HUMMINGBIRDS SWARMING

 Right on schedule the reverse migration has brought swarms of hummingbirds to our feeders.  As I was putting up the feeders as the morning dawning was faintly on the horizon I was surrounded by 30-40 hummers drinking from the feeders as I hung them.  Hard to count the swarming little critters as they vie for spaces on the feeders to drink, but I would estimate over 20 at each feeder.  They empty a feeder in about 3 hours, so we stay busy mixing water an sugar, cleaning feeders, and enjoying the chaos of zooming hummers.  This is one of the best seasons to visit - mid August through early October.  Absolutely enchanting!

HUMMINGBIRD BANDING AT THE CASA!

On most Fridays, April through September,

The Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory

Does Humingbird Banding In our Back Yard!

Guests get to learn about Hummingbirds,

Observe the Banding Process,

And Maybe Even Get To Hold One 

In their hand to release it.

Join the Fun! 

Hints For Planning Your Trip

When planning a vacation, the top two items on your

checklist are typically flight and hotel. Usually, travelers will use websites

such as Hotwire and Trip Advisor to guide them on their retreat where you are

able to compare hotel pricing side by side for the best deal.

However, those sites forget to include Bed &; Breakfasts! On average, BandBs are less

expensive than hotels and offer more amenities. Small necessities can get pricey

at hotels, but BandBs usually offer free WiFi, homemade breakfast, free use of washers

and dryers (really helpful when you are on a long trip - pack less!), and even special pillows.

In addition to lowering costs, you will also experience extra conveniences including more flexible check

in/check out times and personal concierge services. What a great way toexperience a piece of home while jet-setting the world!

And at Casa de San Pedro you get to stay in a naturalist setting away from the noise and commotion

of cities/towns, along a natural river corridor with lots of birds and green trees rather than pavement

and roaring traffic.

Come to the quiet and relax!

 

We Host The BEST Guests!

Overall most of our guests are mostly interested in Nature.  Most are bird watchers, avid to novice. 

In the course of Bird Watching these guests get to experience the splendor of Nataure: clear skies night and day, varied vegitation from the River to the Mountain tops, occasional sightings of the many mammals in this valley (over 82 species!), turtles, butterflies, moths, dragonflies, and specialties such as gila monsters too.

Hikers, Bicyclists, and guests who just want to get away for a break from the hustle and bustle of the world and commune with Nature also join the assembly of guests at breakfast each morning or around the pie bar in the afternoon.

One set of guests this weekend claimed that they just needed a weekend to get away and reconnect - with eachother and Nature. That is the magic of the Casa in a nutshell.

These guests are vitally interested in life.  They pursue their varied interests by coming to one of the most accessible and interesting locations in the Southwest.  The San Pedro River and the adjacent Sky Islands (ridges of mountains running North to South) form natural funnels for migrating birds, and providing rich habitats for all the many species of birds and other migrants (mannals, butterflies, moths, bats, etc etc.)

We find it so rewarding to host his vibrant assembage of guests from all over the US and Canada, plus many from all over Europe.  We enjoy the rich conversations and tales of their travels and explorations from all over the world.  We are often surprised that the birder who seemed most eager to hit the binoculars in search of an elusive bird will linger over conversations with other guests who share thier travel experiences, the birds they found, where they found them and the joy of the hunt.

This theme of Nature Bound Guests unites our guests in an amazing amalgam of intellect, adventure, and respect for Nature and for one another.  New friendships are formed frequently.  Guests who met here tend to come back with eachother for future stays.  

An amazing statistic is that approximately 50% of our guests in residence at any time are returning guests. In the B&B "industry" that figure is closer to 10%.  Once guests find us they tend to return often, becoming part of our family of friends on an ever expanding circle of special Casa alumni.  We have some guests who have been with us over 35 times in our 22 years at the Casa! 

 It is so rewarding to have guests who savor this endeavor as much as we do.  We enjoy meeting their kids, and grandkids, and other family members and friends as the years roll by.  It is such fun to learn of their lives and adventures - from travel to new grandchildren, weddings, and anniversaries shared with us.  This is a kalidascope of the best aspects of our human experience unified by Mother Nature.

We hope you can join us for a comfortable stay in the embrace of Nature and Good Friends.

 Many people ask us what the best aspect of running Casa de San Pedro would be....

Oh, so many different facets of this beautiful and serene place come to mind.....

• Our Wonderful Guests!
• Diversity of Nature enveloping us with adventure and awe!
• The Seasons That Pass, Holding us in their joyous embrace!
• Events That We Host
• Awakening each moring to new adventure and opportunities to celebrate life!
• Great dark skies for stargazing
• Life along the San Pedro River - and ever changing drama!
• Hummingbirds! Buntings! Sparrows (Oh My!), Tanagers, Hawks, Bats, and More!
• Adventures in cooking - and satisfying the palates of our guests
• Pie Baking
• Our ever expanding family of guests who have become great friends.
• Life in the Sky Islands of Southeast Arizona - so many things to do, places to explore!
• Guests who decided to move to Hereford to become our long term friends and neighbors
• Amazing stories of guests unexpectedly being reunited with friends, family on chance enounters at the Casa (Six Degrees of Separation is way too many!)
• Reptiles, Turtes, and Snakes...
• Our Golden Retrivers (Cody, Shadow, and now Woody and Bella)
• And Many More!

 

Dont Forget:  Its time to order any Gift Certificates you may want for family or friends.

What a perfect gift for the holidays or other special life events.

We can prepare a custom gift certificate with your wording and in the amount you want to send.

We can mail the certificate for you, or send it to you so you can deliver it in person.

What we need:

• The Name(s) of the Recipient(s) (and their address if we are mailing it)
• The amount or your choice of the number of nights lodging at Casa de San Pedro
• Any special wording for the dedication (ie. "Merrry Christmas", "Congratulations" (on some event like a wedding, graduation, etc), or simply " Thanks" for whatever you want. Be creative!

And then we can process your credit card and get the Gift Certificate all wrapped up for you!

What a Thoughtful Gift!

 

    

 Yesterday on a nice walk along the San Pedro River with our good friend Peg Abbott (Naturalist Journeys Tours) she suggested that we start posting blog entries about our 22 year journey as the owners/hosts at Casa de San Pedro.  

So over the next several weeks we will be posting remembrances of the brilliant aspects of this gem - Nature, many Memorable Guests, Fun Events and more.  

Who could ask for a better journey than what we have enjoyed as the hosts for this incredible family of friends, guests, and fellow travelers along the way!  

And to kick off this series of memories we would like to celebrate our friendship with Peg.  Her tours to the Casa have brought many guests and guides who now make the Casa one of their preferred destinations all around the world.

Also, our many trips with Peg and Naturalist Journeys to great birding/Nature destinations have been among the highlights of many years of our friendship.  Trips to:

•     Ecuador, The Galapagos, Machu Picchu
•     Panama
•     Belize, Honduras
•     Alaska
•     Yellowstone
•     Trinidad/Tobago
•     Costa Rica

were filled with adventure, and joined by many of our guests as conpanions.

All Thanks to Peg who has become one of our steadfast friends, confidants,and  co-conspiritors!

 

Just a couple of rooms left for Thanksgiving,  One for Christmas, and a couple for New Years Eve.

Join us for our fantastic holiday dinners and a relaxing stay away from the hustle and bustle of the wild, wierd world out there!

 HOLIDAY DINNERS -

OK we know its a bit early to start thinking about the holidays. BUT, now is the time to reserve your spaces for:

•     Thanksgiving Dinner at the Casa!  Roast Turkey plus all the traditional dishes in a fabulous spread for your dining pleasure.  Join us for a fun weekend - Lots to do besides the feast! Bisbee has its weekend celebration which is fun.  And, head to Whitwater Draw to see 1000's of Sandhill Cranes and tons or waterfowl - and that little guy will above will have moved from the Casa to Whitewater Draw for the winter....  interesting move on his part.
•     Christmas Dinner at the Casa!  Another opportunity to savor the season with our traditional Roast Prime Rib dinner.  Served Christmas evening (12/25).  Remember, there is also good birding in our mountain canyons and along the San Pedro River, just outside our back gate.
• Call for reservations at (9888) 257-2050.

 HUMMING BIRD RIOT!

The Reverse Migrationl picks up steam by mid-August every year.  And sure enough, here we are having to fill our feeders constantly.  These gems are numerous, hungry, and very busy!  Feeders are mobbed with Black-chinned, Broad-billed, Rufus, Violet-crowned, and Caliopes.  Yes, between mid August and mid October the overwheling attraction becomes hummingbirds.  

During the Spring Migration the adults zipped through the San Pedro River Valley to head North to find mates, build nests, and hatch hungry chicks.  Now, with our Monsoon Rains turning our high praire grasslands into lush green expanses with tons of wildflowers in boom, the table is set to host those families of humers who drift South for the winter, but lingering in this perfect habitat to refuel for the long flights ahead.

Bring you binoculars, your cameras and join the fun!

Call us at (888) 257-2050 for reservations.  Experience the serenity of the Casa while the hummers entertain you!

The Amazong Season of the COLORFUL Birds!

 As the main flow of the Spring migration subsides a bit, our eyes are thrilled by the arrival of our most colorful birds of the year - our Summer residents.  Every day has a new splash of color to excite our senses:  Western Tanagers (Wow!), Summer Tanagers (RED!, Vermilion Flycatchers (Even MORE Red!), Orioles (Scotts, Hooded, Bullocks) with their brilliant yellows. The Chats can hide or flash into the open with their own brilliant yellow displays. 

And not to be forgotten are our many colorful hummingbirds: Black-chinned, Broad-billed, Broad-tailed, Annas, Rufus, Calliope, and incidental others through the Summer.   Indigo, Varied, and Painted Buntings are soon to arrive for even more color to add to our back yard tapestry.  Bird watching is so much fun when the birds do not hide their identities - flashing their colorful welcomes to their prospective mates and, fortunately also to us!

Nighttime offers less color, but maintains the busy flights of Lesser Nighthawks, Great Horned and Barn Owls (plus the hooting of Western Screech Owls - much hardet to see!).  Plus the flights of Bats from our bat house as dusk settles in over the landscape - also fun to watch!

Springtime Birds Galore

 Here we are in mid-April and the Spring Migration is kicking in for a lot of exciting days with new arrivals.  Our bright male Vermilion Flycatchers are breathtaking in their breeding plumage.  Then there is another Oriole, and over there several Broad-billed Hummers are competing with Black-chinned Hummers and an occasional Rufus. Gray Hawks are calling along the San Pedro River and a flight of Mexican Malalards just took off from the pond.  And the Cactus Wrens are scolding everyone.

What fun!

And our many guests are enjoying great weather as Springtime weather has arrived.  Great hikes, photo ops, and birding adventures abound around every corner.  Our guests are enjoying early morning River Walks with the SE Arizona Bird Observatory, great Mexican Dinners (Mondays and Thursdays) at the Casa the nights prior to the walks, and Friday afternoon Hummingbird Banding in the back yard.

More Fun!

And the pies just seem to keep coming out of the Casa kitchen for all to enjoy. Yum!

An Early Spring?

 We know that weather an be extremely variable - making forecasts rather uncertain.  BUT, the weather this year seems to be trending to early warming, and with that it appears that bird migrations may also be pushing the envelope a bit.  Our Haiku Box has recorded 116 species in a small area of our back yard in the past month.  We suspect that a few of those ID'd species may be just a little off.  But most are our "usual suspects", but being noted far earlier than in our experience from prior years.  An early migration?  The hints are there.

So when should you come to visit the San Pedro River for optimal Spring Migration flocks.  As noted above, those foredasts are subject to change with the whims of the weather gods.  But its currently looking like early April with be quite entertaining!  We have noticed the early arrival of our "logo bird" the Vermilion Flycatchers just this week.  That appearst to be at least two weeks early for them to arrive.

Naturalist Journeys Tour to SE Arizona - At the Casa Feb 5 - 9, 2024

 Naturalist Journeys offers Nature Tours world-wide, utilizing the best lodgings, local guides, and travel accommodations coordination for tour participants.  

NJ just brought another great tour group to visit SE Arizona on a birding tour.  They stayed with us for 5 nights as they headded out in various directions and habitats to discover the charm of SE Arizona and to find notible birds along the way.  The tour guides and tour participants have had a great time, adding many new birds to their life lists, and learning about each of the species and the lore of the various mountain canyons, wetlands, and the Sky Islands.

While we did have a bit of rain during the tour, the group was undaunted and soldiered on to reach each of thier intended birding locations, coming back to the Inn each evening for dinner with excited chats about each of the birds and locations that they explored.

We travel with Naturalist Journeys whenever we can and we highly recommend the company, their tour leaders, and their well planned itineraries.  Our personal travels with NJ have taken us to Alaska, Yellowstone, Panama, Ecuador and the Galapagos, Peru and Machu Pichu, Trinadad Tobago, Belize, Honduras, and Costa Rica (our birding list and life advenutre lists continue to grow and grow!)

Contact Naturalist Journeys for information about their tours, locations, and dates!  Head over the horizon to new adventures with their small group tours.

Try Stress Relief Coloring Books - ZoCoProducts.com

We recently added some neat NATURE coloring books to our gift shop. Our recent guests Mel and Peter run a small family buisness selling (and designing!) coloring books for kids and adults. Find them at ZocoProducts.com. Ours came with the colored pencils for coloring in the many nature themed framable Nature pix. Highly recomnmended! Buy them in our gift shop or go directly to Zoco - Products for a Prepared Life. And Thanks to Mel and Peter for their visit and for introducing us to their fine products. Color On.

Why Choose a B&B?

When planning a vacation, the top items on your checklist are typically your preferred dates, flights, and where to stay/dine/tour etc. Usually travelers will use websites such as Trip Advisor to guide them on their retreat where you are able to compare hotel pricing side by side for the best deal.

 However those sites forget to include Bed and Breakfast inns. On average, bed and breakfast inns offer more unique accommodations and more amenities. Small necessities can get pricy at hotels, but bed and breakfasts usually offer free

WiFi, homemade breakfasts, free use of washers and dryers (really helpful when you are on a long trip - pack less!), and modern conveniences such as EV chargers. Bed and Breakfasts also tend to me far more "green" with recycling, solar power, high efficiency heat and AC, and even afternoon pies - all included in the overall cost of the lodging. You will also expeience extra conveniences including more flexible check in/ check out times and personal concierge services for restaurant reservations, tour guides, local lore and maps. What a great way to experience a piece of home while jet-setting the world! 

 At Casa de San Pedro you get to stay in a naturalist setting away from the noise and commotion of cities/towns, along a natural river corridor with lots of birds, green trees, and serenity rather than pavement and roaring traffic. Come to the quiet and relax, restore your piece of mind! 

 One travel writer stated: "Casa de San Pedro is about 90 miles SE of Tucson, but only inches from Heaven!" Located at the end of the paved road, away from noise and stress, but nestled in the heart of Nature. Featuring clean air, the best weather in Arizona, and flocks of birds and other kindred spirits who will be happy to share their birding, hiking, dining experiences with you. 

 Join us. Live again.

Great Bird Watching Any Time of The Year!

 The Sky Islands (ridges of mountains with valleys in between) of SE Arizona provides ideal habitats for resident and migratory birds throughout the year.  Certainly Spring Migration and the Fall Migration bring wide varieties of birds through the area.  Some birders flock to the area for Spring Migration, but forget that the Fall migration is also rewarding.  The Spring Migration ( mid March through Mid May) will offer different species each week with many colorful and diverse species.  And for a real treat an agile birder can head to the top of the Carr Canyon and see incredible mixed flocks of  Warblers.  Then work your way back down through numerous Huachuca mountain canyons (Carr, Miller, Ash Canyou, Ramsey Canyon, Coronado National Monument, and Gardern and Huachuca Canyons on Fort Huachuca.  So many birds to see!  Then working through the broad grasslands and finally down to the crown jewel of birding habitat: The San Pedro River itself (where it just so happens that Casa de San Pedro B&B is ideally located!).

Fall Migration offers many of the same opportunities (late July - mid October) when the area is especially loaded with up to 13 species of hummingbirds as they wend their ways southbound for the winter. Hummers are one of the prime species that birders want to track in the Sky Islands.  Several spcies are not otherwise found in the U.S.  - they idnore the ugly border fence and zip into our valleys and mountain canyons to also enjoy the ideal habitats of the area.

And it just so happens that the Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory does Hummingbird Banding in the Casa back yard on Friday afternoons, from late March through early October.  What a treat!  Hold a rainbow in your hand as you release a hummer after it has been banded by our expert team. 

Woody's 8th Birthday - Feb 4

Woody turns 8 today.  Now an adult (well still a puppy in his mind) he is a full grown pest - English Cream (white) Golden Retreiver.    His has an official "job" as the Greeter and Host at Casa de San Pedro, and he is always eager to greet new guests.  He enjoys walks along the San Pedro River, chasing the occasional rabbit or deer (never has caught either), and begging for snacks.

Spring Mexican Dinners at the Casa

 Starting in late March, and through mid-May we will host Monday and Thursday Dinners.  We do this because the Southeast Arizona Bird Observatory conducts River Walks at the Casa early the next mornings (Tuesdays and Fridays).  This way our guests can relax, dine in, and be ready to get up early for the River Walks.

If you are interested in a great adventure in birding and Nature, plus the history of the area, this is a great opportunity to stay at the Casa, have a great dinner and get up the next morning for the walk.

Dates and menus are posted on our website.  Do call ahead to make your reservations!

Kathe Anderson Birding Seminar at Casa de San Pedro June 21-23

 Join a weekend birding seminar with Kathe Anderson at Casa de San Pedro: June 21 - 23

June 21-23, 2024: Summer Color. Flycatchers & Temporary Custody of a Rainbow

This is a full weekend program focusing on birds morning and evening, with afternoons free to relax at la Casa or explore the many natural and cultural resources of the area. 

On the first evening, we’ll take a closer look at the large and often confusing flycatcher family, which includes kingbirds, phoebes and pewees, among other flycatchers—some colorful and some not! Class the second evening, in a program specifically developed for Casa de San Pedro, will highlight a range of common colorful birds of the Sierra Vista area, plus a trio of striking black-and-white birds. Choose one or both classes below, each $30. Field trips included.

Call (888) 257-2050 to register and make your room reservations !