The Calliope Hummingbird and where to hike to see one

This view from the Temporal Gulch Trail is similar to the views from Sawmill Spring Trail. This lesser traveled trail ensures a peaceful hike, with plenty of wildlife viewing opportunities. Sawmill Spring is worth the trip. It is a fairly easy hike (hard to find in this steep range) and a good one to plan on camping overnight either before or after the hike.The access to the trail begins off of State Highway 83 north of Sonoita, turning onto Greaterville Road. Follow until you see the sign for Forest Road 229 for Melendrez Pass. Stay on FR 229 until you reach FR 165. This road dead-ends at a parking area for the trail. Hiking to Mt. Wrightson is a great way to view many species of wildlife. This is a view from Baldy Saddle. The hike is about 10.2 miles round trip using the shorter Old Baldy Trail with an elevation gain of about 4000 feet. Actually, there are two main routes to the top, with some options to change the routes. The most popular trail is the Super Trail, because it reduces the elevation gain by half. Unfortunately, however, it also makes the hike twice as long. The Old Baldy Trail is steeper, but half the length. If you want to cut out some of the steepness without hiking 20 miles, use the Super Trail to Josephine Saddle, then pick up the Old Baldy Trail to the top.View the list »
Pete Mountain, on the right, is a great hike to look at wildlife including bird species. There are two approaches to reaching Pete Mountain, both of which require a commitment of a full day of hiking. Pete Mountain’s ascent starts from Agua Caliente Saddle. How you get to the saddle is your choice; either by taking the Agua Caliente Saddle Trail from the west side, or coming up from Madera Canyon using the short (but very steep) Very Steep Trail, or from Josephine Saddle.The hike varies in length depending, of course, on the route you choose. The shortest route is using the Very Steep Trail, at about 6 miles round trip. 

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The Calliope Hummingbird is another of the many species of hummers you may see while visiting the Santa Rita Mountains south of Tucson. This is one of the tiniest of hummers found in this area, but makes up for size with beautiful plumage. It is the smallest of all hummingbirds in North America.

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The Calliope Hummingbird has iridescent green feathers on the upperparts, and is white on the underside. The feathers on the throat are purplish to red streaks on white. Its ability to hover it typical of hummingbirds, and its wing beats are so fast you can hardly see the wings at all.

The Calliope Hummingbird is one you might see in Madera Canyon, but since this species loves the higher elevations, you might just see one nearer to Mt. Wrightson. It has been spotted at elevations over 11,000 feet.

Reference: The Nature of Madera Canyon by Douglas W. Moore, Friends of Madera, 1999

View the list
  • Pete Mountain, on the right, is a great hike to look at wildlife including bird species. There are two approaches to reaching Pete Mountain, both of which require a commitment of a full day of hiking. Pete Mountain’s ascent starts from Agua Caliente Saddle. How you get to the saddle is your choice; either by taking the Agua Caliente Saddle Trail from the west side, or coming up from Madera Canyon using the short (but very steep) Very Steep Trail, or from Josephine Saddle.The hike varies in length depending, of course, on the route you choose. The shortest route is using the Very Steep Trail, at about 6 miles round trip. 
  • Hiking to Mt. Wrightson is a great way to view many species of wildlife. This is a view from Baldy Saddle. The hike is about 10.2 miles round trip using the shorter Old Baldy Trail with an elevation gain of about 4000 feet. Actually, there are two main routes to the top, with some options to change the routes. The most popular trail is the Super Trail, because it reduces the elevation gain by half. Unfortunately, however, it also makes the hike twice as long. The Old Baldy Trail is steeper, but half the length. If you want to cut out some of the steepness without hiking 20 miles, use the Super Trail to Josephine Saddle, then pick up the Old Baldy Trail to the top.
  • This view from the Temporal Gulch Trail is similar to the views from Sawmill Spring Trail. This lesser traveled trail ensures a peaceful hike, with plenty of wildlife viewing opportunities. Sawmill Spring is worth the trip. It is a fairly easy hike (hard to find in this steep range) and a good one to plan on camping overnight either before or after the hike.The access to the trail begins off of State Highway 83 north of Sonoita, turning onto Greaterville Road. Follow until you see the sign for Forest Road 229 for Melendrez Pass. Stay on FR 229 until you reach FR 165. This road dead-ends at a parking area for the trail. 
View the list

, Santa Rita Mountains Outdoor Recreation Examiner

Ms. Strader is 40-year resident of Southern Arizona. She began her Forest Service career as a fire fighter in the Santa Rita Mountains which was the beginning of her dedication to learning as much as she could about the mountains she used to protect. ...

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