Some of the most sought-after birds in North America spend their winters here in Cochise County. The tour travels the wetlands, grasslands, agriculture fields, and foothills of the Sulphur Springs Valley and includes stops at Whitewater Draw and Cochise Stronghold. The tour will look for Scaled Quail, Arizona Woodpecker, Mountain Plover, Sage Sparrow, Chestnut-Collared Longspur, Vermilion Flycatcher, and Bendire's Thrasher, as well as a variety of waterfowl, raptors, and shorebirds. Be ready for other rare and exciting finds. Approximately one mile of easy to moderate walking with several stops. Intermediate to Advanced. Includes lunch, drinks, and rest stops.

Roper Lake is an excellent place for bird watching. Species commonly seen are Gambel's Quail, Red-winged Blackbird, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Great Horned Owl, Northern Cardinal, as well as flycatchers, kingfishers, ducks, grebes, egrets, herons, and mergansers. Dankworth is a very popular southern Arizona birding destination and a large variety of migratory birds spend their winters soaking up the Arizona sun here.  Beginner to Intermediate. 

Learn and practice basic identification skills. Time will be spent at the Willcox ponds and nearby areas observing and identifying common bird species.  The trip leader will likely have a spotting scope; however, this tour will require that you bring your own binoculars.  Less than 1/2 mile of easy walking. Beginner.

Explore Sulphur Springs Valley a hawk-watcher's dream during the winter months when large numbers of raptors are seen throughout the area. Approximately 1/2 mile of easy walking. Beginner to Intermediate. Rest stops are included.

Join us as we take a docent-led tour of the Amerind Museum. Located among the balancing boulders in Texas Canyon, Amerind is a museum, art gallery, and research center dedicated to archaeology, Native cultures, and Western art. During your visit, Amerind Docent Steve Deatrick will provide an interpretive tour through the Museums archaeological exhibits.

Head to the south end of Sulphur Springs Valley looking for Sandhill Cranes foraging in the fields along the way.  Then enjoy their return to Whitewater Draw as they fly in to loaf after their morning feeding. Less than 1/2 mile of easy walking. Beginner to Intermediate. Includes rest stops and lunch.

The playa, the most recent major geologic feature to have been formed, occupies part of the Sulphur Springs Valley.  It has three older siblings between Tucson and the New Mexico border: the Santa Cruz, San Pedro, and San Simon valleys.  By observing the playa and the Sulphur Springs "basin," within which it lies, one can get an idea of what its siblings must have looked like in more youthful times.  Those on the trip will learn about the origin, dimensions, and some of the impacts the playa has had on the history and development of the area.  The tour leader, a retired geologist, will describe features in nontechnical terms. No prior knowledge of geology is required. Tour members may take short walks totaling no more than 1/2 mile total.

This tour will start with a circuit of Cochise Lake for late afternoon arrivals of waterfowl. Next stop will be at a known roosting site as dusk begins to fall, with Sandhill Cranes coming in from the fields to spend the night. Up to ¾ mile of walking may be required along unpaved, sandy roads. Be prepared for cold temperatures as the sun sets, and bring a flashlight for the return walk to the vehicle.