Arizona Photo Tour
Arizona Birds Photo Tour
Trip Dates: April 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 (5 full days), 2018
Fee: $2500Deposit: $800 to be applied to the final balance
From: Tucson, Arizona
Leaders: Matthew Studebaker
Target Group Size: 4 photographers
One of my most popular trips, Arizona Birds 2018 will be my sixth year running this trip in its current form. This photo tour opens up the opportunity to photograph some of the most difficult specialties of the Southwest. We will target everything from Olive Warbler to Elf Owl, from Scott's Oriole to Magnificent Hummingbird.
Travel considerations: Fly to Phoenix (2 hours north of our hotel, but sometimes the cheapest flight) or to Tucson (45 minutes north).
Equipment: I recommend bringing a digital SLR with matching lens. On this photo tour, the longer your lens the easier it will be to make outstanding photos. Although sometimes the birds come close enough for something as short as a 400mm, most of the time they feel more comfortable when photographers use something in the 600-800mm range especially for the small warblers.
Likely Species on the trip. Species in bold will be the easiest/most common -
- Gambel's Quail
- Wild Turkey
- White-winged Dove
- Mourning Dove
- Greater Roadrunner
- Western Screech-Owl
- Whiskered Screech-Owl
- Great Horned Owl
- Elf Owl
- Broad-billed Hummingbird
- Rivoli's Hummingbird
- Black-chinned Hummingbird
- Anna's Hummingbird
- Broad-tailed Hummingbird
- Acorn Woodpecker
- Arizona Woodpecker
- Gila Woodpecker
- Ladder-backed Woodpecker
- Vermilion Flycatcher
- Ash-throated Flycatcher
- Cassin's Kingbird
- Bell's Vireo
- Hutton's Vireo
- Plumbeous Vireo
- Steller's Jay
- Mexican Jay
- Chihuahuan Raven
- Bridled Titmouse
- Verdin
- Bushtit
- White-breasted Nuthatch
- Pygmy Nuthatch
- Cactus Wren
- Rock Wren
- Bewick's Wren
- Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
- Western Bluebird
- Hermit Thrush
- Phainopepla
- Olive Warbler
- Lucy's Warbler
- Yellow-rumped Warbler
- Black-throated Gray Warbler
- Grace's Warbler
- Red-faced Warbler
- Painted Redstart
- Spotted Towhee
- Canyon Towhee
- Abert's Towhee
- Rufous-winged Sparrow
- Black-throated Sparrow
- Brewer's Sparrow
- Lincoln's Sparrow
- White-crowned Sparrow
- Yellow-eyed Junco
- Hepatic Tanager
- Northern Cardinal
- Pyrrhuloxia
- Black-headed Grosbeak
- Great-tailed Grackle
- Hooded Oriole
- Bullock's Oriole
- Scott's Oriole
- Lesser Goldfinch
What to pack
· Boots: Hiking boots and comfortable socks.
· Jacket: You will want a coat. Be prepared for temperatures in 40's at night looking for owls. When we are in the desert, temperatures will often soar into the upper 90's in the afternoon, so wear layers and be prepared for a variety of temperatures.
· Hat and Gloves: At least a hat will keep you more comfortable with night temperatures. A baseball cap and sunscreen is a good idea for the daytime.
Bag Blind. No need to bring your own. Blinds will be provided for you.
· Camera Gear. Bring your longest lens, a landscape lens, and if you have room something in the 200 – 400mm range as well. Some owls have allowed a very close approach recently. Also the owls are roosting in a beautiful area with mountains in the background. We may be able to get some wider shots showing the beautiful scenery when possible. Bring a tripod and a remote trigger for your camera if you have one.
Cell Phones and Internet: The hotels all have wifi. We should also have phone reception 90% of the time in the field (at least for Verizon users).
Weather and Schedule:
Most days it will be common to wake up with temperatures in the lower 50's. Some afternoons we could easily see the 90's so dress in layers and be prepared for some temperature swings. We will use as much photograph-able light as we can each day, shooting sunrise through 10am, and 3pm to sunset.
The following are some images by previous participants on this photo tour:
SUN DATA
Sunrise 6:00 a.m.
Sunset 6:50 p.m.
Transportation: There will be a lot of driving during this trip in order to gain access to a variety of habitats. If you are interested, ask about riding along with me in a SUV. Even if you do use my vehicle, you will still need to find a way to and from the airport.
Hotel:
More information to be provided about where to stay upon signing up for the trip. Hotel costs are not included in the photo tour fee.
Meals: This trip takes place near civilization so we'll have plenty of restaurant options.
Learning / Slideshows:
The desert sun grows harsh around 9-10am and becomes shootable again around 3pm. This will allow us a liberal afternoon break during which time we will both have a few learning opportunities, slideshows, as well as free time.
My job is to know the area, do many hours of research, know and be able to ID the birds instantly both by sight and sound, and understand their habitat and behaviors, drive you to the most productive areas at the right time of day, be prepared to attract the birds or assist the group in stalking them, advise on how to make the most of each photo opp, ensure that everyone has their physical needs met, and ensure that everyone gets the most and highest quality images in the time we have.
Your job is to communicate your needs and have fun. I want to emphasize that each of you please communicate and keep me aware of your needs.
Physical Requirements:
At least half of our shooting locations will be right near the car. A few birds require a hike though (Elegant Trogon, Elf Owl). No hike will be longer than a mile, but if you do not wish to participate in hikes, let me know, and I will try to set you up with something easier next to the car.
Photographic Objectives:
I want to maintain a balance between seeking out difficult/ high quality species, and simply getting beautiful images of more common desert birds in beautiful settings.