Date: 4/24/24 7:07 pm From: Richard Bansberg <rbansberg...> Subject: [AZNMbirds] [EXT]San Pedro House Bird Walk and "BIRDING CHALLENGE"
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Hi Birders,
A quick note…….this Saturday, April 27, the Friends of the San Pedro River will be hosting a Celebrate the San Pedro Festival at the San Pedro House. One of the main events of the festival is a "Big Morning Birding Challenge” with birding walks at 5 locations along the San Pedro River. Details are provided at the end of this report.
This morning 17 birders split into 2 groups and found 71 species while walking the trails at the San Pedro House. First-of-season birds included Yellow-breasted Chat, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Western Tanager, Western-wood Pewee, Black-headed Grosbeak and Bullock’s Oriole. The end of April and beginning of May are a peak period for bird species along the river. This morning we found a spot along the river where we could quietly observe birds coming into bathe. Within several minutes we observed Chipping Sparrow, Black Phoebe, Lazuli Bunting, Common Yellowthroat and Wilson’s, Yellow, and Yellow-rumped Warblers all sharing this spot. Other sightings during the walk included Zone-tailed Hawk, Gilded Flicker, Western Screech-owl, and Great Horned Owl.
The Friends of the San Pedro River will lead birding walks the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of May. The walks start at 7:00am from the San Pedro House off AZ Highway 90 just west of the San Pedro River. The walks last about 3 hours. Bring your own binoculars, a hat and water.
Richard Bansberg Friends of the San Pedro River Hereford, AZ
This Saturday, April 27, the Friends of the San Pedro will be hosting a Celebrate the San Pedro Festival at the San Pedro House. One of the main events of the festival will be a "Big Morning Birding Challenge." This event takes place at five different locations along the San Pedro River on SPRNCA property. We are inviting birders of all experience levels to join in the fun. No advance notice is required. Simply show up at one of the five locations before 7:00am when birding walks begin and meet the docent. Expect the birding to last until 11:00am and then join the results countdown at the San Pedro House at 11:30am. The five locations are:
1. San Pedro House 2. Waters Road (next to Casa de San Pedro) 3. Hereford Bridge Trailhead 4. Escapule Wash 5. Millville (Charleston Bridge area).
Please Note: All birding activities are free of charge to participants, but you must bring your own binoculars, water, and any snacks you need to keep you going. Here are the detailed directions for each site:
1. San Pedro House – Meet at the San Pedro House at 7:00am. San Pedro House is located on the south side of Hwy 90 just before the San Pedro River about 8 miles east of Sierra Vista. The San Pedro House has bathroom facilities and a large parking lot.
2. Hereford Bridge – Meet at the Hereford Bridge Trailhead parking lot at 7:00am. The trailhead parking lot is on the south side of Hereford Road about 200 yards west of the San Pedro River - it is well signed. The trailhead entrance is before either of the pull-offs by the beginning of the guard rails to the bridge. The trailhead has bathrooms and ample parking.
3. Waters Road – Meet at 7:00am at the pull-off at the end of Waters Road in Hereford where the road turns to the right and becomes Yell Lane. This is right next to the Casa de San Pedro B&B. There are quite a few parking spaces at this pull-off. The Waters Road access point does not have bathrooms. The nearest bathrooms on SPRNCA property are at the Hereford Bridge Trailhead about a 7-minute drive away.
4. Escapule Wash – Meet at 7:00am at the pull-off along Escapule Rd about 0.3 miles from the intersection of Charleston and Escapule Roads. This pull-off is near the area where the road crosses the dry wash. This is a great area for birds, but is a bit more challenging of a walk and you should plan to get your shoes wet. There are no bathrooms. The nearest SPRNCA bathrooms are at Millville which is about a 3-minute drive to the east of the intersection.
5. Millville – Meet at the Millville Trailhead at 7:00am. The trailhead is located on the north side of Charleston Road about 0.3 miles east of the San Pedro River crossing. This is not the popular parking area on the south side of Charleston Road next to the old bridge, but rather, if coming from Sierra Vista, travel just under 0.3 miles further from there and look for the open gate on the left side of the road. There is a large fire danger warning sign by the entrance. Park by the bathrooms, to the left of the entrance.
For more details on the festival, general information can be found on the FSPR Facebook Page:
