Santa Cruz “Bird Watching”
by Sam Lowe

The familiar term “watch the birdie” takes an entirely new meaning when applied to Santa Cruz County.

Normally, the phrase is a request by a photographer. But in Santa Cruz County, it can also mean that visitors should keep an eye out for birds because they are, in a sense, showing the way.

Birds are a major component of a Santa Cruz Tourism Council campaign designed to draw visitors to Arizona’s smallest county. The area is well known as a birdwatchers’ hot spot, and council members hope to capitalize on that.

So they commissioned the bird sculptures. Ten of them have been spread across the county at resorts, offices and parks as trail markers that direct visitors to places of interest.  The sculptures range from roadrunner to crow, and from a six-footer standing alone to a hawk attached to a 15-foot steel beam. The materials used include scrap metal, clay, bronze, tin and ceramic.
“The Bird Watcher,” which stands at the Amado Territorial Inn, is a whimsical work that David Voisard created from rusted car parts. But Marlene Knutson’s “The Magnificent Turkey Vulture” features an almost delicate bronze head mounted on a body covered by copper feathers. It’s in the lobby if the Esplendor Resort in Rio Rico.

A small directional sign that gives directions to the next bird accompanies each sculpture. Maps of the “trail of the birds” are available at visitor centers and resorts throughout the county. Bird sculpture fans intent on seeing all of them can make the trek in about three hours if they don’t dawdle. But the required time is going to be extended because the council expects to add another five sculptures in the next two years.

Besides the birds – both steel and real -- those who go to Santa Cruz County will also find the area steeped in the history of early Spanish conquerors who came up from Mexico looking for the legendary Seven Cities of Cibola. Foremost among them was Juan Bautista de Anza, who led a group of Spanish settlers into northern California to establish San Francisco. Researchers have determined that de Anza followed the Santa Cruz River as it runs through the county, which gives it historical significance and is a cause for annual celebrations along the route.

Of course, Santa Cruz County also has a couple of outstanding tourist destinations – the arts colony at Tubac and the old mission at Tumacacori. The new campaign hopes to draw attention to some lesser-known attractions, like the La Mision de San Miguel, an entertainment center, and the well-designed Butterfly Park, both in Patagonia.

And the Amado Territorial Inn offers a variety of attractions. Besides being a place to spend a night, the property houses two restaurants, working artist studios that welcome drop-ins, a croquet court, jewelry shop, melodramas and Dog Chefs of America where guests can take part in dog food cooking classes.

Farther south, Nogales lures tourists with walking maps that highlight points of interest. Among them, the Primeria Alta Museum, the mansions along Crawford Street, the beautiful stained glass windows in Sacred Heart Catholic Church, and the 1904 Court House.

Golfers can test their skills and vocabularies at four courses in the county, and birders can watch more than 100 species at Patagonia Lake State Park and the Nature Conservancy’s Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Park. Or they can stop by the Jesse Hendrix Hummingbird Ranch near Nogales, where his 150 feeders attract thousands of hummers during the high season.

The Whipple Observatory sits atop the highest peak in the Santa Rita Mountains east of Amado. And those who like to see the countryside on foot can hike the historic Arizona Trail near Patagonia or wander the trails of Madera Canyon on the northeast side of the Santa Rita Mountains.

For more information on going to the birds, log on to www.toursantacruz.com or call the Santa Cruz Tourism Council at 520-398-0007.

Photos by Sam Lowe