Ash Canyon Bird Sanctuary Webcam – Spot Arizona Javelinas

The Ash Canyon Bird Sanctuary Webcam watches the back porch feeding area of a small private sanctuary on the lower slopes of the Huachuca Mountains in southeastern Arizona. A path of red earth edged with stones curves through the frame, a platform feeder stands on a post in a ring of flat stones, and seed feeders and a red hummingbird feeder hang from poles under twisted oak trees. Squirrels were working the ground for spilled seed on the morning this post was written, birds come and go from the feeders, and javelinas, the wild pig-like peccaries of the Southwest, can wander in to forage, which is why the stream goes by the name Javelinas and Arizona Wildlife Cam. The sanctuary is run by the Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory, and the camera is streamed by explore.org.

About Ash Canyon Bird Sanctuary

Ash Canyon Bird Sanctuary sits on the southeastern slope of the Huachuca Mountains in southwestern Cochise County, at 5255 East Spring Road outside Hereford, south of Sierra Vista. The ground here is about 1,570 meters (5,150 feet) above sea level, in mid-elevation oak grassland. It was the home of the late Mary Jo Ballator, and the Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory (SABO) bought the property with a single large donation and took over its ownership and management in November 2020.

The sanctuary is best known for one bird. SABO’s director, Tom Wood, calls it probably the best place in the United States to see the Lucifer hummingbird, which visits the feeders from late March to mid-October. More than 200 bird species have been recorded on the property, including the plain-capped starthroat, elegant trogon, Montezuma quail and rufous-winged sparrow, and naturalists have logged more than 240 other species, over 180 of them insects and other arthropods.

SABO itself was founded in 1996 in Bisbee by Tom Wood and Sheri Williamson, former managers of The Nature Conservancy’s Ramsey Canyon Preserve. Its longest-running research project bands hummingbirds that use the nearby San Pedro River as a breeding area or a migration corridor, the kind of seasonal route traced on our bird migration map.

Weather and Climate in Ash Canyon

Averaged over 2015 to 2024 in the ERA5 reanalysis, January runs from about 1°C (35°F) at night to 14°C (58°F) in the afternoon, and a light dusting of snow is possible from December to March. April warms to 8°C to 24°C (47°F to 76°F), and June is the hottest month, with highs near 33°C (92°F).

July and August bring the summer monsoon and are the wettest months by far, with about 40 percent of the year’s rain between them, while lows stay around 19°C to 20°C (66°F to 67°F). October is dry at 12°C to 26°C (54°F to 78°F), and April and May see almost no rain at all. The total is roughly 300 millimeters (12 inches) a year. On camera, the summer rains can green up the grass and brush around the feeders, while the dry spring months leave the ground bare.

Things to Do Near Ash Canyon

The sanctuary itself is a sit-and-watch spot with room for only four or five cars, and it asks visitors for a donation to SABO, suggested at $10 in 2022. It has opened from dawn to dusk Friday to Wednesday and on Thursday afternoons. In the same corner of Cochise County, The Nature Conservancy’s Ramsey Canyon Preserve protects about 380 acres (154 hectares) of canyon with the Hamburg Trail, and Coronado National Memorial marks the first European expedition into the Southwest, with a drive up to Montezuma Pass that looks south into Mexico.

The San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area follows the San Pedro River, where more than 300 bird species have been recorded. Farther afield, the old mining town of Bisbee in the Mule Mountains has the Copper Queen Hotel, the Lavender Pit and the Queen Mine tour, Tombstone keeps the O.K. Corral and Boothill, and Kartchner Caverns State Park runs guided tours of a living limestone cave.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

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• Hummingbird Feeders Webcam
• Woodlands Critter Quest Webcam
• Benson Train Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Ash Canyon Bird Sanctuary?

It is on the southeastern slope of the Huachuca Mountains in Cochise County, southeastern Arizona, at 5255 East Spring Road near Hereford and south of Sierra Vista.

What can you see on the Ash Canyon Bird Sanctuary Webcam?

The sanctuary’s back porch feeding area: a stone-edged path, a platform feeder, hanging seed and hummingbird feeders under oak trees, and the squirrels, birds and javelinas that come to feed.

What is a javelina?

A javelina, also called a collared peccary, is a wild, pig-like mammal of the Southwest. Javelinas visit the Ash Canyon feeding area, which is why the stream carries their name.

When can you see Lucifer hummingbirds at Ash Canyon?

From late March to mid-October. Ash Canyon is considered probably the best place in the United States to see the species.

What is the weather like in Ash Canyon, Arizona?

Mild winters with January afternoons around 14°C (58°F), hot early summers with June highs near 33°C (92°F), and a July and August monsoon that brings most of the year’s rain.

Can you visit Ash Canyon Bird Sanctuary?

Yes. It is a small sit-and-watch site run by the Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory, with parking for only a few cars and a suggested donation. Check SABO’s current hours before you go.

Who runs the Ash Canyon Bird Sanctuary Webcam?

The sanctuary belongs to the Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory, a nonprofit founded in Bisbee in 1996, and the camera is streamed by explore.org.

Source: explore.org