Dick Carlson, Liz Harrison and Jean Smith have been birding Agua Caliente Park for many years.  This year they will do another Birdathon - Freestyle, counting as many individual species as possible within a 24 hour period. Dick the early bird, will start before dawn looking for owls, night hawks and other night birds.  Liz will then join him to bird Agua Caliente Park and then travel to areas around Tucson trying to find as many species as possible.  Jean Smith will count birds in her backyard, she always gets a few birds that Dick and Liz did not see.  We will do our birdathon on Friday April 30th.  Locations have not been determined yet. To make us try for the most species, consider per/species donations.  Consider fun pledges such as $5 for each Northern Beardless Tyrannulet spotted, or $5 for each species of flycatchers or hummingbirds, $10 for each trogon spotted, or .25 cents for every cactus wren counted.  Thanks for supporting the great work of Tucson Audubon through Birdathon.  Looking forward our Birdathon Big Day.

Want to try for a 100 species Big Day with us?  You’re welcome to join us on April 30 if you’ve been vaccinated and will pledge $1 or more a species.   Please RSVP to rccarl@yahoo.com by Thursday. You can meet us at AC Park at 4 am or 8:30 am.  We’ll return by 8 pm.

2021 BIG DAY SUMMARY - AGUA CALIENTE TYRANNULETS
The best way to plan a Big Day is to carefully schedule the whole day in advance, especially when to leave each area. Then be prepared to toss the
plan.

Our Big Day included both lots of planning and lots of shredding of plans. The theory was to pick up night birds early at Agua Caliente and while
driving up the Catalinas. Visual birding would begin at the top and we’d bird our way down the many life zones of the Catalinas. Then we’d drive
out to see water birds at Wilcox, followed by watching hummers at Ash Canyon. Both these sites would be active in the midday heat. Next we’d
see more feeder birds at Paton’s, followed by a loop down through Patagonia Lake, Tubac and Amado. We’d end the day at Santa Rita Lodge
where we’d see more Trogons and hummers and have a chance at more owls.

My plan evaporated when I awoke to howling wind at 3:30 a.m. on April 30. Most birds don’t like wind and owls hate it. I got to Middle Bear by
4:30, but heard only one Mexican Whippoorwill, not the usual half dozen, plus no Poorwills and no owls. The only sheltered spot I could find in this
wind was Marshall Gulch. As I drove to Marshall Gulch the wind got worse and, as I feared, Marshall Gulch is so sheltered that it was dark. As I
birded down the mountain most of my birding was by ear.

Back to AC Park I picked up my birding partner/driver Liz Harrison and we were able to see some birds in the park. Liz drove toward Wilcox with a
happily heavy foot while I recorded all the observations. As we approached Wilcox, I shuddered as the wind got worse and I could see a
giant dust storm coming off the Playa. Miraculously the wind died as we got to Twin Lakes but many of the the birds had been blown away. The
loss of water birds was made up for by the huge flocks of landbirds on the golf course. Indigo Buntings, Lark Sparrows, Vesper Sparrows,
meadowlarks and Scaled Quail were everywhere.

Driving to Ash Canyon we re-entered the wind zone but the wind dropped again as we drove south. Ash Canyon was great for everything except the
absent hummers. We then blew time following tips to try Ramsey Canyon, where we saw nothing.

Heading north to the cutoff across to Sonoita, we hit a closed road. Whoops! The whole Patagonia loop is now unreachable. Quick change:
head north to Lakeside Park. Lakeside had several of our missing waterbirds, so we made a little progress. On our way back to AC Park we
stopped at Castle Rocks Lake, picking up an Egret, and Ft.Lowell rd, catching a Harris’s Hawk. At AC Park we were treated to a Lesser
Nighthawk display of birds skimming the water. Finally, once it was dark, we roamed the Silver, Prince, Soldier Trail, Roger Rd. loop. Two pairs of
Elf Owls chirped to us, and we heard one Great-horned Owl.

Fine end to a long day. 125 Species was the total. Not the 150 plus we would have seen without all that wind, and with an open highway, but not bad! 5 Owls - 1 Great Horned Owl and 4 Elf Owls, 2 Greater Roadrunners - 1 in Liz's Backyard, and 9 Warbler Species.

THANKS to everyone who supported us!

Pledges:

• Liz Harrison: $1.25/species and $5 for every owl Dick sees!
• Marcia Grand: $10/species and an extra $1,000 if you spot a roadrunner, an extra $50 for every owl, and an extra $100 for every working nest (ie, bird on nest and/or eggs in nest)
• Mary Klinkel: $1/species and an extra $5 for each warbler species seen
• Rita & Tom Martick: $0.25/species
• Bob Spencer: $1/species

..PLEDGE (PAY LATER)..

..DONATE (PAY NOW)..

Birds have a unique, special, and different meaning to each of us. So, too, is each of our connection with Tucson Audubon Society personal and distinct. During Birdathon, we combine the love of bird watching during spring migration with support for bird conservation.

Birdathoners are birders and social fundraisers, joining together to make a difference for the birds and habitats of Southeast Arizona. Birdathoners continue a tradition that has held strong for over 30 years! 

Each Birdathoner's personal network of supporters is what helps makes Birdathon possible. 

Birdathon donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Tucson Audubon Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Supporting a team by writing a check?

• Make checks payable to: Tucson Audubon Society
• Write the team name on memo line
• Mail to: 
  Tucson Audubon Society
  300 E University Blvd #120
  Tucson, AZ 85705

REGISTER YOUR OWN TEAM HERE
BACK TO BIRDATHON HOME PAGE