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Field Trips


SAS conducts three or four field trips each month, including summer months. The trips vary from just a few hours in the morning to three-day trips. Some trips are mornings only, but we plan longer ones if interest is expressed by the membership. Most of the trips are birding events, but we do intersperse other activities if our members express special interests.  Upcoming trips are listed below.

New requirement:  On all field trips, make reservations by calling or e-mailing the leader.  The leader can then give updated information as to the meeting place, times, etc.  Also, some trips are limited in size.

Click here to see reports from previous trips.

Coming up in 2008
Friday-Sunday
Sep. 26-28, 2008
Heartstone Mountain Ranch and Area
Leader:  Tice Supplee
602-468-6470 or 602-380-3722
tsupplee@audubon.org
This trip is a combined Sonoran Audubon and Desert Botanical Gardens field trip. The ranch is located off State Route 83 about 25 miles SE of Sonoita. Camping will be at the ranch with a cost sharing for the facility. Hiking/birding will be in the Canelo Hills segment of the Arizona Trail and Lyle Canyon on the west side of the Huachuca Mountains.

Difficulty: 2-3

This trip will be limited to 15 people. Contact the trip leader to register and for more details.
Tuesday
Oct. 7, 2008
Lockett Meadow
Leader:  Dan Bohlmann
602-938-8244
dansbohlmann@prodigy.net
Lockett Meadow is a beautiful meadow in the area between the five peaks that make up the San Francisco Peaks. There is a small pond that attracts some high altitude birds along with the fir, spruce and aspen forest that surrounds the meadow. The elevation is 8,600 ft. and it is reached by a gravel road that can be driven by any passenger car. Because of the high altitude I have seen Sapsuckers, Gray Jays, Clark’s Nutcrackers, Mountain Bluebirds, Hermit Thrushes and Red Crossbills there.

Difficulty: 1 Bring a Lunch

Meet at Denny’s near I17 and Bell to leave at 6:30. Call for reservations and alternate meeting location.
Saturday
Oct. 25, 2008
Rio Salado
Leader: To be announced
Contact: George Wall 623-875-7057
gwall5@cox.net
Rio Salado is one of our newer birding areas on the Salt River in downtown Phoenix There is plenty of water in the ponds and the river so birds should be there.

Difficulty 1: This is a morning walk only

Meet at the Sun Bowl parking lot on 107th Ave. in Sun City just south of Peoria Ave. to leave at 6:15 a.m. or meet at the Rio Salado parking lot on South Central Ave (Northeast Corner) a little before 7 a.m.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Arlington Valley
Leader: To be announced
Arlington Valley west of Phoenix and Buckeye and south of Arlington with fields, ponds, canals, open water and desert make it a good place to search for birds. In past fall field trips Sandhill Cranes were seen in fields and American White Pelicans were at Gillespie Dam. Long-billed Dowitcher, Horned Lark, American Pipit and American Avocet have been seen. A rare bird sighting has sometimes created excitement.

Difficulty: 1 Bring Lunch.

Meet at the Sun Bowl parking lot on 107th Ave. just south of Peoria Ave. in Sun City at 7:00 a.m.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Gilbert Water Ranch
Leaders: Chuck & Loretta Richards 623-594-6554
carichards@nowonline.net
The Gilbert Water Ranch is one of the Valley’s better winter birding places. The ponds attract large numbers of ducks and shore birds. There are many common permanent valley birds, plus lots of other winter migrants. The trails are well maintained, graveled and level. Fifty plus birds are usually seen or heard on trips to this site.

Difficulty: 1 Morning only.

Be sure to contact the leader to register and arrange carpooling. Meet at Lowe’s parking lot on Thunderbird just west of 83rd Ave. by the Burger King. There is lots of parking available. We plan to leave at 7:00 a.m. There may be an additional meeting place designated along I-17 if needed (to join at GWR).
Friday – Sunday
February 20-22, 2009
Yuma and the Salton Sea with Henry Detwiler
Coordinator: Chuck Richards 623-594-6554 carichards@
nowonline.net
We will be leaving mid-morning on Friday the 20th. Birding on the way will depend on opportunities. After lunch, we will bird the Yuma area adjacent to the Colorado River. Saturday morning we will be joined by Henry Detwiler and leave early for the Salton Sea where we will bird all day. Sunday will also be an early day with Henry. We will bird the morning in areas east of Yuma before returning to Phoenix.

To insure maximum access to all Salton Sea birding locations, high clearance and all wheel drive would be preferred. There will only be 4 vehicles used for the portions of the trip guided by Henry.

Difficulty: 1

There is a limit of 15 people for the trip. The fee per person for our guide is $35 which the coordinator will collect. More information will be provided prior to the trip.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Madera Canyon
Leader: Richard Kaiser 602 276-3312
rkaiserinaz@aol.com
Situated in the Coronado National Forest in southern Arizona, this is one of the nation's top birding areas. The habitat varies from the grasslands of Florida Canyon to a heavily wooded area above the 5,000 foot level. We will be looking for birds from parking areas for the famous Proctor Road, Bog Springs and Santa Rita Lodge feeders. Species we will look for include Painted Redstart, Arizona Woodpecker, Yellow-eyed Junco, Ash-throated Flycatcher, and Elegant Trogon.

Difficulty: 1 Bring a lunch.

Contact the leader to confirm the expected meeting place of the intersection of Continental Road with Madera Canyon Road, and the meeting time of 7:00 a.m. This trip might be extended into Sunday morning.


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