Bird/Nature Photography: Rancho Santa Cruz/Santa Gertrudis Lane - Tuesday 11/03/2026
Trip Cost: $10
Rancho Santa Cruz and Santa Gertrudis Lane are excellent spots to see berry-eating birds as well as view birds bathing in the Santa Cruz River. There are many excellent birding and nature photo opportunities nearby. Located in a fertile green valley fed by the Santa Cruz River under a canopy of large Cottonwood trees, Rancho Santa Cruz sits at almost 4,000 feet elevation, and its climate is substantially cooler and wetter than Tucson or Phoenix. The National Audubon Society recognizes Rancho Santa Cruz as part of an Important Bird Area called the Upper Santa Cruz River. Best birding is from the parking area and walking the trails to the river. Some birds observed include the Cassin Kingbird, Ladder-Backed and Gila Woodpeckers, Vermillion Flycatcher, White Breasted Nuthatch, Raven, Turkey Vulture, Gray Hawk and Abert's Towhee.
Santa Gertrudis Lane, once a major crossing of the Santa Cruz River, was closed to public traffic when Burlington Northern Railroad deemed the rail crossing on the east side of the river to be unsafe. The closing was a hardship for folks living in the hills above the river, but the lack of traffic created a peaceful sanctuary for birds and wildlife residing and migrating along the river. Santa Gertrudis Lane intersects with the Anza Trail at the Santa Cruz River. We’ll walk in the shaded riparian forest along the Santa Cruz River which is a fantastic location for three types of kingbirds (Cassin’s, Tropical, and noisy Thick-billed) along with a wide variety of other desert riparian species like Inca Dove, Gray Hawk, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Bell’s Vireo, and Blue Grosbeak.
Be sure to wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Participants need to be comfortable walking on trails of mostly flat, uneven terrain. A hat and water are suggested. If you have binoculars, you may want to bring them along. A small notebook and pen or pencil would be useful to record your sightings if you wish to do so.
We'll meet at the Photography Club at 8:30 AM for carpooling. Due to limited parking at both sites, carpooling is encouraged. If you are going to carpool with someone, the minimum donation for gas should be $5.00. We will leave promptly at 8:45 for Rancho Santa Cruz/Santa Gertrudis Lane.
Lunch details will be provided via email when we get closer to the event.
Denise LeCount-O'Brien will be our trip leader. Contact Denise at 309-830-0177 or email rurt2dede@gmail.com with any questions. She will be disseminating more information to registered participants via e-mail as we get closer to the event. Please add your trip leader's email and phone number to your contact list so you don't miss out on any important updates.
GVR requires that every person participating in the club's field trips must sign a waiver absolving GVR of any liability. You will be required to sign the waiver at the Photography club before the trip departs if you haven't already done so.
The last date to cancel for a refund is October 27, 2026. If you need to cancel, please contact the Field Trip Co-Chair Lynn Rozema at 719-351-5193 or email lrozema51@gmail.com. We may have people on the wait list to take your place.
If you have to cancel on the day of the trip, please call Denise as soon as you know you cannot make the trip.
NOTICE:
All participants need to be responsible for an assessment of their mobility and health issues relating to field trips. Some trips may not be appropriate, but you must make that determination. However, the trip leader may deny participation in a specific field trip to anyone deemed not suitably prepared or able to walk with the group.
Be sure to have your GVR card with you for each and every field trip. Without it, you won't be allowed to go on the trip. No refunds will be granted for failure to comply with this requirement. To protect GVR and club member benefits, GVR has implemented a new process that requires each field trip participant to come into the club and scan his/her GVR card to confirm eligibility. We no longer have the option of typing in your name or GVR number – only the physical GVR card will do.
We will no longer meet in the parking lot. We will meet in the GVR Photography Club where you will scan your GVR card confirming your eligibility to go on the trip. We’ll also review important/late-breaking information, pair up drivers and riders, provide driving directions, and give participants a chance to visit the restrooms prior to departure. Again, be sure to have your GVR card with you.
In order to participate in this event, you must be a member of the GVR Photography Club and GVR.
The GVR Photography Club is located in the Recreation Village of Santa Rita Springs.