A great fieldtrip/outing with the SE Arizona Birding Festival to the de Anza trail at Santa Gertrudis Lane. Beautiful woods and riparian habitat along the Santa Cruz River. This section of the Santa Cruz River is apparently fed with treated wastewater from Nogales, AZ, but also subject to an increased flow & flooding in the wet/monsoon season. (The previous two days, the trail south – which we took on this trip – was flooded out.)
Lots of Gray Hawk activity in this location generally, including this GHIF by the road:
With overcast (even a little rain), early morning lighting, & thick woodland, very challenging photography conditions with a “not very fast” lens (f6.3) = a lot of the shots on this trip did not come out well enough for posting. That being said, so great to see beautiful Thick-billed Kingbird:
This bird was flycatching for feeding young = very cool to see.
Perhaps the “bird of the entire Arizona trip,” an amazing female Green Kingfisher. This species has been on the “really would like to see it” list for ages.
Also great to see Tropical Kingbird:
Cassin’s Kingbird and Bridled Titmouse also seen on this outing, but unfortunately no pictures.
Finally, two shots of elusive Bewick’s Wren (supposedly pronounced “Buick’s Wren”):
Directions to this spot: take I19 from Tucson to the Santa Gertrudis/Tumacácori exit, as if you’re going to the Tumacácori Mission historic sight. Take two lefts to the frontage road, then a couple hundred feet to Santa Gertrudis Lane. A large, metal archway marks the lane. Plenty of parking along the road; bird along the lane to either de Anza Trail north or south, both obviously marked. There are some vague “No Trespassing” signs by the entrance to Santa Gertrudis, but the lane is open for access to the National de Anza trail + birding.