End of the World Birding – Madera Canyon

April 1, 2020

Dear Readers….. My End of the World (EOTW) list continues! Yesterday I birded the Proctor Road Trail and then Madero Kubo B&B. The Proctor Road Trail begins at the medium-sized parking lot, facilities are present, just off of Madera Canyon Road. It’s hard to see the road sign for the parking area as it is obscured by plants. But its driveway is just past the Information kiosk at the north end of the canyon. The trail begins at the parking lot and continues south across Proctor Road, a dirt road. The well maintained and improved trail loops around and the whole trail is less than one mile. There is a mix of habitats including mesquite, a mixed oak type woodland and cottonwoods. The trail also connects to the Madera Canyon Trail which will take the eager hiker south into areas I have yet to venture. This last winter the area produced some good birds – Bay-breasted Warbler, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Northern-beardless Tyrannulet, Elegant Trogon and White-throated Sparrow. If your vehicle has high clearance, you can try the dirt Proctor Road. It crosses the creek and then proceeds through a free camping area. Crissal Thrashers are reported from this area.

Madera Kubo is a gingerbread B&B a bit up the canyon from Proctor Road. Proceeding south you will pass several other attractions and soon find yourself at Madera Kubo.

Madera Kubo has limited parking including a tiny dirt overflow parking area on the opposite side of Madera Canyon Road immediately north. The Kubo property has historically gotten good birds, including Elegant Trogon, Flame-colored Tanager, Lucifer Hummingbird and Berylline Hummingbird. It is quiet and quirky. The gift shop is not always open. www.maderakubo.com

So, I spent a few moments at Kubo after birding Proctor Road. In 15 minutes I saw Elegant Trogon, Painted Redstart, Yellow-eyed Junco, Bridled Titmouse, Mexican Jay, Broad-billed Hummingbird, Rivoli’s Hummingbird and Black-chinned Hummingbird.

I continued my EOTW journey today 4-1-2020 at Tubac. I was looking for the Rose-throated Becards and a Broad-winged Hawk which had been reported. I went north from the bridge and did not find either. But I did stumble upon a Bullocks’s Oriole, likely the bird who wintered in the immediate area, a pair of Dusky-capped Flycatchers, two Zone-tailed hawks, Two Gray Hawks and a Swainson’s Hawk. There were the usual kinglets, titmice, woodpeckers etc.