Birding at Ramsey Canyon outside Sierra Vista AZ

Let's carpool to a most wonderful place -- Ramsey Canyon in southeast Arizona near Sierra Vista AZ. Ramsey Canyon is a Nature Conservancy property in the Huachuca Mts. The actual address is 27 E. Ramsey Canyon Rd., Hereford, AZ

Here's an overview from the TNC website:

Southeastern Arizona is an ecological crossroads, where the Sierra Madre of Mexico, the Rocky Mountains and the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts all come together. The abrupt rise of mountains like the Huachucas from the surrounding arid grasslands creates “sky islands” that harbor tremendous habitat diversity and form stepping stones to the tropics. This combination of factors gives Ramsey Canyon Preserve its notable variety of plant and animal life, including such southwestern specialties as Apache and Chihuahua pines, ridge-nosed rattlesnake, lesser long-nosed bat, elegant trogon and Rivoli’s and Anna’s hummingbirds.

A spring-fed stream, northeast orientation and high canyon walls provide Ramsey Canyon with a moist, cool environment unusual in the desert Southwest. Water-loving plants such as sycamores, maples and columbines line the banks of Ramsey Creek, often growing within a few feet of cacti, yucca and agaves. Communities ranging from semi-desert grassland to pine-fir forest are found within the vicinity of Ramsey Canyon Preserve.

Ramsey Canyon and the Upper San Pedro River Basin are situated within the Apache Highlands ecoregion, which encompasses central and southeastern Arizona, southwest New Mexico and the northern Sierra Occidental of Mexico.

Here's an episode of Trail Mix'd, a PBS produced show that will introduce you to Ramsey Canyon:

https://azpbs.org/trailmixd/2024/12/hiking-arizonas-biodiversity-from-cactus-to-coatis/

And here is the site for The Nature Conservancy - Ramsey Canyon:

https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/places-we-protect/ramsey-canyon-preserve/

Sturdy shoes or boots, lots of water, snacks, sunscreen and a good hat for protection is highly recommended. We'll mostly be under the tree canopy and we do not have to go very far to have some good birding.

There is an $8.00 fee per person unless you are a Cochise County resident or TNC member, it's $5.00. Annual passes are for sale too.

We'll set up a car pool when it gets closer to the actual date of the event once we see how many people are attending. Please sign up only IF you know that you can attend. We should be back in the city by 4:00 - 5:00 pm.