Bit of a cliché going birding at the sewage works but that’s just what we did. Sweetwater Treatment Works, Tucson doesn’t look like any sewage works we’ve been to before. A parking area is provided for birders with information boards and even a loo. Then a trail takes you around the pools which viewing pavilions overlooking them. But best of all, the place is heaving with birds. Never seen so many Yellow-rumped Warblers in one place, Orange-crowned Warblers were common and a Summer Tanager was unexpected. But the pools really provide the birds, Shoveler, Pintail, American Wigeon, Cinnamon, Green and Blue Winged Teal, Goldeneye, Ruddy Duck, Ring-necked Duck….amazing and all so close. Add to this, birds such as Sora, Harris’s Hawk, American Pipit and you have a great birding venue.

Not only is Tucson Sewage Works geared up for birding, but if you venture downtown, you will find the Tucson Audobon shop.  Not just a shop that sells just about everything a birder could possibly want from checklists to field guides, maps, optics, clothing and gifts, but it also has a fantastic library of birding reference books covering the US and the rest of the world.  And not forgetting the helpful and knowledgeable staff and volunteers who can tell you everything you need to know.  And there’s coffee on the go too, so if you’re in town, do make sure you drop in and say hello.

Only a few hours to go now before the clock starts ticking for The Biggest Twitch, so no wild New Year’s Eve party for us tonight, maybe December 2008?  So it’s early to bed for a very early start in the morning, and hopefully loads of birds……

An early start had us heading south for Patagonia and the promise of some fantastic birds. But no flights down to Argentina for us, Patagonia, Arizona is a birding mecca near the Mexican border.  After driving and birding across the Sonoita Grasslands, we reached Patagonia Lake State Park and started racking up yet more amazing birds:  Montezuma’s Quail scuttled out from under our feet, Louisiana Waterthrush played hide-and-seek amongst the willow roots, American Pipit strolled across the ice and it was good to familiarise ourselves with the call.  The lake itself held a good selection of birds including Sora Rail, Eared and Pied-billed Grebes, Spotted and Least Sandpipers and Cinnamon and Green-winged Teal. 

On again to the Paton’s Birders’ Haven in Patagonia itself – wow, what a place!  The garden was heaving with birds attracted by a number of well-stocked feeders.  It was difficult to know where to look first as the feeders buzzed with Blue Grosbeak, Lazuli Bunting, White-throated Sparrow, Pyrrhuloxia and below Gambel’s Quail unconcernedly.  A male Anna’s Hummingbird positively glowed in the late afternoon sunshine.  Not surprisingly, several other Arizona birders had gathered here to witness this spectacle and it was good to swap birding stories with them.

Following a 5am start from home in Llandudno, North Wales we travelled for 24 hours and finally arrived in Arizona. Birding en route was very limited, a House Sparrow pre-dawn at Manchester Airport and a Killdeer at Houston Airport were the highlights! By the time we arrived at Tucson it was well after dark so we found our motel and crashed out.
Dawn on 29th saw us wondering the streets looking for breakfast, Common Raven and Great Tailed Grackles joined us in the parking lot (car park). A huge breakfast then off to meet our friend and ace local birder, Moez Ali, and we were off birding. We headed out of town for Madera Canyon in the Santa Ritas mountains just outside of town. The blue sky and sunshine didn’t prepare us for the temperature, with ice still at the edge of the streams, seemed strange surrounded by huge cacti as well.  We hiked up into the canyon and scored some fantastic birds in a short space of time, including Townsend’s Warbler, Painted Redstart, Olive Warbler, Black-capped Gnatcatcher, Magnificent Hummingbird, Red-naped Sapsucker, Hammond’s and Grey Flycatchers…..  A fantastic day’s birding and promising for a good start to our 2008 birding list.

Not much time for writing the diary today, too busy packing and doing all those last-minute jobs that always get left to the last minute.  The bags are now packed and waiting to go, just a case of setting the alarm for 4am and then we head off to the airport.  Then it’s a day of travel before we finally arrive in Tucson, Arizona at 8.30pm local time.

We had more media exposure today with a radio interview on the BBC live from a very wet and windy RSPB Conwy, complete with a large flock of Lapwings overhead.  We also made it into the national press today, with a mention in The Times no less.

Having feasted on roast duck for Christmas dinner and stuffed ourselves with chocolates in front of the TV last night it was back to earth today. Packing, neither of us enjoys this and we always end up taking far too much kit. Just how many pairs of pants and socks do you take? Slightly more critical to get right is the optics and photo gear and just as importantly the bits that go with them. Batteries and chargers look likely to take up most of our luggage allowance! Then there is the field guides, have you seen the size and weight of the Ecuador book? Drastic action was called for here, a Stanley knife, some glue and tape and a few minutes work and we have a book with plates minus the text and less than half the weight, result. Sadly can’t do the same with Sibley Guide for the US so will have to live with that one.
Hard to believe in few days time we will birding in Arizona and searching for such amazing birds as Roadrunner, Montezuma Quail, Prairie Falcon and Canyon Wren! We have checked the weather for Tucson and it looks good for New Years day, warm, dry and calm perfect for a big score.

Alan and Ruth www.thebiggesttwitch.com

We would like to wish everyone who visits our blog a happy and peaceful Christmas and a bird-filled 2008, particularly ourselves!  We are about to set off on The Biggest Twitch, our world record breaking attempt to record more bird species in a single calendar year (2008) than has ever been achieved before!  Only a week to go before the Big Day on 1st January.  Are we ready?  Err, no!  Still so much to do and now so little time but we have got our trusty Swarovski binoculars, passports and a rather battered credit card so bring it on! 

We fly out of the UK on 28th December for Tucson, Arizona USA where we meet up with our good friend and ace birder Moez Ali.  We then have a couple of days to do a recce and sort out a route for day 1 and of course pin down some great birds.  We can’t wait to get birding!  We’ll post news of our first day of The Biggest Twitch as soon as possible.  However, we will be in the field until late so given time zone differences, it may well be late, well after European birders have put their binoculars to bed!

If you would like more background information on The Biggest Twitch, log on to our website www.thebiggesttwitch.com

Alan and Ruth