Tucson Bird Alliance: Southeast Arizona Birding Festival – Las Cienegas and Empire Ranch Field Trip

This half-day trip to Cochise Lake in Willcox will add a wide variety of shorebirds to your Arizona and festival species list. Likely species include Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Wilson’s Phalarope, Long-billed Dowitcher, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Western, and Least Sandpipers. The lakes also play host to an array of migrant swallow species, as well as birds of the open grassland like Scaled Quail, Chihuahuan Raven, and Lark Sparrow. With sometimes hourly turnover nearly every visit during migration has a good chance of turning up something unusual. This will be a very relaxed paced half-day trip with limited walking on level surfaces. Limited to 9 participants.

Difficulty: Easy. Easy walking on dirt road/trail. Bring a wide-brimmed hat, sunscreen, water bottle, and be prepared for hot and sunny weather. No bathroom on-site but there is one in close by in Willcox.

Van Field Trip*

Part of the Tucson Bird Alliance’s Southeast Arizona Birding Festival.

There is a $35 non-refundable registration fee for all festival participants that are attending fee based activities: field trips, workshops, and evening programs.

*Van field trips include van transportation, but “Drive Yourself” field trips do not.  A packed lunch, snacks, and drinking water are provided on full-day field trips. A light snack and drinking water are provided on half-day field trips. All Van Trips depart from the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel at Reid Park. “Drive Yourself” field trips will meet on-site at birding locations and you will received detailed directions.