Arizona Spring Songbirds Photo Tour 2024
Trip One Dates: April 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 (5 full days), 2024
Fee: $3050 - does not include airfare, hotels, or mealsDeposit: $800 to be applied to the final balance, leaving $2250 due on January 6, 2024
From: Tucson, Arizona
Leaders: Matthew Studebaker
Target Group Size: 4 photographers
One of my most popular trips, Arizona Birds 2024 will be my thirteenth 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 Painted Redstart.
Travel considerations: Fly to Pheonix (2.5 hours north of our hotel, but usually the cheapest flight) or to Tucson (40 minutes north).
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
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
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.
Clothes: I recommend against wearing shorts. I always wear jeans to protect my legs, along with a t-shirt, button-up, and sweatshirt layered and take off layers as temperature changes with elevation and time of day.
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 Sun Protection: A baseball cap and sunscreen is a good idea for the daytime. When photographing owls at night it can actually get cold enough to warrant a winter cap.
Bag Blind. No need to bring your own. Blinds will be provided for you.
Camera Gear. Almost all the official photos we are seeking on this trip will be taken with your longest lens. After your crop factor and tele-extenders, you should have at least 600mm. I recommend also bringing a landscape lens and a macro if you have room, because we often find a beautiful roadside pull off or interesting lizard and might take a few moments to grab an image while we are making our way to another bird location. Bring a tripod. If you want to join us for the bat session, bring a cable release (or any device that will allow the camera shutter to be constantly depressed without your finger having to touch the camera.) Some people prefer to bring a flash for owls at night, but it should be possible to simply photograph using the light from my bright flashlights.
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. Have breakfast on your own. Our hotels will not provide breakfast at the time we meet. Most participants opt to have fruit and granola bars or something of the like in their room before we meet. Lunch will usually be early.
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.
Cancellation Policy: Participant will receive a full refund of their deposit minus a $250 re-listing fee if we are able to fill the cancelled space. If we are unable to fill the cancelled space, we cannot issue a refund or credit of any kind.