Date: 11/16/25 2:24 pm From: Erika Wilson (via aznmbirds Mailing List) <aznmbirds...> Subject: [AZNMbirds] CANCELLED: Sunday Sierra Vista EOP Walks
Yes, you read that correctly. Today was the *LAST* Sunday morning EOP bird
walk behind the locked gates at the Sierra Vista Environmental Operations
Park.
Why? This was a decision based on an increasing concern for the liability
vulnerability of the sponsoring parties, and due to projected long term
changes to the EOP facility that will make it less favorable to birding.
This morning a dozen locals and visitors walked the Sierra Vista EOP dikes
for the *last* time, noting 52 species. Despite steady winds, which kept
the small birds down, we had wonderful views of 11 species of ducks, with
175+ Am. Wigeon in flight in the bright sunshine at one time. Also present
were: a Great Egret, the off-and-on again presence of a Neotropic
Cormorant, and the usual chorus of Soras and Virginia Rail. The melanistic
N. Harrier was seen briefly quartering over the cattails.
Over the past 22 years, we have led over 1,000 Sunday morning bird walks,
and seen over 275 species, some of which are the only records for the San
Pedro Valley. Thousands of birders have attended these walks, coming from
all over the United States, as well as other countries such as Canada,
England, Sweden, Germany, India, and South Korea.
Although there will be no more Sunday morning bird walks, the EOP bird
viewing platform remains open Monday-Friday, 6 am - 3 pm, but is closed on
the weekends. For those of you who have done this walk, you have the many
volunteer leaders to thank for a unique experience that we will all miss.
Remember that the EOP lists, including today, can be accessed on eBird for
the hotspot called *Sierra Vista EOP* <
https://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/y3mLCrgWPrTnwnLkwI7fpC4TRod?<domain...>.
