Tuthill and Pecos Farmfield

Fast Flight Facts

Target Species:  Different grassland birds in winter and migration (longspurs, sparrows, Lark Buntings, etc.)

Elevation: 960'

Habitat:  Bermuda fields

Overall Birding Rating: 3

Difficulty: 1 (Easy)

Birding Type: Easy Hiking

Facilities:  None

Fees/Ownership:  None/Private Property

Closest Town or City/How far from Phoenix:  Buckeye /26.3 miles southwest of Phoenix

Getting there:  Dirt road pull off at Pecos and Tuthill Roads, south of Buckeye

Overview:  If your in the southwest part of Phoenix in the Buckeye area and looking for an additional place to bird, a section of farmfields is found in the south part of this area.  These farmfields are found at the southern part of Jackrabbit/Tuthill Road and have outstanding birding potential.  This potential was proved when a very rare Smith's Longspur was found by Kurt and Cindy Radamaker at the beginning of 2012 in one of the bermuda fields.  Prior to the Radamaker's outstanding discovery, Smith's Longspur had only been recorded in Arizona once before.  This first bird was found in the northeast part of Arizona in the Springerville area of Apache County in 1953.  However, it was found dead and could never "officially" be countable on anyone's list, but it was a great addition to the state list.  Nearly sixty years later, Kurt and Cindy had their eyes on the first "live" Smith's Longspur in Arizona.  And the Smith's Longspur continued to love the field after the original discovery date.  Birders flocked to see this bird who was cooperative for many.  This buffy-fronted Longspur gives a distinctive call note in flight, which helped every birder looking for it.  Besides the Smith's Longspur, birders also found that this field was good for other longspurs, sparrows, Lark Buntings, bluebirds, meadowlarks and raptors. 

Birding Tip:  Birding in this field does require a lot of patience and scanning, and is very difficult to bird without a scope.  This field is also private property and is owned by a farmer who is very friendly to birders, who gave birders permission to bird on his property.  Be sure to be on your best behavior in this area to maintain a good birding reputation.

Directions:  From the 1-10 West (Papago Freeway), take the Jackrabbit Trail Road exit south.  Head south on Jackrabbit Trail Road, which eventually turns into Tuthill Road.  Take Jackrabbit Trail/Tuthill Road south for 12 miles.  Once the twelve miles are reached, turn west (right) on Pecos.  Just feet after turning right on Pecos (which is a dirt road), make a quick left (north), which is another dirt road bordering the south side of Pecos Road.  After continuing on, park along the field.  This dirt road that branches just south of Pecos Road and borders the north end of the field still splits into two after a short distance, where parking is good on either branch.  Pecos Road comes up rather fast, a good mark to know your approaching is Waterman Wash, which is just north of Pecos Road. 

Pages:

Tuthill and Pecos Farmfield Maps

Tuthill and Pecos Farmfield eBird Data

Scenes and Sights from Tuthill and Pecos Farmfield:

Birdlife of Tuthill and Pecos Farmfield:

Smith's Longspur

Vesper Sparrow

Horned Lark

Lark Buntings

Back to Area 7-Southwest Phoenix