BLACK HAWK UP!! TUBAC NATURE CENTER HAWK WATCH MARCH 1 - MARCH 31, 2025 RON MORRISS COUNTY PARK - TUBAC

A change in venue for the Tubac Hawk Watch Kid's Day

Tomorrow, March 13 is our Kid’s Day for the Tubac Hawk Watch. Unfortunately, the winds look like they will be too strong to do most of our activities outside, but never fear. All activities from 9a-12:30p will be held at the Tubac Community Center which is just a little over ½ mile from the Ron Morriss County Park. The Nature Scavenger Hunt will still take place at the park at 8:00am. Look for the Tubac Nature Center tent and meet there for the walk. All other planned activities will be at the Community Center. It should be much easier to do everything we have planned.

So don’t let the weather stop you from coming. It’s going to be lots of fun.

Tubac Community Center: 50 Bridge Rd, Tubac. It will be held in the Long Room. 

PS: If you are unable to come tomorrow, we will have our Reading with Raptors story time on Saturday, March 15 at 3:00p. This will also be held at the Tubac Community Center. See a live owl up close. 

This is Thursday of school Spring Break and what a great place to bring the children. We’ll have lots of exciting activities. All events are at Ron Morriss County Park in Tubac and are created for a great family experience. All free!

You are invited to enjoy all activities from 8:00 AM – 12:30 PM or come for just part of the time. We ask that all children are accompanied by an adult. It will be best to wear closed-toed shoes, (like tennis shoes) if participating in the nature walk. We will be outside at all times so bring a hat, water, snacks, and excitement.  

If your family is unable to come for this event, look at information on Saturday, March 15 at 3:00 PM. We will have a special “Reading with Raptors” presentation at the Tubac Community Center.  

Kid’s will be given a “passport” to get stamped at the different activities they participate in. This is also the time you can register for one of two Owl Pellet Dissection classes. Registration will take place all morning if you are unable to attend our Nature Walk.  

We’ll walk right from the park along the Anza Trail looking for items on our nature scavenger list. This is a great way to get your children’s eyes open to the amazing world along the trail. We’ll end up back at the park in time for the rest of the day’s activities. 

Your children will be able to try their hand at many activities from learning how to use binoculars for birdwatching, learning local bird ID, working on their own hawk journals, creating a nature button they will get to take home, and playing the Migration Game. In addition to these booths which are sponsored by the Tubac Nature Center we will have booths set up from Tucson Bird Alliance, Tumacacori National Historical Park and Tubac Dark Sky. All promise to be full of learning and fun activities. 

We will have actual owl pellets that kids will be able to dig into which shows what owls have eaten. Very hands on. This booth is provided by HawkWatch International and Tucson Bird Alliance. Space is limited to only 18 kids so sign up at registration if your child is interested. 

Pancho is the mascot from Tumacacori National Historical Park. He makes a great photo op. You can’t miss him. He’s big, red and has very, very large binoculars.  

This is the second class for those interested. Make sure to sign up at registration as space is limited to 18  participants.  

Peregrine Falcon Mini Program: 30-minute program followed by photo op/meet and greet. Kids and their adults will meet Goose the Peregrine Falcon and learn what makes a bird a raptor, why raptors migrate, and how humans can help keep raptors safe.

Please note, no dogs will be allowed in the area for the raptor presentation.

Note: No dogs will be allowed in the area for the Live Raptor presentations

Peregrine Falcon Mini Program: 30-minute program followed by photo op/meet and greet.

Location: Ron Morriss County Park, 31 Calle Iglesia, Tubac, AZ

This is part of our Kid’s Day program at the Tubac Hawk Watch.

Kids and their adults will meet Goose the Peregrine Falcon and learn what makes a bird a raptor, why raptors migrate, and how humans can help keep raptors safe.

Hawk Meet and Greet

Location: Ron Morriss County Park, 31 Calle Iglesia, Tubac, AZ

Get the chance to observe a live bird of prey up close; explore raptor talons, feathers, and skulls; and grab a photo. The hawk and his handlers will be available to meet the public and answer questions open house style. 

Peregrine Falcon Meet and Greet

Location: Ron Morriss County Park, 31 Calle Iglesia, Tubac, AZ

Meet Goose the Peregrine Falcon, a Raptor Ambassador, for HawkWatch International. Get the chance to observe a live bird of prey up close; explore raptor talons, feathers, and skulls; and grab a photo. Goose and her handlers will be available to meet the public and answer questions open house style.  

Special Family Presentation, “Reading with Raptors”. 

Location: Tubac Community Center, 50 Bridge Road, Tubac, AZ – held in the Long Room

This is a story time with an owl related book followed by a live owl appearance. We then discuss which parts of the story are make-believe and which parts reflect reality.

Hawk Meet and Greet

Location: Ron Morriss County Park, 31 Calle Iglesia, Tubac, AZ

Get the chance to observe a live bird of prey up close; explore raptor talons, feathers, and skulls; and grab a photo. The hawk and his handlers will be available to meet the public and answer questions open house style.

Joining the Tubac Nature Center will be nonprofit organizations from the area who have dedicated their group to preserve and conserve the natural habitat of the Santa Cruz River Valley. Stop by each of their tents to pick up information and discuss their plans and projects for sustaining the natural spaces. Their booths will be open from 9 – 12. Hawk watching will go on all day, of course.

• Anza Trail Coalition
• Borderlands Restoration Network
• Coronado National Forest
• Empire Ranch Foundation
• Friends of Madera Canyon
• Friends of the Santa Cruz River
• Patagonia Area Resource Alliance
• Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve
• Sonoran Institute
• Tubac Dark Sky Association (TDSA) 
• Tumacácori National Historic Park

1:00 PM Tubac Community Center, Long Room

Luke Safford, Director of Engagement, Tucson Birding Alliance

Luke will share “Tips on Identifying Birds”

This presentation is perfect for the beginning birder and a “brush up” for more experienced birders. This presentation is free to the public.

11:00 AM Ron Morriss Park, near the tents

Peter Collins, Father of The Tubac Black Hawk Watch

Peter will share “Everything you wanted to know about the Common Black Hawk but were afraid to ask!”

1:00 PM Tubac Community Center, Long Room

Dave Oleyar PhD, Director of Long-term Monitoring & Community Science, Hawk Watch International 

Why we watch hawks, and how we use count data to assess population trends

Dave will discuss bird migrations throughout the planet, their numbers, their patterns, their adaptations and many other fascinating topics in his very timely topic. This presentation is free to the public.

Link to Dave's Bio: https://hawkwatch.org/team/staff/dave-oleyar/