SE ARIZONA IN THE WINTER
David Bradford/Brandon Percival
January 7-14, 2026 (This Tour is Full)
After two very successful winter tours to SE Arizona we will return once again to this wonderfully birdy and scenic location. We plan to visit the Phoenix, Tucson, and the Sierra Vista areas. We will visit the Santa Rita Lodge nestled high in Madera Canyon within the Santa Rita Mountains and Ramsey Canyon Preserve in the Huachuca Mountains, two of several sky islands in SE Arizona. During our tour, time will be spent enjoying birds at feeders and in the field. Mornings tend to be cold in the desert, though temperatures warm up nicely as the day progresses.
We will try to locate the very secretive LeConte’s Thrasher west of Phoenix where we hope to also find Verdin, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, and Sagebrush Sparrow. There are other birdy areas around Phoenix like Gilbert Water Ranch, Glendale Recharge Ponds, Kiwanis Park, and a few other smaller parks. At Gilbert Water Ranch we will be looking for winter ducks and more wintering ducks, Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, American White Pelican, herons and egrets, Curve-billed Thrasher, and Abert’s Towhee. At Kiwanis Park we hope to find Rosy-faced Lovebirds, Gila Woodpecker, Cactus Wren, Verdin and Vermilion Flycatcher.
After two nights in the Phoenix area, we will head to Tucson for a night. However, on our way to Tucson we plan to stop at Picacho Peak State Park which will hopefully yield Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Gilded Flicker, Cactus Wren, Curve-billed Thrasher, and Black-throated Sparrow.
Once in Tucson we plan to visit Sweetwater Wetlands, the jewel property of Tucson Audubon. Here we should have very close studies of numerous ducks, Gambel’s Quail, Black Phoebe, Verdin, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Pyrrhuloxia, and many other birds. Each winter there seems to be a rarity or two at Sweetwater Wetlands.
From Sierra Vista we will spend time birding the grasslands to the south and east as well as “water holes” within the Sonoran Desert. In the grasslands we will look for raptors including Northern Harrier, Harris’s, Red-tailed, Ferruginous Hawk, American Kestrel, Merlin, Prairie Falcon, longspurs and sparrows. We plan to visit Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area to view hundreds, maybe thousands of Sandhill Cranes coming in to roost for the night. At the Paton Center for Hummingbirds we will look for Broad-billed and Violet-crowned Hummingbirds along with seed feeder birds. A stop at Ramsey Canyon Preserve for birding and shopping is always possible. Birding the feeders and grounds at San Pedro House could produce Gila Woodpecker, Acorn Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch, Bewick’s Wren, Lesser Goldfinch, Green-tailed Towhee, Pyrrhuloxia and more.
If you are looking for a bird filled tour with hopefully mild temps this is the tour for you. We will be staying in two hotels and driving to the necessary bird locations.
To see a list of birds seen on the past two winter tours please go to
Past Bird Tours & Birds Seen | Birdtours
then scroll down to Arizona and find the past two winter tour links. The birds seen on the past tours should sell you in this tour.
The cost of this four person, six night tour is $2,250 for double occupancy with an additional $550 for single occupancy. The cost of the tour covers most meals, though meals are no longer a major production, but a more relaxed and casual affair.
To save time driving we plan to fly into Phoenix and out of Tucson.
A deposit of $500 is needed to hold your spot on this winter tour. Please mail your check to David Bradford 18046 Green Hazel Dr., Houston, TX. 77084
South Florida and the Everglades
February 19 – 26, 2026 (This Tour Is Full)
Bradford/Percival
South Florida and the Everglades
February 19 – 26, 2026 (This Tour Is Full)
Bradford/Percival
Brandon and I have led a spring and a winter trip to Florida in the past and we plan to return once again during the winter when temperatures can be pleasant and birds plentiful.
Our plan is to spend time visiting different habitats including the Gulf Coast, coastal swamps, mangrove swamps, pine forests, and grasslands. We plan to fly into Fort Myers, allowing us easy access to Ding Darling NWR on Sanibel Island and a quick drive north to Babcock-Webb WMA, and then south to spend time exploring Everglades National Park, and up to Fort Lauderdale after looking for exotics in the Miami area. This tour serves as a great introduction to the many birds of south Florida.
At Ding Darling National Wildlife Area on Sanibel Island, a barrier island that supports many birds and one of the largest mangrove ecosystems in the US, we plan to drive the wildlife loop to look for Mottled Duck, Hooded Merganser, Black-bellied and Semipalmated Plovers, Short-billed Dowitcher, Red Knot, Dunlin, Wood Stork, Roseate Spoonbill, almost all the herons and egrets, both night-herons, Bald Eagle, Fish Crow, and many other species. At present the visitor center is closed due to hurricane damage but hopefully it will be open during our tour.
A short drive north from Fort Myers is the Babcock-Webb WMA with its tall pines is an ideal location for Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Brown-headed Nuthatch, and possibly Bachman’s Sparrow. Other birds we will be looking for include Common Ground-Dove, Purple Gallinule, Limpkin, Sandhill Crane, Anhinga, Glossy Ibis, Pileated Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, White-eyed and Blue-headed Vireos, Northern House Wren, Gray Catbird, Eastern Towhee, Boat-tailed Grackle, Palm, Pine, Yellow-throated and Prairie Warblers. A few exotics like Nanday Parakeet and Rose-ringed Parakeet will be looked for in Fort Myers and Naples while on the west coast. There are a few small populations of Florida Scrub-Jay on the west coast as well and we will try to seek out this Florida endemic.
After working over the west side of Florida, we will bird our way south and east toward Homestead, the gateway city Everglades National Park, a large subtropical wilderness reserve that is home to numerous species of birds and other wildlife. The Everglades is composed of both brackish and fresh water, mangroves and saw grass, and pine and hardwood hammocks, and home to the Florida panther, American alligator, crocodile, manatee, and Snail Kite. Along with Snail Kite we hope to see both species of yellowlegs, Wilson’s Snipe, Osprey, White-tailed Kite, possibly and early Swallow-tailed Kite, Snail Kite, Northern Harrier, Short-tailed and Swainson’s Hawks, American Kestrel, Vermilion Flycatcher, Great-crested Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Loggerhead Shrike, warblers, and Indigo Bunting.
While in Everglades National Park we will spend our time driving the main road that leads to Flamingo making stops at locations such as Frog Pond Wildlife Management Area, Sisal Pond, Pine Glades Lake, Mahogany Hammock, Nine Mile Pond, Snake Bite Trail and the Flamingo area. Along our route and at Flamingo, the park road terminus, we will look for White-crowned Pigeon, Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Willet, Marbles Godwit, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Black Skimmer, Roseate Spoonbill, herons, egrets, pelicans, Belted Kingfisher, winter flocks of warblers that may contain a variety of species. The Everglades will be a birdy and remarkable place to visit.
After enjoying Everglades National Park, we will work our way north to neighborhoods in and around Miami for some exotics like Egyptian Goose, Muscovy Duck, Mitred Parakeet, White-winged and Yellow-chevroned Parakeets, Monk Parakeet, Red-whiskered Bulbul, and Spot-breasted Oriole. We will try to limit our time in and around Miami, but we do need to bird the Baptist Hospital area for these and other birds.
Once we are Fort Lauderdale we can decide where to bird based on what has been missed or what we want to resee. If we have not found Florida Scrub-Jay yet that will be the focus of our spare day. There are locations in our area where there are scrub-jays. There is also a small population of Red-masked Parakeets and Common Myna in Fort Lauderdale and several parks where we should see Gray-headed Swamphen. Since our last visit to Florida the ABA has accepted many more exotic species on their official list, and we hope to add some to our list as well.
Fee: The cost of the tour for double occupancy is (PRICE TO BE DETERMINED) and includes most meals. Single occupancy is an additional (PRICE TO BE DETERMINED) DETERMINED) per person. See my website for a list of birds seen previously. The cost of the tour covers most meals, though meals are no longer a major production, but a more relaxed and casual affair.
We will fly into Fort Myers and out of either Miami or Fort Lauderdale.
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Deposit: A deposit of $500 is needed to hold a spot on this tour. Deposit checks can be mailed to David Bradford 18046 Green Hazel Dr. Houston, TX. 77084 281 744 6486 leave message or text.
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