Prime Birding Areas
Patagonia-Sonoita Creek
Preserve
In 1966, The Nature Conservancy,
with help from the Tucson Audubon Society, purchased 312
acres along Sonoita Creek in order to protect a delicate
riparian environment. It was the Conservancy's first
project in Arizona, leading to many other ventures. The
Conservancy -- over the ensuing years -- has parlayed the
312 acres, through obtaining conservation easements and
donations, into more than 750 acres. It is an outstanding
example of how nonprofit organizations such as The Nature
Conservancy, along with governments, donors and private
landowners, can work together to preserve a priceless
heritage.
The preserve is located at the town of
Patagonia, on State Highway 82, which runs from
Tombstone to Nogales. Patagonia, a pioneer
Old West town (with cowboys following the miners), has
matured into a charming little town which has retained
much of its pioneer flavor, while developing facilities
for tourists, including several fine bed and breakfast
homes. After arriving in Patagonia, turn west on 4th
Avenue. Then turn south on Pennsylvania and cross the
creek. The preserve is about 3/4 mile down the road.
Patagonia and the creek lie between the
Santa Rita and Patagonia Mountains, in the Santa Cruz
watershed. The perennial creek provides a variety of
habitats as it wanders through the valley, joining the
Santa Cruz, north of Nogales. The Conservancy's preserve
features a wonderful, mature cottonwood and willow
woodland ecosystem. Many of the Fremont cottonwood trees
are over 100 feet tall, a perfect perching and nesting
place for hawks. Some are as old as 130 years. Several
varieties of willow are found here, along with the lesser
trees including Arizona black walnut, velvet ash, canyon
hackberry and mesquite, close to the water. The preserve
also includes marsh areas or cienegas. Over 250 species
of birds are found in the preserve and other wildlife
lives on and under the ground including javalina, bobcat,
coyote, the desert tortoise, toads, frogs and
white-tailed deer. As with other Arizona places,
rattlesnakes are also seen.
This is most of all a birder''s paradise.
Three trails (Creek, Railroad and Cienega) lead through
the sanctuary, along the creek and to the marsh areas.
The Railroad Trail leads along the old rail bed of the
Santa Fe line, which ran the length of Sonoita Creek when
it was built in 1882. A visitor center provides trail
information, bird checklists and information on current
sightings. A self-guided nature trail has been planned.
Guided trail tours are given each Saturday
at 9 am, and other walks are conducted according to the
seasons. For information, call the preserve office at
(520) 394-2400. The prime birding period is March through
September. Migrants are seen during late April and May
and again during late August and September. Winter brings
a few migrants including the rufous-backed robin.
Cave Creek Canyon
The canyon is the location of the
Southwestern Research Station of the American Museum of
Natural History. The station contains an superb
collection of flora and fauna. The canyon ityself is a
renowned birding area and hiking trails lead from the
canyon floor through the Coronado National Forest. Cave
Creen Canyon is near the New Mexico border. You can reach
the site by taking State Highway 80 northeast from
Douglas, or south on Hwy. 80 from Interstate 10, a few
miles east of the New Mexico state line. It is also
possible to drive along an unpaved road which leads south
from Exit 362 of I-10 (east of San Simon). This road
leads south into the national forest, joining the road
from the town of Portal.
Sulphur Springs Valley
& the Willcox Playa
The wide valley which lies between the
Dragoon Mountains and the Chiricahua range is the Sulphur
Springs Valley. Along the Interstate 10 corridor, the
town of Willcox is situated at the north end of
the valley, with the small town of Elfrida at the
southern edge. Winter is the prime season for bird
watchers visiting the area, as winter rains flood
portions of the huge Willcox Playa -- which in summer is
a dry pan. Each year, 12,000 sandhill cranes descend upon
the Playa, joining other migratory birds including
long-billed curlews, lark buntings, chestnut-collard
larkspurs and the occasional whooping crane. The town of
Willcox established the annual Wings Over Willcox
Festival to celebrate the arrival of the enormous flock
of visiting cranes. It's held in January; call
800-200-2272 for information.
Farther down the valley, raptors are the
prime attraction. Along the old Highway 666 route is the
largest collection of eagles, hawks and falcons in the
state, including ferruginous, rough-legged coopers,
sharp-shinned, red-tailed and harris hawks, harriers,
merlins, kestrels, prairie and peregrine falcons, bald
and golden eagles. A good place to see waterfowl and
shorebirds are the ponds in Willcox (called the Cochise
Lakes), located beyond the golf course. Shorebird
migrants include pharalopes, stilts and avocets. Sandhill
cranes are the most populous species here, with peregrine
falcons seen from time to time. Motel accommodations are
available in Willcox.
Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area,
located in the southern part of the Sulphur Springs
Valley, uses what used to be a large ranch as habitat for
waterfowl, sandhill cranes, and other wildlife.Operated
by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, this is a
multi-purpose wildlife area, with seasonal hunting taking
place. The main entrance is on Coffman Road. Public
facilities include picnic tables and restrooms. Thousands
of sandhill cranes are drawn to the area during winter
months, and you'll also see the mahy raptors that occupy
the vallley from Douglas to Willcox.
In Patagonia:
Stage Stop Inn, 303 West McKeown St. P.O. Box
777, Patagonia AZ 85624 (520) 394-2211
This small hotel was opened in 1969, on the site of
the old Hall's Mercantile Store and a soda fountain shop.
The rooms are named after the old mines of the area,
including Big Jim, New York, and Mowry. With a restaurant
and guest laundry, the hotel has rooms and kitchenettes
($ to $$).
Patagonia Camping
Patagonia RV Park This is a private camping
operation at 566 Harshaw Road. The operation has spaces
with hookups. For information and reservations, call
(520) 394-2491.
Patagonia State Park is located on the highway
southwest of town, with camping beside the reservoir.
In Sonoita:
Crown C Ranch, Box 984, Sonoita AZ 85637, (520)
455-5739
This unusual place to stay has to be included because
it is rare that a small group of people (two or three
couples) can stay together, share kitchen facilities but
have their own privacy. The Crown C is a working cattle
ranch and Sidney Franklin is the owner and host. The
ranch house and a guest house are rented to travelers who
usually rent the 2-bedroom guest house as a unit. The
same is true for the two wings of the main ranch house
(one wing has four bedrooms, and the other wing has two).
There are kitchens in the two wings and in the guest
house. The ranch offers the sense of privacy which a B
& B cannot offer. Facilities include a swimming pool
and tennis courts. You could bike from the ranch house,
or hike through the ranchlands, to the Arizona Trail
which passes through the nearby forest. Horse trailrides
can be arranged through a local tour operator. The ranch
is located 2.75 miles west of Sonoita on Arizona Highway
82. It dates from the mid 1930s. All of the prime birding
sites including Patagonia, Coronado National Memorial,
etc., are less than a hour's drive from the ranch ($$).
lpine wilderness, is north of town, with impressive high
meadows and peaks.
More Birding in Southeastern
Arizona,
including the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation
Area:
Go to Birding Page
1
or Carr Canyon, Madera Canyon,
and Ramsey Canyon:
Go to our Sierra Vista
Page
