White Mountains of Eastern Arizona: High elevation birding combined with spectacular scenery We are pleased to announce a June 2011 tour. Space is limited so please book early! Expect to see at least 100 species of birds. By offering a personal experience compared to big, impersonal tour operators, we limit our tours to only four participants. This will help ensure that everyone will get great looks at the birds. The pace will be moderate at times due to the high elevation and possible changes in weather. Day 1, Mon, 13 June: Pick-up at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix by 2:00 pm. We will take a four hour drive to Show Low and check-in to our hotel before having dinner. Night in Show Low. Day 2, Tue, 14 June: We will spend the morning at Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area. Situated at 6,300 feet, this state park is a reliable location for Pinyon Jay, Grace's Warbler, and Hepatic Tanager. After lunch, we will head over to Woodland Lake Park to look for several species of woodpeckers including the unusual looking Lewis's Woodpecker. Both locations that we visit today can be good for watching waterbirds. Night in Show Low. Day 3, Wed, 15 June: We will head east this morning to South Fork Road. This area is the only known location in the state for breeding Gray Catbirds. We will also search for Cordilleran Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, and Black-throated Gray-Warblers. Heading further east we will check two recently acquired Wildlife Areas; Becker Lake and Wenima to search for Yellow-breasted Chat, Green-tailed Towhee, Lark Sparrow, Yellow-headed Blackbird and any lingering late-migrants. Night in Eagar/Springerville. Day 4, Thu, 16 June: We will go to Terry Flat to search for Williamson's Sapsucker, Townsend's Solitaire, and other specialties such as Northern Goshawk and Dusky Grouse. After lunch, we will drive to Luna Lake where we should see nesting Bald Eagles. A Sandhill Crane has summered here for the past several years. We will also look for Mountain and Western Bluebirds, and scan the feeders for hummingbirds. Night in Springerville/Eagar. Day 5, Fri, 17 June: Our final full day will be spent hiking along the Mount Baldy Wilderness Trail. We will search for such high-elevation species as American Three-toed Woodpecker, Gray Jay, Clark's Nutcracker, and Golden-crowned Kinglet. This area is also the only known location for Pine Grosbeak in the state. Night in Show Low. Day 6, Sat, 18 June: We will depart our hotel after an early breakfast so that we can get back to the airport in Phoenix by noon. COST (PER PERSON) DOUBLE: $1,395. Single room supplement add $250. DEPOSIT: $300 INCLUDES: From Phoenix, five nights lodging, all meals and non-alcoholic beverages from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 6, transportation, entry fees, guides, and taxes. Not included: Airfare from your home to Phoenix, airport departure taxes, alcoholic beverages, special gratuities, phone calls, laundry, or other personal expenses. PARTICIPANTS: Two leaders and a maximum of 4 participants. LEADERS: Tony and Shela Godfrey. Please email us at artfullbirds@yahoo.com for more information, or download our registration packet. A $300 deposit must be received no later than 90 days before the start of the tour. Balance in full must be received no later than 45 days before the start of the tour. A cancellation fee of $50 will be charged, plus any expenses that we cannot recover, such as hotel deposits and rental transport, ect. A full refund will be issued if a trip is cancelled by Artfullbird Tours. Please read the Terms and Conditions for more information. Names of bird images from top to bottom of this page are: Pinyon Jay, Lewis's Woodpecker, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Western Bluebird, and Clark's Nutcracker. All photographs were taken by Tony Godfrey and are copyrighted.