A Superior Arboretum

The word that best describes the 100+ year-old Boyce Thompson Arboretum outside Superior, AZ is an unironic “Wow!” Beautiful rock formations/desert scenery, interesting history, an extra-amazing collection of desert plant life, & diverse wild birds taking advantage of the oasis-like conditions. First ever BirdingPI.com visit to this location (despite many times in Tucson), & very highly recommended.

Visitation tips: min. travel time from Tucson: 90 minutes, from Phoenix: 60 minutes; summer hours 6AM-3PM; summer conditions – very hot (38+ deg C, 100+ deg F) = get as early a start as possible + bring water. (Several water filling stations are located around the grounds.) Note: the ‘main trail’ (highlighted in green below) is doable in the heat, but the more exposed desert-y exhibits (e.g., Wallace Desert Garden) are best visited early AM or in winter.

Some selections of probably Brown-crested Flycatcher x a very nice sighting of what’s definitely Canyon Wren:

ID on the flycatcher is tough = very similar to Ash-throated Flycatcher. However, note the large/thick bill, and from picture analysis, it appears to lack dark colouration across the entire tip of the tail (or outer tail feathers), which would indicate Ash-throated.

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Here’s an unusual (for this location) sighting of Orange-crowned Warbler, along with a Lark Sparrow:

ID tip on the warbler: olive/yellow overall, w/ broken yellow eye ring + eye line.

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Couple shots of the amazing/thorny Boojum Tree, at the entrance to Boojum Grotto. Tall ones could be 100+ years old. At the top are active blooms = very popular with local insects.

Here’s Picket Post House, the old residence of William Boyce Thompson. Boyce Thompson founded the arboretum in 1924 from copper mining money:

This is Summer Tanager (m) x Phainopepla (m):

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Next time on BirdingPI.com, more bird!