Under-birded Hotspots: Kentucky Camp and the Arizona Trail

By Brian Nicholas

Eastern Azure Bluebird by Alan Schmierer

Kentucky Camp is an interesting and historic mining camp that was abandoned in the early 1900s, and purchased by the U.S Forest Service. It sits between the Santa Rita mountains and Las Cienegas NCA, and is accessed by Gardner Canyon Road off Rt 83. I first noticed this eBird hotspot when I was searching for reliable locations for Eastern Bluebird in Pima County. At that time Kentucky Camp had about ten eBird submissions, mostly showing winter sightings of Eastern Bluebird. I wanted to explore this mostly unbirded area along the Arizona Trail and help build the species list in the process, while looking for Eastern Bluebirds of course. It would take just over a year of searching, but I did eventually find our specialty subspecies of Eastern “Azure” Bluebirds in this area.

Grassland in Southeast Arizona by Alan Schmierer

Kentucky Camp Headquarters by Matt Griffiths

On my first visit I fell in love with the habitat of lush grassland with large oaks and patches of juniper on the hillsides. Despite the lack of persistent running water, the trees always look lush and the grasses are always thick. I’ve come to expect at least one heart attack per visit as Montezuma Quail burst out from under my feet, always when least expected. I usually follow the Arizona Trail up about a quarter mile from the camp buildings, then down about ¾ mile where the trail starts to climb and double back on itself. At this point I continue south along another established trail for another ¼ mile along the border of a meadow, then loop back to the Arizona Trail via a narrow wash. It is this general area which has been the most productive at times, with birds like Barn Owl, Northern Pygmy Owl, Gray Hawk, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, and the Eastern Bluebirds. On hot summer days, I will sometimes finish the hike by relaxing on the porch of the historic headquarters building and drink in some of the history of this unique location.

Montezuma Quail by Hemant Kishan

The openness of the grassland areas around Kentucky Camp make for great scenic views conducive to raptor sightings. Golden Eagles can be seen fairly regularly along this route, and White-tailed Kites can be seen in May and June. Late June is also a good time to listen for Common Nighthawks, Elf Owls, Western Screech Owls, and Common Poorwills along the road to the Camp. I find the parking area above the camp to be the most reliable spot in Pima County for Common Nighthawk, especially at dusk. There is also a reliable area for this rare in Southeast Arizona species at a roadside cattle tank just a mile before Kentucky Camp. 

Common Nighthawk by Greg Lavaty

Kentucky Camp has 106 species recorded in eBird with only 53 submissions overall! So if you want to break out from visiting the popular crowded hotspots and try something new, give Kentucky Camp a try. Chances are you will find something new for the list, and enjoy some amazing scenery!

Good birding!

Kentucky Camp history: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky_Camp,_Arizona

Brian Nicholas is a birding enthusiast who has lived in Tucson for about 20 years. His primary focus has been birding his neighborhood in Northeast Tucson, where he has seen around 250 species. Brian is a long-time volunteer for Tucson Audubon as an Important Bird Areas bird surveyor and field trip leader.