Southwest Wings: Spring Fling – Patagonia/Sonoita Field Trip

Join professional tour leader Scott Olmstead for a trip to the Patagonia area. Patagonia is one of south-eastern Arizona’s best-known destinations for riparian birds. Specialties that can be found here include Gray and Zone-tailed Hawks, Violet-crowned Hummingbird, Thick-billed Kingbirds, Northern Beardless Tyrannulet and Rufous-winged Sparrow. Good birding sites in Patagonia are numerous and our probable itinerary will include Harshaw Canyon, Patagonia Lake State Park and the Paton Center for Hummingbirds. Our exact itinerary will be at the discretion of the leader, and may vary based on where the target birds are most readily being seen. A short visit (about an hour) to the open grasslands around Sonoita will complement the riparian habitats of Patagonia, and we should see a wide variety of species. We will enjoy a lunch break in the shade somewhere along the way. Bring hat, sun protection, and wear trail shoes. Lunch is included – please select your sandwich filling from menu below the Field Trip descriptions on the registration page. Hiking Difficulty: 3 moderate. Guide Scott Olmstead. ​ Meeting place: The south-east entrance of The Mall at Sierra Vista, 2200 El Mercado Loop, Sierra Vista. Turn west onto Calle Mercancia from Highway 92, by the Wells Fargo bank, and the entrance is straight ahead. Map link     Southwest Wings Birding and Nature Festival is Arizona’s oldest birding festival. Since 1991 we’ve been offering small group trips through monsoons and droughts … and even a global pandemic. ​The Southwest Wings Spring Fling will run from Wednesday May 6 to Saturday May 9, 2026.