Much like hiking, birdwatching is about appreciating nature. “Birdwatching is one of the simplest ways to engage with nature. And, for the most part, we usually go for a walk or a short hike. And I personally can identify most birds in the area by sound. The way to start is you walk and listen, and then try and look for that bird,” says Tim Weber, owner and operator of Birding Northern Arizona. “It’s kind of funny because you usually don’t get very far when birdwatching because you’re always stopping to look at birds.”
His tours frequently go to the Page Springs Hatchery in Cornville – one of, in Tim’s opinion, the best places in the Sedona area to bird watch. The other two are Cottonwood’s Dead Horse Ranch State Park and the Sedona Wetlands Preserve. “When you put water in the desert, the birds will come,” says Tim. A few species bird watchers might spot at the Page Springs Hatchery include bald eagles, osprey and golden eagles. Northern Arizona is known for one species in particular. “The iconic bird of our region is the common black hawk,” says Tim. “It’s a hawk of the neo-tropics that comes into the United States to breed every spring and summer. It nests along all our spring-fed creeks. This is the best place to find and photograph this hawk in the United States.”
On his tours that range in length from three hours to a half day, tour-goers will usually see about 50 species of birds but could spot as many as 100. Additional species unique to the Southwest are the painted redstart, red-faced warbler and five species of wren. According to Tim, the best time to bird watch in Arizona is from the beginning of April to the end of May. Birdwatching can offer surprises. “I’ve always felt that when you head out into the wild, you see things that you just never thought you’d see,” says Tim. He’s watched red-tailed hawks in a mating display called talon grabbing and spent 20 minutes admiring a deep violet western bluebird with a client. “I forget about being human and get into the wildlife.” − Teresa K. Traverse
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