Birders’ Anonymous and the Sonoran Audubon Society made this joint birding trip . George Wall led the group that included Dan Bohlmann, Chuck Kangas, Darnell Kirksey, Carolyn Modeen, Betty Roberts, Larry & Audrey Schander, Donna Smith and Maria Wall.

We stayed in the Brown Canyon Environmental Center operated by Buenos Aires. Birds seen and heard were the Northern Harrier, Cooper’s Hawk, Zone-tailed hawk, Red-tailed Hawk including a Harlan’s, American Kestrel, Merlin, Gambel’s Quail, Mourning Dove, Inca Dove, Greater Roadrunner, Western Squeech-Owl, Great Horned Owl, Common Poorwill (heard), Anna’s Hummingbird, Acorn Woodpecker, Gila Woodpecker, Red-naped Sapsucker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Northern Flicker (yellow-shafted & red shafted), Gilded Flicker, Say’s Phoebe, Black Phoebe, Tropical Kingbird, Cassin’s Kingbird, Western Kingbird, Mexican Jay, Common Raven, Hutton’s Vireo, Cassin’s Vireo, Loggerhead Shrike, Cedar Waxwing, Rock Wren, Canyon Wren (heard), Marsh Wren, Bewick’s Wren, Verdin, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Mountain Chickadee, Bridled Titmouse, Lesser Goldfinch, House Finch, Yellowrumped Warbler, White-crowned Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Botteri’s Sparrow, Green-tailed Towhee, Spotted Towhee, Canyon Towhee, Black-headed Grosbeak, Northern Cardinal, Pyrrhuloxia, Scott’s Oriole and Red-winged Blackbird. These birds were seen in Brown Canyon, Aravaca Creek and the Arivaca Cienega.

Besides birding, 3 stalwart souls, Dan Bohlmann, Larry Schander and George Wall, hiked the 1.8 miles up the rough canyon to the archway that is a landmark in the area. Also, a lot of wildlife was encountered including Black-tailed and Mohave Rattlesnakes (both encountered on the trail) and rattling, White-tailed Deer, Opossum, Cotton-tail Rabbits, Hog-nosed Skunk, Mexican Bats, Tarantula and a Scorpion running around in the bathtub.