Tubac Nature Center

09/05/2026

09/02/2026

Great season for American Snout and other butterflies. What are you seeing?

Photo: R. Meinke

08/24/2026

Turbine Tactics: Biologists Successfully Alert Golden Eagles to Wind Turbines Using New Deterrent System
PRESS RELEASE

Wind farms have received heat in recent years for their potential to harm wildlife, a notable issue in western North America where some farms are located near populations of protected Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos). A new study published in the Journal of Raptor Research titled “Behavioral Responses of Large Soaring Raptors to Audio Deterrents at Commercial Wind-Energy Facilities in the Western USA” found that outfitting turbines with devices that emit warning sounds to approaching raptors can effectively reduce the number of collisions, and therefore deaths, at wind energy sites. For large soaring birds like eagles, hawks, and vultures, this is an especially valuable finding and offers a positive development for a long-standing conservation challenge.

As efforts to reduce global carbon footprints ramp up, so do concerns about the effects of renewable energy on wildlife populations. The turbines used to generate power at wind farms pose a documented risk to large soaring raptors, as both the birds and the turbine operations thrive in windy places. A bird that enters the “rotor-swept zone” (RSZ), the most dangerous radius around the turbine, has a low chance of exiting unscathed. Many raptors have limited sensory ability to detect the turbines in time to avoid them. Wind farms must comply with the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, however, which creates impetus for companies to help eagles avoid the turbines in the first place.

A research team from H.T. Harvey & Associates (recently merged with Integral Consulting Inc.), working in collaboration with the Renewable Energy Wildlife Institute, set up DTBird audio deterrents at two different wind farms: the Manzana Wind Power Project in southern California and the Goodnoe Hills Wind Farm in south-central Washington. When an eagle or hawk-sized raptor approached a turbine, the deterrent system emitted one or both of two sounds — first a warning “whistle-whoop” signal to attract the bird’s attention and then, if warranted, a louder and more raucous “dissuasion signal” to discourage a closer approach. Wildlife technicians then reviewed video clips to classify the birds’ behavioral responses to determine how well the system worked in preventing collisions.

At both wind farms, the deterrents dissuaded approaching raptors more than 50% of the time, across species, which included Golden Eagles, Bald Eagles, Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura), and various hawk species. The higher the winds, the more responsive the larger species were towards the deterrents, potentially because faster-spinning turbine blades are inherently more noticeable to the birds as they approach, and the combined effect may have kept the birds from entering the RSZ. Larger species may also be more agile in higher wind speeds and thus more able to maneuver away from the blades. Interestingly, the team hypothesized that birds at lower risk of collision, meaning those already headed for a safer route around the turbines, would be less likely to respond to the deterrents. This proved to be true, however birds at the highest risk of collision did not necessarily respond most effectively, probably because they could not implement an effective avoidance response in a timely fashion.

This study is the first to evaluate the effectiveness of audio deterrents placed at wind farms in North America. Lead authors Jeff Smith and Shilo Felton are optimistic about the findings, saying “products like this provide a solution to reduce negative impacts to raptors from wind energy development to create a win-win for raptor conservation.” The team’s motivation was to improve the available technology and provide critical information on the effectiveness of the DTBird system. “This study, supported by the U.S Department of Energy, gives the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service evidence-based information to consider in federal policy decisions,” says Dr. Felton. They hope further research will focus on evaluating the effectiveness of the DTBird system across spatial scales and at different facilities. Raptors are top predators, meaning they exert a strong influence on the health of their food web. Without them, overall ecosystem health suffers. As myriad forms of development continue to alter the landscape on which these raptors thrive, studies that highlight mitigation opportunities will become more useful for the companies required to protect the species they could displace. This study, and others like it, are instrumental in fine-tuning this process.

Smith, Jeff P., et al. (2026).
Read full paper at https://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-raptor-research/volume-60/issue-3/jrr2516/Behavioral-Responses-of-Large-Soaring-Raptors-to-Audio-Deterrents-at/10.3356/jrr2516.full

Photo 1: Subadult Golden Eagle in flight. Photo credit Cooper J. Smith.
Photo 2: Golden Eagle flying at Goodnoe Hills Wind Project in Washington state as recorded by DTBird video system (V4D8 model, 2019). Photo credit © DTBird (Liquen Consultoría Ambiental S.L.)

07/23/2026

07/19/2026

Rewind, Refresh, Recharge: the Monsoon's Back

(Photos of Santa Cruz River at Tubac Bridge by R. Meinke)

07/09/2026

Do you have nest boxes that are mounted too high to easily inspect without a ladder? In this month's blog post, we outline some easy steps to make a DIY nest-checking pole which eliminates the need for a ladder during nest inspections. Lightweight, inexpensive, and easy-to-use, this DIY tool can be....

07/04/2026

New Mural at Tubac’s Ron Morriss Park Completed!

After three weeks in the grueling Tubac summer sun, Miguel Grijalva, Rio Rico High School arts teacher and three of his talented students, Emely Ramirez, Georgina Uriarte Plata, and Micaias Grijalva have completed painting a mural on the exterior walls of the restroom at Ron Morriss Park that evokes the natural beauty of the Santa Cruz River. The project was conceived by the Tubac Nature Center and Miguel. The mural project was made possible with funding from the Santa Cruz County School Superintendent’s Office and RAISE Arts for Learning under the leadership of Mrs. Maya M. Donnelly. The mural includes a representation of the nearby river environment and wildlife including a bobcat, great horned owl, common black hawk, and red-tailed hawk. In addition, a hummingbird that was attracted to the red flowers in the mural as they were being painted was also added! The doors to the restrooms themselves sport a male American Kestrel (a type of falcon) for the men’s room and a female kestrel for the woman’s room. The representation of the hawks ties-in to the Tubac HawkWatch, a major event at the park that occurs each spring through the month of March.

Miguel teaches beginning art, advanced art, sculpture and ceramics and emphasizes design elements into the art curriculum. He also sponsors the art club and provides extracurricular instruction including specialized classes on mural design, logistics and implementation. Last year, Miguel and his students completed a wonderful mural at the entrance of the Tubac Community Center on the Santa Cruz River. Now, they have a growing backlog of murals to be completed!

Please come by and take a look!

Special thanks to the Santa Cruz County Parks Department for their assistance with the project.

Dale Sweetnam, Seth Ausubel, Mike Dunn
Photos by Dale Sweetnam

Santa Cruz County, Arizona Tucson Bird Alliance HawkWatch International Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District #35 Visit Tubac Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail Tubac Market Tubac Center of the Arts Valle Verde Ranch Tubac Golf Resort & Spa Pima County Public Library

06/18/2026

TUBAC NATURE CENTER JOURNAL - SPECIAL PLACES, SPECIAL MOMENTS

Once dressed and ready for the day in Tubac one of my first acts is to raise the shades covering the kitchen windows. To see the almost invariably bright blue sky and brilliant sunshine raises my spirits instantly. I know it is good to be alive. Now we are vacationing in Delaware and when I get out of bed I look out a very large bedroom window facing Prime Hook NWR. The sky is not always blue but the contrast between the deep green vegetation of the marsh out our window and the open water that changes color with the varying tones of the sky is amazing too.

The marsh is alive with the sounds of birds from daybreak until deep into dusk. The window is only ever briefly free of birds zooming by in pursuit of food and other daily needs. The zoomers are barn swallows, tree swallows, chimney swifts, and so many purple martins. The swallows and swifts speak in hushed tones or not at all, but the martins are gruff and very talkative. The great blue herons croak as they hunt the open water, the laughing gulls cry as they coast overhead, and the geese honk periodically unseen. If you listen closely, you will regularly hear the “witchity, witchity” of the common yellow-throat warbler, though this particular fellow has several variations on his witchity theme. The redwing blackbirds, common grackles, American robins, and mourning doves chat continuously as they argue about territory, youngsters, and other grievances I can only guess at. I can hear the mockingbird mimicking his neighbors from a perch in the front of the house. Every once in a while I hear the “will-will-willet” of the willet repeating his name. I don’t know why, but every time I hear its call I smile.

I guess the particular place doesn’t really matter. If we open our minds to the opportunity, it could be the backyard feeder, the woodlot down the street, or a several thousand acre marsh that is our special place. May we all be wise enough to recognize the special moments in our own special places.

Jim Karp
Tubac Nature Center
June 16, 2026

06/10/2026

TUBAC NATURE CENTER JOURNAL - THE QUIET ONES

A group of Tubac birders met in November, 2017 to explore the possibility of starting a nature center. We had enthusiasm, energy, and an idea. A key missing element was money. Several weeks into the process, as the word got around the community about our idea, I received a phone call from a man I knew only by sight but had never spoken to. He said that he thought the nature center was one of the best ideas for Tubac that he had heard in while. He asked what he could do. I said we needed funding. He said let me know how much and get back to me. After some rough guessing and calculations, I called him back and said we needed about $10,000 to get off the ground. He said, “We have a lot of friends in the area, we will see what we can do.

After Bob Schuyler contacted his friends, the checks began to roll in. Shortly, we had $8400 donated, and certainly enough to get the process of forming the nature center off the ground. In the following months, we turned to Bob and his wife, Marty, for advice several times to solve minor and more significant issues. They never hesitated to help. Bob served on the board of directors for a period, convinced his friend, Dick Taggart, to step in to become our second Treasurer, and called occasionally with advice.

Last week Bob passed away! A very sad event for many of us, and especially for his family. There are so many people like Bob and Marty who pitch in quietly to make their communities better, getting little notice, and few “thank you’s.” Let’s take a moment to raise of glass to Bob, and to all the Bobs and Martys who quietly and with dedication make their communities the great places we live in.

Jim Karp
Tubac Nature Center
June 9, 2026

06/03/2026

Announcements and Ramblings

The Nature Center will be open tomorrow, Wednesday June 3, but then it will be closed through the rest of the month. It will be open again on Wednesday July 1.

Mikey
Tuesday Bird Walk Grasslands between Proctor Rd and Florida Wash, Madera Canyon--Carrie Nation Trail - 2-Jun-26

Today Dale, Caroline and myself went up Madera Canyon for a bird hike. Dale is still recovering from knee surgery and did very well but it was harder going down than up. We tried for Botteri Sparrows in the lower canyon but did not hear or see them. We then drove to the trail head for the Carrie Nation trail and started up. We wanted to see Trogans but only heard them in the distance up canyon, but we did get to see and hear Sulphur-bellied Flycatchers. The Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher is one of my favorite flycatchers because of it's funny squeaky call and it's not bad looking either. We got to hear Red-faced and Grace's Warblers, Hutton's and Plumbeous Vireos, Western Wood and Greater Pewees. The Greater Pewee has a great call that sounds like "Ho-say ma-reeah". We saw a large Hummingbird chase off a Mexican Jay which we were pretty sure that it was a Blue-throated Mountain-gem which is one of the larger Humingbirds. We did pretty well getting almost 40 species and hearing Scaled Quail down in the lower canyon. It's getting hotter now and I'm thinking about going up Mount Lemon soon.

We had a total of 38 species today. The Trip Report is here: https://ebird.org/tripreport/533612

Rob Rutledge
Grasslands between Proctor Rd and Florida Wash - 2-Jun-26 - 6:42 AM - 0.133 mile(s) - 15 minute(s) – Rob

5 Scaled Quail
1 Ash-throated Flycatcher
1 Brown-crested Flycatcher
14 Common Raven
5 Black-throated Sparrow
2 Lark Sparrow
2 Lucy's Warbler
2 Blue Grosbeak

Number of Taxa: 8

Madera Canyon--Carrie Nation Trail - 2-Jun-26 - 7:15 AM - 0.899 mile(s) - 3 hour(s), 12 minute(s) – Rob

5 Wild Turkey
1 Blue-throated Mountain-gem – Bright blue gorget, gray underparts, white eyebrow, and white tail corners.
1 Coppery-tailed Trogon
2 Acorn Woodpecker
4 Arizona Woodpecker
1 Northern Flicker
1 Greater Pewee
2 Western Wood-Pewee
1 Western Flycatcher
2 Dusky-capped Flycatcher
4 Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher
2 Hutton's Vireo
2 Plumbeous Vireo
1 Steller's Jay
7 Mexican Jay
2 Common Raven
6 Bridled Titmouse
1 White-breasted Nuthatch
2 Brown Creeper
1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
1 Northern House Wren
1 Bewick's Wren
2 Spotted Towhee
2 Bronzed Cowbird
2 Brown-headed Cowbird
3 Grace's Warbler
1 Red-faced Warbler
2 Painted Redstart
2 Hepatic Tanager
2 Western Tanager
2 Black-headed Grosbeak

Number of Taxa: 31

TUBAC NATURE CENTER JOURNAL - YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN

A two day trip from the Chicago area across the south end of the Great Lakes led us to Syracuse, our old stomping grounds in the decades before Tubac. About 40 miles west of Syracuse, abutting the New York State Thruway (I-90), is Montezuma NWR. It is a 10,000 acre preserve that provides habitat for waterfowl and other migratory birds. My first of many visits here in the 1960’s was pre-dawn watching hundreds, maybe thousands of Canada geese depart for the day to feed in the surrounding fields. Quite a sight! Today migration was over, and the brisk, cold winds kept all wildlife honkered down and our three-mile car tour of the preserve was relatively uneventful. A few dozen lingering Canada geese, a single Common Gallinule, and 4 swans on mound nests too distant to identify, but probably Trumpeter Swans.

We were merely 2 miles from Seneca Falls, NY, so my wife, Eddie, decided to fulfill a long-held wish to visit the Women’s Rights National Historical Park in that town. We spent a couple of hours absorbing the exhibits in this National Park. Near the entrance stood life-size metal statues of the famous women suffragettes, along with their supporter, Frederick Douglas. The exhibits run the gamut from the more recent Title IX to the great gathering of supporters in 1848. To me one of the most impressive exhibits was a side-side comparison of how the Iroquois Confederacy (six indigenous nations) treated women versus how our white ancestors did. We called them “savages”, but comparatively white men of that age seemed more deserving of that disparaging designation.

One of the strong draws for me to return to Central New York was to visit the Pleasant Valley Preserve. A few years ago the Central New York Land Trust acquired a 305 acre property that sounded idyllic to me. It had open meadows, ponds, new coniferous plantations, mid-life deciduous forests, and hilltop views of the beautiful region. It did not disappoint! Except for the hilltop view (too much climbing for my diseased lungs even with an oxygen concentrator), I got to see much of the preserve. When I opened the car door a Willow Flycatcher sang from a nearby tree, Eastern Bluebirds twittered overhead, a pair of Baltimore Orioles bounced in the trees overhead near the first pond, and a family of Common Mergansers floated on the pond. A painted turtle sparkled in the nearby grass. As I entered the forested area a Veery repeated its name and then sang its flute-like song, then the tinkling song of the Wood Thrush joined, and the Eastern Wood Pewee provided background music with a repeated pee-o-wee. Soon the rising notes of the Ovenbird - teacher, teacher, teacher - joined the chorus. Thirty-four species in less than two hours wasn’t a bad morning.

Buoyed by my success I headed southeast to Old Fly Marsh, along winding, hilly roads that would never be built today, past Beak & Skiff orchards where we spent family outings picking apples in the Fall. We purchased most of Old Fly property in 1978 from a local banker. The marsh was constructed at the behest of John Weeks, probably the most notable conservationist during the Twentieth Century in Central New York. The man seemed to know everything there was to know about nature, and he had the soul of a poet. The visit was shorter than I had hoped because my energy was running low. But the songs of the American Redstart, Eastern Warbling Vireo, Canada Goose, Tufted Titmouse, Black-capped Chickadee, and Red-bellied Woodpecker provided the background music. Very few warblers and no Wood Ducks today. You can’t have everything, but you can go home again. Thank you Central New York, you are one beautiful and special place.

Jim Karp
Tubac Nature Center
June 2, 2026

02 Jun, 2026. Created by Tubac Nature Center