Arizona - January 2026 - Day 1 - Tuscon, Madera Canyon and Patagonia

Even though I had arrived very late the previous evening, barely managing to stay awake between Phoenix and Tuscon (where this day begins), I woke up early. Why? Because I was very excited by the thought of a very unexciting bird. Bronzed Cowbird. This was the first target in my carefully prepared birding to-do list, painstakingly put together using eBird over the previous few weeks. I needed to see it, see it quickly, and head south. So after breakfast in the dark at a local Denny's I headed to Danny Lopez Park on the west side of town.

Various daily checklists from a local birder suggested I needed to point my telescope at one of two large pylons that shortly after sunrise would be festooned with Grackles and Cowbirds. Sure enough birds started to come in, but try as I might I couldn't get anything other than Grackles. For a while I was looking at starting my trip with a big dip - not unknown for Bronzed Cowbird, I remember missing it everywhere on a prior trip. The local birder frequently reported that the birds spent mere minutes on the pylons before dispersing into the neighbourhood so things were not looking good. Fortunately I found a small mixed flock up towards the main parking area, dropping down from the trees and parking shades to feed on the ground. At least four Bronzed Cowbird were in amongst the Grackles along with a few Brown-headed Cowbirds, the beady red eye the dead giveaway. Phew. Other birds here included a Snow Goose looking highly dodgy on the pond, a Snowy Egret and Green Heron working the edges, and two Cooper’s Hawks. I spent a bit of time in the scrub behind the pond, near the cycle path, finding Vermillion Flycatcher, House Finch, Hermit Thrush, and a coooperative White-breasted Nuthatch, and eventualy ended up recording 36 species, a decent start, but at the cost of an hour and half rather than the ten minutes I had budgeted for. And this of course meant an hour and 20 minutes less in the mountains to the south. I had some time to make up.

Bronzed Cowbird

White-breasted Nuthatch

Vermillion Flycatcher

It was a 45 minute drive south into Madera Canyon, a site I had visited almost exactly a decade ago and when my list was half the size it now was. Back then were the glory days of 20 ticks in a morning, but I was confident of a fair few today. The first bird seen on the drive up was a Northern Harrier just before Proctor Road. The hope here — and it was a big one — was Coppery‑tailed Trogon, a bird that had been reported recently and which would be a proper ABA goodie. I had dipped this species back in 2016, back when it was still Elegant Trogon. It had been in the canyon for a few days, or at least I think so as I'd only noticed it late on in my final planning, and had been crossing everything that it stayed. Remarkably it did, and was mere minutes from where I left the car rather than requiring chasing it up and down the canyon as some observers had experienced. In fact it barely moved the whole time I was there and the views were excellent, albeit not great for photography due to all the twigs. Can't beat a Trogon, a superb bird and not one I’d really expected to get. Plenty of Ruby-crowned Kinglet here as well, along with Hutton's Vireo, and Yellow-rumped Warbler.

Coppery-tailed Trogon

Santa Rita Lodge was next, not far up the Canyon. The limited parking was full so I had to leave the car a bit further away and walk up. This is a popular spot and for good reason, tons of feeders and feeders means birds, including some of my target lifers. First up was Rivoli’s Hummingbird, male and female, the latter allowing a record shot. A Painted Redstart was seen briefly flitting through the oaks at the back and was another long‑awaited tick, but I couldn't get anyone else on it. Anyone else in this instance meant a ton of the normal type of American birder - sedentary, very relaxed, not really sure what they're seeing. It continues to amaze me that I can live thousands of miles away and know more about the birds than 90% of the birders here. The first Mexican Jays of the trip were seen here, at least a dozen visiting the feeders and drips, as well as a pair of Hepatic Tanagers, a Broad‑billed Hummingbird, Acorn Woodpeckers, Arizona Woodpeckers and a single Gila Woodpecker. It was 10.30am and I'd already added four new species for the USA. I love it when a plan comes together. A bunch of Wild Turkeys were loafing opposite the buildings. 

Broad-billed Hummingbird

Rivoli's Hummingbird

Rivoli's Hummingbird

Arizona Woodpecker

Mexican Jay

Mexican Jay

A little further up the canyon at the area known as the Amphitheater I started looking for other birds on my target list. Chiefly Red-naped Sapsucker, one of only two remaining ABA Woodpeckers. The Amphitheater itself was pretty dead but something made me cross the road and head up the side of the hill. Could I hear a Woodpecker? I could! It wasn't the one I wanted, but it was a pretty damn good one that I'd only ever seen once before in Washington State - Williamson’s Sapsucker. Amazing, I hadn't even known it was here. There were also Acorn Woodpecker and Arizona Woodpecker up this track, along with more Mexican Jays.

Williamson's Sapsucker

I worked my way up to Kubo B&B, another eBird pin. Another female Rivoli’s Hummingbird was visiting the feeders here, as well Acorn Woodpecker, three Bridled Titmice, two White‑breasted Nuthatch and a Spotted Towhee. Although there were more eBird pins further up the canyon this was as far up as I went as I was on a strict schedule, and so returning to the car I descended to the Whitehouse Picnic Area which is close to the bottom. This also meant I could get some phone signal and hopefully pick up the latest eBird gen.

The latest eBird gen was exactly what I wanted to hear. Someone had seen Red-naped Sapsucker earlier in the day at..... the Whitehouse Picnic Area! How convenient! It didn't say exactly where - lists with some commentary are so much more helpful -  so I followed the path down the canyon as that seemed the logical thing to do. Bingo! I actually found the birds - there were two - by chasing down a Painted Redstart, and in looking for this I stumbled on a Woodpecker. Like an idiot I had left my camera in the car so dashed back for it once I had confirmed the ID - I wanted a photograph! When I returned the Painted Redstart had gone but there were now two Sapsuckers. Tick #5 and it was only about half past one! Rarely have I had days that go as well as this. But it wasn't over yet.

Red-naped Sapsucker

Heading back to the car I dropped out of the canyon and into the grasslands between Proctor Road and Florida Wash. The target here was Brewer’s Sparrow, and whilst on the face of it birdless scrub all that was needed was some pishing for all sorts of things to pop up. A Loggerhead Shrike came and sat on the fence in response, five Black‑throated Sparrows popped up in some low bushes along the roadside, White-crowned Sparrow appeared in the verge, and two Brewer's Sparrows showed briefly a bit futher back. Tricky things New World Sparrows, they probably represent the biggest set of targets on my USA list but I am gradually filling in the blanks.

I headed west, back towards the main road south. The next stop on the master plan was Canoa Ranch, a roughly 20 minute drive away, and where people had been reliably seeing Lawrence’s Goldfinch over the last few days. It was apparently a good year for them; they are somewhat of an irruptive species and had been turning up all over the place. I had missed one by only a few minutes in Phoenix the previous year, and in 2022 I had driven to a site in San Diego only to discover it was inside a Naval Base and I couldn't get in! Beyond the site I had no info, but a guy near the car park gave me some gen simply about a 'quite birdy spot' at the north end of the pond by the bridge. Sure enough there were some encouraging switters coming from the trees, and after a short wait flock of about a dozen Lawrence's Goldfinch materialised by the edge of the water, coming down to drink from some rocks. A momentous occasion, this was my 600th USA species. A long time coming, lots of trips, lots of planning! I enjoyed a quiet moment of satisfaction and then treated myself to a full tour of the pond having reached this milestone by 3pm on my first day - I felt I had the time now. Three American Wigeon, 11 American Coot and a single Pied‑billed Grebe were on the water, a Great Blue Heron was on the bank and a very bright male Vermilion Flycatcher had some photographic admirers. Not me though, I had places to be.

Lawrence's Goldfinch

A screenshot I took at the time, knowing the family would be interested

American Wigeon

After having done so well all day it seemed entirely proper that I should be rewarded with a big dip. This was a Western Screech‑Owl at a nearby site called Santa Gertrudis lane. The eBird checklist had a photo of a bird in a hole, so I had assumed I could just bowl up, find said hole and the bird would be there. No such luck. I walked up and down looking at likely trees but couldn't find it. Possibly it was further down the lane, but a there was a ford here that I didn't fancy attempting. Deep enough for there to be Mallards on the water.... 

At exactly 5pm I rolled into the Paton Center for Hummingbirds in Patagonia. The light was already fading and I was the only visitor. I seem to remember doing this before, arriving right at the end of the day and seeing virtually nothing. It was quiet for sure, but my main target was  still active - Violet‑crowned Hummingbird, a simply beautiful bird. It appeared briefly at the  rear feeders marking the end of a simply amazing day. I made a promise to nonetheless come back on a future morning and properly clean up.

Violet-crowned Hummingbird

After that it was a 45‑minute run east to a motel in Sierra Vista to be in place for the following day where I planned to start at Ramsey Canyon. It had been an epic first day, somewhat reminiscent of a day in December 2021 where I had birded the hell out of Sax Zim bog in Minnesota and got six new birds in the space of a few hours. Put simply, my planning had paid off. I had the first of many lovely tacos for dinner with a well deserved cold beverage, and went to bed pretty early as I was absolutely knackered!