We know you like birding, but if you also like camping (or glamping in your RV trailer) this might be the trip for you. James Giroux and Shelia Hargis will be leading a trip in August to the high country of SE Arizona in the Chiricahua mountains. This remote area is a birding mecca, and the bird list is amazing. Likely sightings include: Grace’s Warbler, Hermit Warbler, Townsend’s Warbler, Red-faced Warbler, Olive Warbler, Painted Redstart. And that’s just a few of the Warblers! How about Mexican Chickadee, Bridled Titmouse, Yellow-eyed Junco, Pygmy Nuthatch, Rivoli’s Hummingbird, Broad-billed Hummingbird and Elegant Trogon? And that’s just scratching the surface!

As enticing as that might sound, this trip is not for everyone. We will be staying in a remote
campground at 8500 feet elevation. At this elevation the temperatures are mild ranging from
about 55 at night to 85 during the day. There is a vault toilet, but no available water. The last 13 miles of the road are dirt and curvy, but the road is well maintained. No trailers longer than 22 feet. It is recommended that you bring all your food and water for 3 days/4 nights. There is little or no cell phone service in the campground, but there are a few places along the road within a half mile of the campground where there is a little service.

The dates of the trip are August 20-23. Here is a rough itinerary:
– Tuesday August 20: Arrive at Rustler Park Campground – meet and greet
– Wednesday August 21: morning: Barfoot Park, afternoon: Rustler Campground area
– Thursday August 22: morning: South Fork Trail, afternoon: John Hands Waterfall area
– Friday August 23: morning: George Walker House (bird feeders) afternoon: TBD

The amount of hiking involved will be approximately 1 to 2 miles per morning/afternoon session. Hiking will be on well-maintained trails or roads with no substantial elevation change. The trip will be limited to six participants, with a minimum of four.

Send questions to James Giroux at jamesagiroux@gmail.com.

Rustler Park Campground info can be found here.

Trip Cost: $180 per person. The registration fee secures your spot on this trip. Park entry, transportation, supplies/food not included. The camping fee at Rustler Park Campground is an additional $15 per night.

REGISTER HERE

The email used to register for this walk will be used to communicate any changes or cancellations due to weather or other factors. Please ALWAYS check your email inbox on the morning of the walk, prior to leaving your home, in case of last-minute changes in the trip plan. Please also check to be sure our emails do not land in your spam folder. When in doubt, please call or email your trip leader. We encourage participants to put the leader’s email address in their safe sender list. Their contact information is included in this trip description.

Payment for a class, workshop, or other fee-based event is due at the time of registration. If payment is not received within a week of registration, the registrant may be dropped from the roster. To withdraw from a class, workshop, or other fee-based event, please contact the Travis Audubon office: 512-300-BIRD (2473) or info@travisaudubon.org.

If a registrant withdraws from a class, workshop, or other fee-based event at least seven (7) days before the first session, Travis Audubon will offer a full refund less a $5.00 administrative fee that helps defray our costs. If the registrant withdraws less than seven (7) days before the first session, no refund will be made. If Travis Audubon cancels the class, workshop, or other fee-based event, we will fully refund the tuition.