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.
