Pinau Merlin
Pinau is a naturalist and author of several books and numerous articles about the natural history of the Sonoran Desert region. Her works include The Field Guide to Desert Holes, A Guide to Southern Arizona Bird Nests and Eggs, Hummingbirds of the West, Raptors and Soaring Birds of the West, and she is a contributing author to The Natural History of the Sonoran Desert...more
Larry Liese
came by his love for the outdoors at an early age. Raised in Vermont, he spent much of his youth backpacking and hiking....more
Join Pinau Merlin, author and naturalist, and birding guide Larry Liese, for a fun filled 4 day natural history weekend of exploring beautiful and lush Rancho Esmeralda in Sonora, Mexico.
Our hosts, Ivonne and Roberto Corella, meet us at the US border and escort us for the short drive (one hour) to the gated and private 20,000 acre ranch (which is totally solar powered.).
The diversity of habitats (streams, canyons, oak woodland) on this biologically diverse eco-tourism ranch feature well over 130 species of birds, including rose-throated becards, elegant trogons, thick-billed kingbirds, gray hawks, buff-collared nightjars, yellow-billed cuckoos, varied buntings, hummingbirds and a diversity of other wildlife. We may see wild chiltepenes, (the mother of all chiles), palo chino trees, velvet mimosas and other cool plants.
Each day our small group ventures out on walks with our expert guides, exploring the many canyons and streams where we look at and learn about birds, wonderful plants and flowers, butterflies, reptiles and amphibians and of course, stunning scenery. There’s also time for birding right from the lodge patio and siesta or relaxing by the pool before dinner. Later, we’ll blacklight at night for beautiful insects and we’ll look and listen for owls, night birds and other night creatures on our night walks. With no other lights around, Rancho Esmeralda enjoys dark night skies and we’ll look at the planets and millions of stars to be seen there.
The beautiful, rustic lodge is laid out in the traditional Mexican ranch style of dormitory rooms, but very private (with curtains) and quite nice with double beds (more like train berths). The pool and Jacuzzi are perfect for lounging and watching the zillions of stars at night. The entire lodge is reserved for our group. There are no groomed trails along the creeks, so you may want to bring your walking stick and sturdy shoes that can get wet as we cross the creeks.
Please include a few lines about yourself when you register, that we can include on the participant list that will be sent to everyone, as well as any dietary restrictions you might have.
We venture out to a different canyon each morning, returning to the lodge for lunch. After siesta and free time, we have our late afternoon walk, then dinner before beginning our night activities of owling, looking at bats and blacklighting for fascinating insects.
We should be back at the Tucson Airport by 5pm on Sunday, and the DBG by 8pm, depending on border crossing delays. Bring a passport for re-entry into the US. Bird and wildlife lists will be sent a few weeks before the trip.
The trip includes round trip transportation from the DBG or Tucson, 3 nights accommodations at the elegantly rustic Rancho Esmeralda Lodge, (completely reserved for our group) all activities, excellent meals, expert guides and maximum fun.
Day 1- Friday, April 2 (full moon)
DBG members will be picked up at the DBG parking lot at 4:00am. Others will meet at 7:30am at the Tucson Airport Park and Save lot, introductions, load vans and off for a fun adventure. Bathroom stop at border.
9:30am Arrive at our first stop for a walk through the sycamore forest. Here we may see Elegant Trogons, Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Painted Redstarts, Thick-billed Kingbirds and Varied Buntings as well as four species of oaks and a beautiful shady forest of sycamore trees.
Around noon we arrive at the lodge, settle in, and head to a delicious Mexican lunch. Afterwards we have a short tour of the grounds and a quick introduction to common Spanish words.
Then we have a break for siesta or pool time before our afternoon excursion to lovely Canyon del Corazon (Heart Canyon).
6:00pm Dinner (all attire is casual)
7:30 We venture out on our night activity of owling and more. We may be lucky as owls and Buff-collared Nightjars like to call on moonlit nights.
Day 2- Saturday, April 3
6am Early birding walk
6:30am Breakfast
7:30 am: Nature walk in Canyon del Adrian, where we may see Summer and Western Tanagers, Northern Beardless Tyrannulet, Gray Hawks, Common Black Hawks, orioles, yellow-billed Cuckoos, wild chiltepenes, butterflies, tracks and other exciting nature on the loose as we meander along the tree shaded creek..
12 to 1pm Lunch back at the lodge, then siesta, pool time.
3:00 Tortilla making lesson
4:30 Short nature walk
6:30pm Dinner
8:00 Night walk in Planchas de Plata Canyon (blacklighting, look for night creatures, eyeshine)
Day 3 - Sunday, April 4
6:30am Breakfast
7:30 Excursion to the Rio Arizona for Zone-tailed Hawks and all kinds of riparian birds in the lush cottonwood and willow forest, plus fish, amphibians, butterflies, flowers and other wonderful monsoon delights. We’ll enjoy a picnic lunch along the creek. Return to lodge in late afternoon.
6:30 Dinner
7:30 Bonfire with storytelling and star gazing.
Day 4 - Monday, April 5
6:00am Early Birding
7am Breakfast
8:00am Walk up Planchas de Plata (Sheets of Silver) Canyon. Each of the canyons here are different and Planchas de Plata is one of the larger drainages, offering different scenery and great birds (vireos, Vermillion Flycatchers, hummingbirds, raptors, etc) as we hike along the creek to the small waterfall and deep pools where mud turtles can sometimes be found.
12 Lunch, Pack up and load vans
1:30 pm head back to Tucson, arriving around 5:00 pm depending on border crossing wait times. DBG members expect to arrive back at their parking around 8:00pm.
For any further questions
regarding the itinerary, you can contact Pinau Merlin at (520) 546-9409 or pinaumerlin@hotmail.com
The price of this trip is $1049 and a minimum of 15 people. The tour fee includes all accommodations, meals, guides, entrance fees, tips, and transportation from Tucson. It also includes insurance covering emergency medical services and emergency medical evacuation.
The following are not included: airfare to the starting place of the trip, alcoholic beverages, tips for the birding guides and costs resulting from illness, injury, or emergency evacuation, program changes and delays beyond our control.
To register for this tour, contact Debra Tranberg at info@naturetreks.net or call(781) 789-8127 for a registration packet.
A deposit of $150 per person is required to reserve a spot on the trip. Full payment of the tour fee is due ninety days prior to the tour departure. Please send your checks to Nature Treks and Passages, P.O. Box 542, Bryantville, MA 02327. If you have any questions, please contact Debra Tranberg at(781) 789-8127 or info@naturetreks.net.
April 2-5, 2010
Price - $1049
A US passport valid six months beyond your anticipated date of return to the US is required. Those with foreign passports should contact the Embassy of Mexico for details.