If you're a birder and the idea of strange bedfellows stirs your political juices, imagine hopping into the sack with Native Americans, rock climbers, four wheelers, the hunters in the Arizona Wildlife Federation, and the ex-engineers in the Concerned Citizens and Retired Miners Coalition.  This is the disparate alliance opposed to the proposed land swap which would give 3025 acres of Tonto National Forest surrounding the Oak Flat Campground just east of Superior to the Resolution Copper Company (RCC).

If you're a birder and you don't know about RCC's attempted circumvention of the National Environmental Policy Act, you've got some research and letter writing to do.  If you're a birder and you've never birded Oak Flats, now's the time for your first visit to this ruggedly beautiful area in the Dripping Springs Mountains along Arizona Highway 60 only an hour from the Valley.  Oak Flats holds sacred Apache cultural sites, an endanged cactus species, and a host of birds difficult to find elsewhere in central Arizona.  Late wintertime there is especially rewarding for birders because of the opportunity to see early high desert breeding species and migrant mountain species side-by-side in the same habitat.

The best winter birding is often right in the campground itself, centrally located in the Oak Flats site.  The hills just south and west of the camp are home to several pairs of crissal thrasher, an uncommon and notoriously elusive skulker more often heard than actually seen.  This is the most reliable, closest location to Phoenix for this early spring nesting species.  Listen and watch for it teed up atop the scrub oak shrubbery, vocally defending its territory.  Other uncommon area breeding bird specialties include gray vireo and black-chinned sparrow, and the delightfully onomatopoeic song of the canyon wren can be heard year round cascading down the chaparral choked ravines.

Non-breeding avian visitors to the Flats now at this season usually include one or more of the following:  flocks of stunningly electric azure mountain bluebirds patrolling the stubble fields, unexpectedly plumaged green and rose Lewis's woodpeckers prospecting for flying insects from the treetops; a brightly colored rufous-backed robin foraging amongst pyracantha berries of similar hue; or a small band of beautiful lemon and black Lawrence's goldfinches gleaning bugs from the brown and desiccated leaves still clinging to the winter willows.

Once you've birded the campground, there are two other options to explore.  Returning to the main entrance road, turn left and bird up the pavement open all the way to the mine entrance.  Be sure to linger around the seasonal pond a few hundred yards up the road on the left.  Wilson's snipe are camouflaged in the grassy slough areas, and red-naped sapsuckers and black phoebes are always present.

After returning back past the campground entrance, continue right on the gravel forest service road to the east.  Drive as far as your vehicle is comfortable negotiating the rocks and potholes, and walk the brushy draws and washes for northern cardinal, spotted towhee, and scrub jay.  If you wait until summer for your visit, watch overhead for golden eagles, zone-tailed and black hawks, and listen for Lucy's warblers and hooded orioles, all warm weather nesters on the Flats.

The allure of Oak Flats for Phoenix birders at all seasons is the chance to see, without a long drive, species not seen in the Valley.  If you go now, dress in layers.  Winter mornings before sun-up can be freezing, but sunny afternoons are pleasant.  Summertime at Oak Flats is a cool interlude from the staggering Valley heat.  Be advised the campground itself may be crowded at any season.  Remember all those disparate bedfellows in your conservation coalition?  They all love Oak Flats, all for different reasons, all in different seasons.  And if you visit and love it too, please do your research and write those letters so we can all enjoy it for generations to come.