I decided it would be nice to go birding one morning in Sedona with my sister’s boyfriend so we got up super early and went on a little adventure throughout some popular birding spots. I am definitely a photographer more than a birder, and honestly was a little disappointed in what we saw compared to the birding I’ve done in other spots around the world. If you are a hard core birder though, it is definitely worth spending a morning checking them out. My favorite spot of the day was watching a mother duckling escort her chicks around just as the sun broke through the horizon and flooded them with a beautiful golden light. If you only have a couple days in Sedona I would skip the birding and get your bird fix somewhere else like the Grand Canyon or Zion National Park.
I love these three images because they really show you the power of the right lighting.
Before the sun rose:
After the sun rose: