Let's go back to an area that is almost guaranteed to deliver! Sweetwater Wetlands will have a lot of birds but it won't be quite as diverse as migrants have moved north but you never know what a day in the field will bring!
Passerines, also known as perching birds, are the largest bird order, comprising over half of all bird species. With around 6,000 species, they are twice as diverse as the largest mammal order, Rodentia. Passerines are small land birds with four toes, three facing forward and one backward, allowing them to perch. They are sexually dimorphic, with males having brighter markings and females being more camouflaged.
I look forward to seeing everyone!
The Sweetwater Wetlands is one of the most important functional, environmental, and educational components of the City of Tucson's reclaimed water system. The facility was originally constructed in 1996 to handle backwash filter water from the reclaimed water plant. The wetlands now uses reclaimed water exclusively.
Excellent access and easy to navigate the trails around the different water pools makes for a great morning of birding. If we're lucky we'll see some 4 legged critters too; bobcat, pack rat, frogs, salamanders, and last year we saw a decent sized Diamondback rattlesnake!
From the Sweetwater Wetlands website:
- The drinking fountain includes a water bottle filling station. A handwash station makes it convenient to wash up.
- Concrete surfacing allows easy access from the parking area to the main ramada, where visitors can overlook areas of both deep, open water and shallow water with emergent (bulrush/cattail) vegetation.
- Pathways are generally flat and surfaced by either decomposed granite or ¾-inch gravel. Some areas may be thicker than others.
- The natural soil at the Wetlands is clay-rich which may become slick following a rainfall. Always exercise caution when visiting.
- The Sweetwater Wetlands has more than 2.5 miles of pathways accessible to visitors. Almost 1,000 feet of pathway is concrete surfaced and ADA-approved for wheelchair access.
