Ornithology 484

Field trip information

Below is information on the three weekend field trips during this semester.  You are encouraged to come on all three, but only two are required.

Driving Policy:
We prefer you to travel in the vans for many reasons: logistics of multiple vehicles, reduced environmental impact of driving fewer vehicles, birding opportunities along the way, safety, changes to itinerary. However, driving your own vehicle on field trips may be allowed PROVIDED you understand and agree to the following:
1) Because transportation is offered by the UA, if anything happens to you or your vehicle on the trip, YOU, and not the UA are responsible.  You must make every attempt to
2) You MUST clear it with your professor at least a week in advance--the logistics of these trips is complicated, and last-minute changes are not acceptible.
3) Driving your own vehicle does not mean you can leave the trip early or arrive late.  If there are extenuating circumstances in your life that prevent you from attending the whole trip, you MUST clear it with your professor at least a week in advance.  Failure to attend the whole trip will reflect negatively in your grade.

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1) Kino Bay, Sonora, Mexico

Itinerary:
2 FEB: Depart from UA campus from the open-air parking lot on the S side of BSW at 12 noon sharp.  Drive to Kino Bay (approx. 6 hours, reasonable highways).  Camping: Islandia RV park in Old Kino. Emergency phone number: (662) 242-0081.  From the US, dial 52 (the country code) first.
3 FEB: Birding around Kino Bay.  We will visit the following habitats -- coastal estuary, rocky shores, flooded inland salt flats, desert scrub.  Camp second night at Islandia RV park. 
4 FEB: More KB birding, pack up, depart KB late morning/noon.  A possible bird stop inland on return trip.  Arrive back at UA campus ~ 6 pm.

Location:

Here is a map:

Expected Weather:
Expect warm days (shorts & t-shirt weather) and chilly nights.  Bring enough clothes to be warm in the evenings, sitting around outside in a cool seabreeze.  Check Kino weather forcast here: http://www.qwikcast.com/cgi-bin/forecast.cgi?zip=Bahia%20Kino,MX

Documents:
From http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_970.html: "IMPORTANT NEW INFORMATION:  Effective January 23, 2007, all U.S. citizens traveling by air to and from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, Mexico and Canada  are required to have a valid passport to enter or re-enter the United States.As early as January 1, 2008, U.S. citizens traveling between the United States and the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, Mexico and Canada by land or sea (including ferries), may be required to present a valid U.S. passport or other documents as determined by the Department of Homeland Security. American citizens can visit travel.state.gov or call 1-877-4USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778) for information on applying for a passport."
From Border officials on 23 Jan 07: Everyone is required to have either a valid passport OR BOTH their birth certificate AND a gov-issued photo ID such as a driver's license.

Facilities:
The RV park has toilets and a couple of showers.  Camping fee is $5/person/night.  There is not a lot of space (most of it filled with large RV's) but there are some nice tent spots right along the beach wall.  There are no picnic tables, unfortunately. Bahia Kino has some basic services in a pinch, but don't count on having time for shopping.

Food:
We ask that you organize yourselves into groups of ~4 to coordinate planning, buying, transporting, and preparing your food.  Bring foods that either don't require cooking, or require minimal preparation.  If dinner foods require cooking, arrange to bring a compact camping stove for your group.  Plan your lunches to be easily accessible and portable—ready to take with you in the field or car. We recommend non-cooked breakfasts (e.g., cereals, granola bars) or things like instant oatmeal that only require some boiling water to prepare, as we will be out birding early each morning.  Avoid perishables if possible.  Bring no more than one regular-sized cooler per food group.  Uneaten fruit or vegetables cannot be brought back into the USA upon our return.

Equipment:
We want you to be prepared, but we have LIMITED ROOM in the university vehicles.  Therefore, PLEASE try to limit your gear to what you really need! Multiple changes of clothing and hairdriers are not neccessary. The same applies to food.Basic camping gear can be rented from UA rec center rentals:http://campusrec.arizona.edu/outdoor/equip.html

Download list of species (132 collectively!) seen by class on Kino trip.

Check out some photos of the trip (thanks Emilie!). Send me some of your best and I'll post them on this page.

2) Patagonia area, SE Arizona

Itinerary:
24 MAR: Depart from UA campus from the open-air parking lot on the S side of BSW at 6 am sharp.  Return to UA campus ~ 4:30 pm
We will begin our day by visiting the Sonoita Creek Preserve , one of 6 reserves in by the Nature Conservancy in Arizona, located just W of the town of Patagonia.  If you are driving your own car (having cleared this with me in advance), and prefer not to carpool from the UA, please be in the parking lot of the Sonoita Creek preserve by 7 am. We will probably arrive shortly after 7.  You can download driving directions here.  The preserve includes a gorgeous strip of riparian vegetation with tall cottonwoods, and is bordered by upland desert grassland.  It is a reknown location in SE Arizona, with many special species breeding here including Gray Hawks, Northern beardless-tyrannulet, and Rose-throated becard.  We may be a little early to catch all the specialties, but will have an opportunity to see migrants, many of which utilize riparian corridors such as this during spring migration.
We will likely spend the majority of the morning at the preserve, then move a short distance back up the road to visit the Pattons--a local family which generously opens their yard to birders who are attracted by the numerous and well-attended hummingbird feeders. Resting in the shade of the gazebo, we'll be able to watch the constant battling of up to 10 spp. of hummingbirds.  This is a great opportunity to really study the differences among all the many local hummingbird species in relative comfort!
Following the Pattons, we'll probably make a stop at the "roadside rest"a little way south of Patagonia--a famous site where many species have first been recorded in the continental USA. Following the roadside rest, our final destination is TBA, and will depend on what local bird reports have come in that week, the weather, and the birds we saw at the Sonoita Creek preserve. Possibilities will include the Patagonia Lake State Park, grasslands near Elgin, and the Santa Cruz valley near Green Valley.

Location:
Here is a locator map of the area with Tucson included, and here is a google earth image of the riparian corridor near Patagonia.

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3) Chiricahua Mountains, SE Arizona

Itinerary:
20 APR: Depart from UA campus from the open-air parking lot on the S side of BSW at 2 pm sharp.  Drive to E side of Chiricahuas and camp in one of the 3 Nat. Forest campsites along Cave Creek above the town of Portal (Idelwilde, Stewart, or Sunny Flat--exact location will depend on the availability of sites--we can't reserve them, unfortunately).  We should arrive by ~5:30.  5:30-8:00: set up camp, cook dinner. 8:00 pm: OWLING! (we'll especially look/listen for Whiskered Screech owls as well as poorwills and whip-poor-wills. We'll be joined at our camp and birding on Saturday by my boss on my very first field job--Dr. Bruce Baker, recently retired USGS biolologist from Ft. Collins.
21 APR: Up early! Have eaten breakfast and be ready to bird by 7 am.  We'll bird along Cave Creek all morning.  This is one of the best places in Arizona to see the "specialty" Madrean riparian species (e.g.,Blue-throated and Magnificent Hummingbird, Elegant Trogon, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, Olive Warbler, Grace's Warbler). By noon we'll return to pack up camp, maybe check some of the lower elevation sites near Portal or the SW research station, and then head up to the crest of the Chiricahuas to high-elevation forest. We'll camp on Saturday night at Rustler Park campground (space permitting--or free camp somewhere up there if the campground is full).  After dinner (~8pm) we'll do more owling near the Rustler Park campground. Here we'll especially be on the lookout for N. Pygmy Owl, Flammulated Owl, and N. Saw-whet Owl.
22 APR: Be ready to hike and bird by 7 am. We'll walk high elevation trails near the crest of the mountain range and look for both widespread montane species (e.g., Stellar's Jay, Townsend's Solitaires, Broad-tailed Hummingbird) as well as species that barely enter the USA on the tops of SE AZ's sky islands such as Mexican Chickadee and Brown-throated Wren. We'll return to pack up camp around noon and head back to Tucson by continuing down the W side of the Chiricahuas (Pinery Canyon) and N past the Nat. Monument to the interstate. Estimated time of arrival back in Tucson: between 5 & 6 pm.

Location: Here is a campground map provided by the National Forest Service. Here is a mapquest locator map. There are pit toilets at the campgrounds and trailheads.

Expected Weather: We will be camping at SIGNIFICANTLY higher elevations than Tucson. Remember what adiabatic lapse rate is??? High elevations = colder air. Rustler park is at 8500 ft (higher than any of the campgrounds on Mt. Lemmon). No matter HOW difficult it may be to imagine, you will need to pack lots of WARM  CLOTHS including fleeces, warm hats, etc. During the day it will likely be warm, but be prepared for lows in the 30's on Saturday. Here is a weather forecast for near to Portal.

Equipment:
Items for sharing (per “food group”)
--Camping stove
--Compact cooking supplies (plates, pots, utensils) – we will provide cleanup materials!
--One cooler and ice/ ice packs
--Food for two each of breakfast, lunch (not including Friday) and dinner for your cooking group: for instance, divide up supplies for burritos for one dinner, sandwiches for lunch (PB or cheese/meat), cereal for breakfast.  There won't be an option this time of eating in a town. However, we may well want to have a campfire up at Rustler Park (smores???).

Personal items
headlamp or flashlight (plus batteries)--VERY IMPORTANT THIS TIME! bring the brightest flashlight you have.
sleeping bag, ground pad
binoculars, field guide
field notebook, pencil
hat, sunscreen, sunglasses
water bottle (we will supple large water jugs for refills)
camera (optional), field pack/small day-pack
two sets of clothes, with layering options
tent for sleeping group (please arrange with others to share tents)
camping fee: camping each night is $10/site.  Up to 3 tents (10 people) can share a site so depending on how many people actually do share, you should plan on ~ $5/person in campground fees.

Basic camping gear can be rented from UA rec center rentals: http://campusrec.arizona.edu/outdoor/equip.html