Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
69
2
BIRD
WATCHING
Bird-watchers know that the Southwest is directly on the Central Flyway, which makes it a
great spot for this activity all year long. Each region offers refuge to a wide variety of birds,
including everything from doves, finches, bluebirds, and roadrunners (the New Mexico
state bird) to the rare and wonderful whooping crane. The bald eagle is also frequently
spotted during winter and spring migrations. A good place to pull out your binoculars is
southeastern Arizona, where many species found primarily south of the border come to
visit. Birding hot spots include
Ramsey Canyon Preserve
(known for its many species of
hummingbirds),
Cave Creek Canyon
(nesting site for elegant trogons),
Patagonia-
Sonoita Creek Preserve
(home to 22 species of flycatchers, kingbirds, and phoebes, as well
as Montezuma quails),
Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge
(home to masked bob-
white quail and gray hawks), and the sewage ponds outside the town of
Willcox
(known
for avocets and sandhill cranes). For further information on these birding spots, see chapter
14. If you're into eclectic bird-watching, head to the
Vermilion Cliffs,
in northern Arizona,
where you'll likely catch a glimpse of the noble California condor, which the California
Condor Recovery Plan has brought to the area in the hope that it can flourish there (see
chapter 16). To find out which birds have been spotted lately, call the
Tucson Audubon
Society's Bird Report
(
&
520/798-1005;
www.tucsonaudubon.org).
Though not quite as renowned a birding spot as southern Arizona, New Mexico does
host plenty of feathered friends. Check out the wildlife refuge centers in New Mexico,
most notably the
Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge,
93 miles south of
Albuquerque (see chapter 11). Others include the
Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge,
5 miles southeast of Las Vegas (see chapter 10), and
Bitter Lake National Wildlife
Refuge,
13 miles northeast of Roswell (see chapter 11). The Gila National Forest is
renowned for its bird sightings, with the Nature Conservancy's
Bear Mountain Lodge
serving as an excellent base (see chapter 11). Some common sightings at these areas might
include sandhill cranes, snow geese, a wide variety of ducks, and falcons. New Mexico is
also home to an amazing variety of hummingbirds. If you're interested in bird-watching
during your trip to New Mexico, contact the state office of
Audubon New Mexico
(
&
505/983-4609;
http://nm.audubon.org), in Santa Fe.
In Utah, head to
Zion National Park,
where the rare peregrine falcon sometimes nests
in the Weeping Rock area. Also in the park are golden eagles, hummingbirds, and road-
runners (see chapter 17).
Serious birders eager to add lots of rare birds to their life lists may want to visit south-
eastern Arizona on a guided tour. These are available through
High Lonesome Ecotours,
570 S. Little Bear Trail, Sierra Vista, AZ 85635 (
&
800/743-2668
or 520/458-9446;
www.hilonesome.com), which charges $1,140 per person for a 5-day trip, $1,470 for a
6-day trip, and $2,050 to $2,225 for an 8-day trip.
WingsWest
Bird Watching Tours
(
&
800/583-6928;
http://home.earthlink.net/~wingswestnm) offers customized birding
tours in New Mexico and Sonora, Mexico.
5
3
FISHING
The variety of terrain in the Southwest, from deserts to canyons to mountains, makes for
a diverse year-round fishing experience. In such places as the San Juan River and Navajo
