The Sonoran Audubon Society field trip to California Gulch and Southern Arizona the weekend of July 14-16, 2006, had 9 participants from the valley and one from Canada (he found us on the Internet). Five of us, Don Witten, Bob McCall, Marjorie Eckmann, George Wall and I, started the 14th, looking for grassland sparrows at the mouth of Madera Canyon and managing excellent looks at Botteri's and Black-throated sparrows, as well as other "southern" species--Pyrrhuloxia, Blue Grosbeak and Eastern Meadowlark. Monsoon rains caught us in Nogales, as did strange happenings at our motel. Then the power went out.

It was a very short, hot night, but we still managed to be on the Ruby Road by 6 a.m. Saturday, where four more participants joined us. A brief stop at Sycamore Canyon yielded the Rufous-capped Warbler being reported on the Internet, thanks to birders camped there. The walk into California Gulch produced great scope views of the Five-striped Sparrow. After lunch which was among a herd of cattle, we headed to Arivaca, finally hearing and seeing Cassin's sparrows well, checking the Cienega (very dry, lots of kingbirds), and making a stop at the Gadsden Coffee Company where feeders afforded us a few more species. Our Canadian visitor joined us and by 5:30 we headed back to the Gulch for the Buffcollared Nightjar. Another storm came through. We watched as lightning ignited a small fire which burned about half an hour before exhausting the fuel and going out (we hoped). Setting out chairs and finding a "comfortable" rock or two, we waited quietly for dark, listening for the nightjar. Shortly after 8 it began to call, at first fairly close to us, then moving farther away. Most of us heard it clearly. With cattle bawling all around, we quickly made it back to our vehicles.

Sunday morning four of us continued up into Madera Canyon, this time getting good looks at the Rufous-winged Sparrow, the Flame-colored Tanager, Northern Beardless Tyrannulet and Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher. Serenading us on the way back to I-19 were more Botteri's and Cassin's sparrows.

In all, 81 species were seen over the 3 days. On July 14: Turkey Vulture, Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, Gambel's Quail, Mourning Dove, White-winged Dove, Lesser Nighthawk, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Flicker (sp), Gila Woodpecker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Western Kingbird, Cassin's Kingbird, Loggerhead Shrike, Bell's Vireo, Common Raven, Verdin, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Curve-billed Thrasher, Abert's Towhee, Botteri's Sparrow, (Cassin's Sparrow heard only), Black-throated Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Pyrrhuloxia, Blue Grosbeak, Lazuli Bunting, and Eastern Meadowlark.

Added on July 15 were: Great Blue Heron, Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Collared-Dove. Yellow- billed Cuckoo, Greater Roadrunner, Buff-collared Nightjar (heard), Common Poorwill (heard), Broad-billed Hummingbird, Acorn Woodpecker, Vermilion Flycatcher, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Mexican Jay, Barn Swallow, Bridled Titmouse, Bewick's Wren Cactus Wren, Rock Wren, Canyon Wren, Northern Mockingbird, Phainopepla, Lucy's Warbler, Common Yellow-throat, Rufous-capped Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Summer Tanager, Canyon Towhee, Cassin's Sparrow, Five-striped Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Black-headed Grosbeak, Varied Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Great-tailed Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, Hooded Oriole, Scott's Oriole, House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch, House Sparrow. Added 7/16: Cooper's Hawk, Elegant Trogon, Western Wood-Peewee, Northern Beardless Tyrannulet, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, Hutton's Vireo, White-breasted Nuthatch, House Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, Hepatic Tanager, Flame-colored Tanager, and Rufous-winged Sparrow.