This trip is planned in partnership with Iconic Adventures, whose trip leaders will be joining you alongside Earthjustice and local experts.

(PHOTOTRIP / GETTY IMAGES)

An elegant trogon (Trogon elegans).

Fly into Tucson International Airport where your Iconic Trip Leader and Earthjustice experts will meet you as you exit arrivals. As a group, we will transfer 1 hour south to Santa Rita Lodge in the heart of Madera Canyon, our base for two nights. Settle into your casita, explore the property, and observe a variety of bird species and activity at the lodge’s feeding station.

In the early evening we will meet as a group for introductions and an overview of the landscape we’ll explore over the coming days. Tim Preso will also provide an introduction of Earthjustice’s Biodiversity Defense Program and its critical work partnering with regional offices across the country. Enjoy a welcome dinner before turning in early for a good night’s rest before an early morning wake-up call.

We start the day early with an outing in Madera Canyon. Your casita’s efficiency kitchen will be stocked with breakfast items so that you’re not birding on an empty stomach. Tim Preso will lead us on our attempt to spot a wide variety of birds, and perhaps we’ll catch a glimpse of a few “celebrities,” such as the Elegant Trogon and Sulphur-Bellied Flycatcher.

In the early afternoon, we’ll return to the lodge where you can enjoy a picnic lunch and your choice of activities. Sit comfortably in the shaded seating area while watching your favorite birds visit the feeders, get out for a hike in the canyon, or relax with a professional massage or private yoga session at the lodge.

We will regroup for a happy hour and dinner before heading out on a nighttime birding excursion. Rely on your ears and flashlight (use judiciously) to find Screech Owls, Elf Owls, and Great Horned Owls.

Enjoy breakfast in your casita and pack your bags! The group will have an optional early morning birding outing before we hit the road for the Huachuca Mountains, the third highest of the Sky Islands in Arizona (a 2-hour drive). Half-way through the drive we’ll stop to stretch our legs at the Paton Center to see hummingbirds at their highest numbers during spring migration before eating lunch at The Meading Room, a beautiful farm growing a variety of pollinators such as lavender, sunflower, prickly pear, and native thistle; they create delicious meals from their harvests! Enjoy a unique honey wine and cheese board with your picnic lunch while overlooking the fields.

This afternoon, check into your room at Casa de San Pedro Bed & Breakfast, our home for two nights. The B&B sits adjacent to the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area on 10 acres bordering the San Pedro River. Explore the Sky Islands Traverse trail along the river, take a dip in the pool or relax on your patio and observe the hummingbirds and butterflies; they are attracted to the courtyard’s vegetation. This evening we’ll enjoy dinner at the B&B and engage in a deep dive into Earthjustice’s casework.

Before breakfast, we’ll venture just beyond the Casa’s courtyard gate into the San Pedro Riparian Area. We’ll follow the Sky Islands Traverse trail to mesquite grassland and streamside habitats and learn about Earthjustice’s active work defending the San Pedro River from unsustainable groundwater pumping. The San Pedro River is considered one of the largest and most critical avian migratory corridors remaining in the western United States and this conservation area provides habitat, food, water, and shelter for hundreds of species of breeding, migratory, and resident birds.

We’ll return to the inn for a delicious gourmet breakfast in the dining room. Following breakfast, we’ll drive into the Huachuca Mountains to explore. Birders delight in regular occurrences of “rarities” such as Whiskered Screech-Owl, Blue-throated and White-eared hummingbirds, Sulphur-bellied and Buff-breasted Flycatchers, and Red-faced Warbler, all of which are found here. We’ll enjoy a picnic lunch in the high country and then head back down the canyon, with a stop at the Ash Canyon Bird Sanctuary on the drive back to our B&B.

Upon returning to Casa de San Pedro this afternoon, cozy up with a slice of homemade pie, relax, and enjoy the property. On our final evening together, we’ll share one last meal and toast to a spectacular week of birding in the Sky Islands.

Enjoy breakfast in the dining room before checking out of the B&B and heading home. Iconic will transfer anyone to Tucson International Airport (2-hrs) with a departing flight or another previously agreed upon location.