Late Season Birding on Mt. Ord!

PLEASE NOTE: THIS EVENT RESCHEDULED FOR SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18TH DUE TO WEEKEND RAIN!

Birding on Mt. Ord is picking up again, and it appears to be an irruption year for several of our target species! Recent e-bird reports include pinyon jays, Clark's nutcrackers, red crossbills, evening grosbeaks, hairy and Lewis's woodpeckers, Cassin's finches, fox sparrows, Lawrence's goldfinches, bridled and juniper titmice, pygmy and white- and red-breasted nuthatches, olive-sided flycatchers, golden-crowned kinglets, Townsend's solitaires, a painted redstart, and even an olive warbler! And of course, we'll be watching the skies for hawks and eagles on the way to the summit.

Mt. Ord is an easy drive up the Beeline Highway from Fountain Hills. To facilitate an earlier start, let's plan on meeting directly at the base of the Mt. Ord exit, not at the Ft. McDowell Chevron. We can carpool up from there, or from the corral area about a mile up the road. Plan to be there at 8:30am. We'll begin with our usual stop at FR1688 for an hour or so, then drive to the top and begin the trek to the top of the mountain. The road up Mt. Ord is unpaved but well maintained, although it does get a little bumpy in the upper stretch. This will be an uphill walk of a mile or more at 6000-7000 foot elevation, so be prepared for a little exercise! The view from the top is worth it even if we don't see a lot of birds... As usual, bring binos, bird guides, cameras, water, and snacks for the trip. It may be cool and breezy at the top, so dress accordingly.

Afterwards, we will head back to Fountain Hills to the Saddle Bronc Grill. Saddle Bronc Grill is at 11056 N. Saguaro Blvd, about half a mile north of Shea Blvd. It's a cowboy themed restaurant with a reasonable selection of food and beverages, so we can discuss our sightings over lunch and make plans for future outings!