Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival: Upper Verde IBA Field Trip

IBA Trip Important Bird Areas are designated for good reason, and the Upper Verde IBA is indeed special. We will have the rare opportunity to access the verdant confluence of Granite Creek and the Verde Headwaters through private property. We will walk along Stillman Lake below basalt cliffs to a collection of fascinating petroglyphs. Birds possible in the confluence area include Peregrine Falcon, Common Black Hawk, Zone-tailed Hawk, Summer Tanager, Canyon and Rock Wrens, migrating warblers and flycatchers, etc. There will be some discussion of conservation efforts and potential threats to this ecosystem. We will have lunch at the lovely Little Thumb Butte B&B. With remaining time, we may look for prairie dogs, Burrowing Owls, and other grassland species and consider other conservation issues. Details: It’s a 45-mile (75-minute drive) over Mingus Mt. to the Safeway in Chino Valley, where we will have a restroom break and allow other participants to meet us. We will drive 15 minutes from there to Little Thumb Butte B&B and hike down a rocky ranch road to the confluence. Boots or sturdy footwear required, long pants recommended, and trekking pole could be useful. Expect 2-3 miles of walking, though pace will be slow. Rattlesnakes live in the area. If time permits, we will drive to grasslands to look for wildlife there, and the drive back to Dead Horse will be at least 90 minutes. Meet the Van: 7:45am-2:15pm, Meetup at the Safeway in Chino Valley (NE end of lot by Starbucks) Rating: 3 Cost: $105 Transportation: Van and self-drive option       PPart of the Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival Join us 100 miles North of Phoenix in North Central Arizona’s Verde Valley for the Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival. Experience birding during the peak Spring migration season at Dead Horse Ranch State Park on the banks of the Verde River. Close proximity to the Verde, Oak Creek, Sycamore Creek, and other perennial waters offers a wide selection of guided tours, hikes, and workshops in one of Arizona’s richest birding habitats. Our experienced guides have extensive knowledge of birds and the unique habitat that makes this region special. The festival, presented each April by Friends of the Verde River, is a purpose-driven community benefit organization and 501© 3 non-profit working to preserve one of the last perennial flowing rivers in the American Southwest. Festival site is at Dead Horse Ranch State Park.