The last tour that we take as part of the Tucson Bird Festival is to Pena Blanca Lake and the surrounding area. It is considered a full day trip and there are no other tours afterwards that we can take so we will drive home at the end of the tour. It is a very popular tour taken in two vans with two guides as it touches an area rarely visited about an hour away from Tucson. As we arrive we exit to explore a bit near the road to stretch our legs but nothing interesting so on we go.
It is a beautiful area and we stop a few more times along the main road looking over the green fields and listening for special birds but none are forthcoming so the guides decide to take a side road and then to explore on foot.
The side road is accesible, we were not sure with all the rain, and then it is time to stop and start walking and exploring.
Initially we see mostly insects, bees and butterflies, enjoying the many flowers and the seeps of water along the trail.
And then the birds start to appear we see a wet Hutton’s Vireo and a cardinal both quite active and singing during this beautiful morning. Lots of activity today which is great hopefully.
On we go on the trail which becomes a creek from time to time, it did rain a lot the past days. However the birds are not impacted with some seemingly dancing on the treetops, especially the Cassin’s Kingbirds it seems.
There are still many insects along the way, besides the mosquitoes that really made a number on us during the day, we see a few moths and lots of dragonflies, quite fun to observe them flitting around.
We continue at a slow pace along the trail talking with the guides who give us an idea for a festival for the future in Florida while keeping an eye out for birds along the way.
No birds for now though but we find a rock squirrel and a few beautiful Arizona Blue-eyes, flowers we do not see often.
And then we find a few more interesting birds like the Black-Head Grosbeak and the happy bird, our name, with lots of food in its beak.
We then return to the lake proper and start on the trail surrounding the lake looking for birds left and right and enjoying the views along the way.
There are quite a few warblers here, Wilson and Yellow warblers mostly. But the most fun find are the mushrooms growing in a brick, they are the only mushrooms we see and are growing in an artificial environment.
There are also a few water birds like the beautiful Green Heron but then it is time to return to the van and then to our hotel to pick our car and return to Phoenix after a nice weekend in the Tucson area avoiding the rain and looking for birds.
