mining town of La Aduana. We may see more than 100bird species, such as the Bare-throated Tiger Heron, SquirrelCuckoo, Lilac-crowned and White-fronted Parrots, Black-throatedMagpie Jay, and Elegant Trogon. View the itinerary and bird list atwww.naturetreks.net.

“Copper Canyon Birding,” April 5–13, October 18–26, andNovember 29–December 7, 2008, $2749. See neo-tropical speciessuch as Eared Quetzal and Russet-crowned Motmot. Activitiesinclude a river float trip near the Colonial town of El Fuerte, thespectacular Copper Canyon train to the crest of the Sierra Madre

Mountains near Creel, and three days in Batopilas, deep withinthe Canyon. Sample the diverse habitats of coastal river plain,tropical thorn forest, tropical river bottom and high conifer forest,and observe the indigenous Tarahumara culture. Stay atcomfortable lodges that reflect the best of the local ambience.View the itinerary and bird list at www.naturetreks.net.

Ntaba Tours www.ntabatours.comToll-free (866)466-8222 or Cingular Cell (502)545-0207; [email protected]

Rancho Esmeralda Eco-Tourswww.ranchoesmeraldanogales.com548-7278; [email protected]

RockJumpers Birding Tours [email protected]

“South Africa: Cape Wildflowers & Birding,” August20–September 2, 2008, $3,650. This tour is scheduled to take inthe very best of the fairest cape, at a time when the landscape istransformed and a floral myriad of colors and textures thatdecorate these breathtaking landscapes. This spectacle aside, wewill also be on the lookout for a host of special and endemic birdsthat grace the area; we will also spend time in the ochre dunes andriverbeds of the Kalahari searching for lions and bustards. Thetour begins and ends in the “Mother City” Cape Town, deservedlyregarded by many as one of the most beautiful cities in the world!

“Tunisia & Morocco: Deserts, Birds & Antiquities,” TunisiaMarch 28–April 3, $1,750; Morocco April 3–12, 2009, $1,750. Fromthe high, snow-capped peaks of the Atlas Mountains to the vastSahara Desert, this tour aims to take in all that these twofascinating countries have to offer. We will search for some ofnorthwest Africa’s most sought-after birds, and take time toexplore the rich and varied culture of Tunisia and Morocco. Withgreat food, friendly people, impressive antiquities and abundantbirds we invite you to take part in this birding adventure of alifetime!

Tropical Birding www.tropicalbirding.comToll free: (800)348-5941; [email protected]

High Island Birding Information CenterCome visit us during spring migration from March 22 throughMay 4 for free bird walks, site information, rarity news, and talkson world birding. Check out the new website atwww.birdinghighisland.com!

“Galapagos Endemics Cruise,” July 24–August 2 and November20–29, 2008, $3700. Leaders: Scott Olmstead, Iain Campbell, orNick Athanas. We have specially chartered a comfortable 16passenger yacht to visit all the key islands for birds and the otherunique wildlife, and we have a chance to see nearly every endemicspecies of the archipelago. This is a great tour for both birders andnaturalists alike, and offers outstanding opportunities forphotography.

Birding Travel from our Business Members

continued next page


Birding Travel continued

Tucson Audubon’s first-time attendance as a vendor at the 15thannual Wings Over Willcox (W.O.W.) festival in January wasbeneficial for both attendees and Tucson Audubon!

From January 17–20, 2008, more than 800 people attended theannual festival held in Willcox, Arizona. The festival highlightswintering Sandhill Cranes, sparrows and raptors seen each winterthroughout the Sulphur Springs Valley. This year’s festival countedapproximately 36,000 cranes in the area! According to HomerHansen, W.O.W. chair, the species count for the weekend was 144different birds. That is a lot of species to enjoy on a winterweekend! The festival offers many different field trips designed toappeal to all levels and interests, and it’s not just for birders. Fieldtrips are also offered on the geology, flora and fauna, and thehistory of the area.

W.O.W. also has a fantastic nature expo open to the public locatedin the Willcox Community Center. The expo includes local artists,live raptor displays by Liberty Wildlife and Arizona Game andFish, and other animals brought in by the Gray Hawk NatureCenter. This is the first time Tucson Audubon attended the festivalas a vendor and information booth. We brought along newsletters,information about our education and conservation programs, anda sampling of natural history books and gifts from our natureshops. Several Tucson Audubon trip leaders also volunteered theirtime to lead trips for the festival.

Of special note, Bob and Peggy Wenrick presented their “CrazyAbout Cranes” documentary during one of the many seminars,giving attendees a full appreciation for the migrating SandhillCranes the festival centers around. They donated copies of theirpresentation on DVD to Tucson Audubon to sell to raise moneyfor our Education Program. Their presentation is availablethrough the Nature Shops for a $25 donation.

Thanks to the volunteers and staff that helped in the booth and inthe field, we brought in 14 new members, raised over $400 indonations, made over $3,000 in sales; and we talked to manyattendees about our conservation efforts, our education programs

and of course our love for the birds! Our booth was busy all day,every day, and we got our message out to many attendees.

We found the W.O.W. festival to be very well organized (they evenscout out restroom stops for the field trips!) and we encourageour members to attend next year’s event. The drive is easy and theseminars, field trips, and expo are well worthwhile. As icing on thecake, everyone in Willcox, from the motel staff to the restaurantservice, to the friendly faces in the grocery store were welcomingand wonderful! If you plan to go in 2009, sign up for any fieldtrips early, as they fill months in advance. The dates for the 2009festival are January 14–18. For more information, visitwww.wingsoverwillcox.com. We hope to see you there next year!

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Special thanks to all those who helpedwith organizing and staffing our

booth at Wings Over Willcox:David West Bobbie Lambert Lorel Piccurrio Linda Harrold Sandy Cook Heather Hatch

Barbara Schneidau Mary Ellen Flynn Rosie BennettJeri Ogden Judy Calvert Herb Trossman

Marilyn Bicking Kathy Olmstead Carrie DeanVivian MacKinnon Matt! Brooks Ruth Wilderman

Michael Monyak Lia Sansom Jean RiosJean Barchman Becky Aparicio Jeff Burrows

Karen Hochgraf Sara Pike Moez Ali

Homer Hansen, Chair of Wings Over WillcoxConnie Bonner, Willcox Chamber of Commerce

“Peru: Manu and Machu Picchu,” July 10–27, 2008, $5450.Leader: Jose Illanes. Come with us to one of the most pristineyet accessible wilderness areas in the world, home to a mind-boggling 1000+ species of birds. We stay in a series of delightfullodges, including Manu Wildlife Center. We’ll also visit theIncan ruins of Machu Picchu, recently chosen as one of the newSeven Wonders of the World, and rich in history as well as birds.

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W.O.W. was Wow forTucson Audubon!By Sara Pike and Vivian MacKinnon

Vivian and Moez help in the booth. Courtesy Matt Brooks.


Thanks ! Vivian MacKinnon, Membership Development Manager

We thank the following fortheir financial support:

Margaret BradshawAnne BrittEliza & Kent CampbellNancy CaryJames ClarkeDonna De HaanKaren & William DennyCynthia DonaldJoe EganDoris & Doug EvansBruce GungleJoyce HarrisonHeather HatchMarajean & Jack HulingBurchard JacksonBobbie LambertGenna & William LemmanSherry Lewis & Jim LoganHelene LoringClaire & Don MachaJames & Sherry MassiePat McDonaldCrystal & Franklin MorrisAddy MurtaughDoug RautenkranzTracey RitzmanHelen & John SchaeferNan Schmidt & Joseph

O’ConnellPatricia & Dan SimsMargaret SkipperGrant SwickMary & Skip WalkerPaul WibergWilliam WieboldtBetty & Robert WottonElizabeth & Charles

Zukoski

We thank our FrequentFlyers for their monthly(and almost painless)donations:

Christine FeeleyMich CokerVernita and JosephdeRouenEverett KnappDeborah VathChristine CurtisSandy and Karl ElersPat and Herb Trossman

The following folks haveresponded with donationsfor specific program needs:

Elsa Jacklitch donated aMagnavox VHS player with

remote and owners manual.

Bob and Peggy Wenrickdonated more copies of theirfantastic program “CrazyAbout Cranes” to be sold toraise funds for our educationprogram. They also donateda Dell 5100 Inspiron laptop,color monitor and D-linkwireless USB hub.

A teacher who wishes to beanonymous “…who wasthrilled to see Pale Male whileon a visit to New York City,”donated 2 copies of the PaleMale DVD — one for theTucson Audubon library andone for the educationdepartment. She also donateda Vermilion Flycatcher printby Narca Moore-Craig.

Please join us in welcomingour newest members:

Gerardo Carreon ArroyoAnn BeeghlyKaren BerchtoldDebi & Jack BreeseLouise BrooksElaine & Jim Dertien

Trish DownerAnn & Ronald EricksonLeatrice FergusonLowell GrasdalenPat & Vincent GuarreraJanis HadleyTerri HamstraRichard HooperLisa HornungDianne & Ron HustonStephane MarchandMary E MarchoRuby MatejkaJoan McGowanKaren & Robert MorseBlain OlbertSuzanne Petersen & Ed

BrennerMary Beth RadkeTyler RichinsSandy ScherffMarsha SchoenebergMarty SewellAnne ShiversMelinda SteedNancy TuheyBrett WilmoreMiriam WrightLinda & Alvin YocumMargaret & James York

We wish to thank the generosity of the following people for their financial support, both for specificprograms and in general support, and through in-kind donations in response to specific needs.

Join the Birds & BusinessAlliance today.Because you may work as part of a corporation or business that mayhave resources that can be applied to support our conservation goals, wehave created a new way for businesses to support Tucson Audubon.

The Birds & Business Alliance is a membership program of TucsonAudubon for businesses which brings with it benefits, both tangible andintangible. A business can choose the benefits it wishes to take, and candevelop the relationship further, for example, by engaging theiremployees in volunteer work, or by providing financial sponsorship forparticular events or programs. The possibilities are limited only by theimaginations of Tucson Audubon and our business members.

If you own or work for a business and would like to join, call VivianMacKinnon at 622 5622 for a membership package.


Tucson Audubonthanks the following

Birds & Business Alliance members for theircontinued support:

Adobe Desert Vacation Rentals Alta Vista Bed and Breakfast Andean AdventuresArivaca Country Bed and BreakfastBeatty's Miller Canyon GuestRanch

Bed and Bagels of TucsonBest Western—InnSuites Birding AmericaBorderland ToursBrooklyn Pizza Company Comcast of Arizona, Inc.De Anza Trails RV ResortDown by the River Bed andBreakfast

Kimberlyn Drew, MBA, Realtor Excel Printing CommunicationsGaleria La SirenaHughes Federal Credit UnionThe Jeremiah Inn Bed andBreakfast

Karrel’s Double K Ranch Bed &Breakfast Inn Homestay

The Lodge at Ventana CanyonLou Benson ConstructionCompany

Mi Gatita Bed and BreakfastNature Treks and PassagesNtaba Tours Rancho EsmeraldaRockjumper Birding ToursSan Carlos Aquatic AdventuresSunflower SuitesTangledWeb Properties Tropical BirdingVictor Emanuel Nature Tours, Inc.

Don’t forget to tell them we sent you!

Wishes:Main Nature Shop:Gift Certificate or credit at Tucson Store Fixtures (500 W. Grant Rd., 623-0064) to help the shop with keeping up merchandise display materials.Gift Certificate for Michael’s craft stores, to help the shop with keeping upmerchandise display materials. Casio electric calculator, Model HR-150TMPlus. Red coffeemaker.

Library:We would welcome any donations of birding DVDs so we can replacevideos in our library; especially National Audubon Society’s Guide toBirds of North America.

Mason Center: Large rugs for the house. Heavy, insulating curtains of appropriate colorfor 3 medium-sized windows. Six nice, large rectangular folding tables

Field Trips Program:Binoculars in good condition for leaders to loan to participants.

Nature Shop at Agua Caliente Park:Laminating machine.

Habitat Restoration Program:Locking metal storage cabinet. Map drawer cabinet to store large maps.

Education Program:Gift card for Michael’s Arts and Crafts store to purchase materials for kids’programs. New or in good condition Wesco Maxi Mover Folding HandTruck, 250lb. capacity. New or gently used, good condition LeupoldYosemite 6 x 30 or 8 x 30 or Bushnell Birder 8 x 40 binoculars for youngbirders (available for sale in the Main Tucson Audubon Nature Shop).

Benefits of membership:All dues used locally to support Tucson Audubon programsOne-year subscription to the Vermilion Flycatcher10% discount at our Nature ShopsDiscounted fees select events and classesDiscounted subscription to Birds of North America OnlineFree use of the Birders’ Resource Library Email bulletins about conservation issues and upcoming events

To join use the remittance envelope in this issue, visit us online atwww.tucsonaudubon.org, visit us in person at either AudubonNature Shops, or call our Membership Coordinator at 629-0757.

Support TucsonAudubon…

Become a Friend today!

Tucson Audubon Society300 E. University Blvd., #120Tucson, AZ 85705

NON-PROFIT ORGUS POSTAGE

PAIDTUCSON, AZ

PERMIT #1345

The Vermilion Flycatcher is the newsletter of the Tucson AudubonSociety, a chapter of the National Audubon Society. NationalAudubon Society members and members of other chapters mayreceive the Flycatcher by joining the Friends of Tucson Audubon.See membership at www.tucsonaudubon.org.

Tucson Audubon Society’s Lecture Series: Living with Nature Monday, March 10, 7p.m. in DuVal Auditorium at University Medical Center

BIRDS, BIRDERS, AND A NEW BULGARIARick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS, presents an introduction to one of the birding world’sbest-kept secrets. Bulgaria, an ancient country in Eastern Europe, stretches from the RhodopiMountains along the Greek border to the Black Sea, with a dazzling variety of habitats and birds tobe seen in between. A number of the rarest and most sought-after species in Western Europe—European Roller, Black-eared Wheatear, and Griffon Vulture—are common on the steppes and inthe forests of Bulgaria, where they are joined by such Balkan specialties as Masked Shrike andSombre Tit. At any time of year, but especially in late spring or early autumn, a visit to this beautifulcountry is a glimpse into a life and a landscape that has otherwise all but vanished from most of thecontinent.

With Bulgaria’s entry into the European Union in 2007, the country and its dazzling birdlife enjoynew opportunities—and confront new challenges. While EU conservation policies should result inthe protection of Bulgaria’s many continental and global rarities, the infusion of money—in theform of agricultural subsidies and greatly increased tourism—threatens to upset the balanced rurallifeways that have made the Bulgarian countryside a refuge for so many imperiled plants and

animals. Constructive pressure from foreign eco-touristsmay help to resist the steamroller of progress anddevelopment, but in Bulgaria as throughout the world,lasting conservation efforts must have a local impetus.There are encouraging signs of a true environmentalethos emerging in Bulgaria, giving hope that this nearlypristine country will continue to shelter some of thefinest habitats, and provide some of the finest birdinganywhere in Europe.

Rick Wright is the Managing Director of WINGS, aTucson-based ornithotourism company offering birdingand nature tours throughout the world. An impassionedbirder for more than 30 years, he is a widely published writer, frequent speaker at festivalsand conferences, and a popular and experienced leader and guide. A native of southeastNebraska, Rick attended the University of Nebraska and Harvard Law School, and holdsthe M.A. and Ph.D. from Princeton University. He has lived and traveled widely in Europeover the years, birding all the while.

Directions to DuVal AuditoriumThere is parking, for a fee, in the multi-tieredPatient/Visitor parking structure close to the auditorium at UMC.

Free parking (after 5pm) is available south of Mabel Street and west of Warren.

Rick Wright.

Don’t Miss It! Green Valley Lecture

COLORS OF THE

ANDES: BIRDING &NATURAL HISTORY

IN A VIBRANT LAND

see page 4 for details.

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