South Fork Trail

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Limited to 8 people

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We will meet at the South Fork Trailhead at the west end of the 42E Forest Service Road (near the Sunny Flats Campground) at 9:00am on Saturday the 27th.  We'll hike the easy, mostly flat trail in the wooded canyon for about 2 hours, including a few minutes to observe birds from the bridge east of the trailhead.  We'll make observations of as many taxa as possible including a variety of bird species, potentially including Elegant Trogon, Mexican Jay, Blue-throated Mountain-gem, Arizona Woodpecker, Painted Redstart, Red-faced Warbler, Northern Parula and others (see https://ebird.org/hotspot/L129099 for a list of the 120 species have been recorded in July in the last 10 years).  There may also be several herp and mammal species including Yarrow's Spiny Lizard and White-tailed Deer, and various invertebrates including ants, beetles, and butterflies.  Plants and wildflowers including primroses, Yellow and Chiricahua Mountain columbines, and goldeneyes are common.  

 

Hike lead by Andy Bridges. Andy is a biologist, photographer, and iNaturalist user with observations in 20 countries and has planned and participated in many Arizona BioBlitzes.

 

 

 

Chihuahuan Desert Scrubland

 

Limited to 10 people

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This Chihuahuan Desert Scrubland hike would be a perfect morning start to the final day of the Bioblitz, Saturday the 27th, for up to 10 people. We will meet at the Chiricahua Desert Museum at 7:00 am and carpool 15-minutes to BLM land off of NM-9 where we plan to spend approximately 2-hours exploring the bajadas for as many taxa as possible. We may encounter a variety of species including Desert Bighorn Sheep (bring binoculars), Round-tailed and Texas Horned Lizards, Gila Monsters, Western Diamondback, Mohave, and Prairie Rattlesnakes. Plant species here include Prickly Pears, Apache Plume, Crown of Thorns, and Desert Willow. Please dress appropriately in closed toe shoes and a hat. Bring plenty of water and sunscreen as shade will be limited and the morning sun will heat the landscape rather quickly.

 

Hike lead by Corey Shaw. Corey is a herpetologist, scientific communicator, and video production specialist who has been participating in the Charlie W. Painter BioBlitz since its inception in 2016.

 

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Montane Hillslopes

 

Limited to 8 people

 

We will meet at the Museum at 1530 on Friday the 26th and head West towards Cave Creek Canyon. Our first stop will be West of the Southwestern Research Station at a well-known hillslope for Crotalus lepidus. After this, we will proceed furthur West towards higher elevation in search of Crotalus pricei. We are likely to see other species including various colubrids, Sceloporus spp., and an entire suite of birds. We will record these and any other species we observe. Note that both of these stops include hiking on steep slopes, so plan accordingly. If time permits, we could also do a road-cruise up or down US 80 in search of desert amphibians and snakes. 

 

Hike/drive lead by Sid Riddle. He is a biologist with ASU who was spent most of his short career studying herpetofauna. This will be his second CPBB.

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Riparian and Upland Herp Survey along Cave Creek Canyon at Vista Point 

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Limited to 8 people

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We will meet at the Vista Point turnoff on Forest Road 42 in Cave Creek Canyon at 9:00am on Saturday July 27 for a 2 hour, moderate difficulty hike. The turnoff lies on the east side of the road, between the Stewart and Sunny Flat Campgrounds, and is marked with a sign stating "Vista Point".  We will hike along the trail  for a short bit and then turn into the wooded canyon.  Hiking will be mostly off trail along the creek bed, up and down rocky, moderate slopes, and into the uplands to search for banded rock rattlesnakes, Sonoran mountain kingsnakes, and Yarrow's spiny lizards, among other herp, bird, and invert species. 

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Hike lead by Audrey Owens. Audrey is a biologist with the Arizona Game and Fish Department who specializes in Arizona's ranid frogs, and has been helping conserve and protect Arizona's herps since she began with the Department in 2007. 

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Birds from Turkey Creek to Paradise

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Limited to 8 people

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We will meet at the Portal Store on Portal Road at 7:00am on Saturday July 27 for a 3 hour drive, stop, and hike tour. From the Portal store, we will carpool to the intersection of Forest Rd. 42 and Paradise Road. We will survey the area for birds and then work our way down Paradise Road, stopping periodically to hike several sections off of / along side the road which parallels Turkey Creek. Once in the small community of Paradise, we will visit the George Walker House to rest in the shade and watch their numerous seed and hummingbird feeders and water features. This excellent setting will allow us to view and identify numerous bird species close up as they come and go. This route will primarily be for bird viewing, but herps, mammals, and other creatures encountered will be pointed out and identified. Please bring comfortable hiking shoes, water, snacks and don't forget the binoculars!   

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Troy has been a biologist with the Arizona Game and Fish Department since 1990, where he specializes in monitoring Arizona's bird populations. He is the primary author and editor of the AZ Breeding Bird Atlas and was the founding president of the AZ Field Ornithologists organization.

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