Photos of the Week-Madera Canyon

Visiting Madera Canyon is almost always filled with wildlife encounters and Saturday's hike was no exception. Both Mule Deer and White-tailed Deer are found at Madera Canyon. They blend really well in this environment so getting a good picture is not always a sure thing but it is fun to try.

These White Tail were very accommodating and we spotted at least six in the herd and had several encounters with  them during our visit. They only became alarmed when people with dogs came down the path and then it was tails up and bounding away as quickly as possible.

Protecting the Yellowstone Buffalo

I recently sent the following letter to the National Park Service at Yellowstone regarding the treatment of the only wild buffalo herd left in the United States. I would like to clarify one thing and that is in general I support the work that the National Park Service does but on this particular issue I believe that for a variety of reasons the park service has failed to live up to it's mission. I would also like to acknowledge that funding for our National Parks is woefully inadequate making the job of protecting our national treasures that much more difficult.
Many years ago millions of buffalo roamed freely in America, unfortunately that is no longer the case. Relentless slaughter for profit nearly wiped out the buffalo then and now it's up to us to make sure that the few thousand wild buffalo that remain on the land are free to roam and prosper.

Ray


Thank you for your response to my letter about the Yellowstone Bison and their treatment under the Interagency Bison Management Plan. I have followed the debate concerning the Yellowstone Bison for many years and have yet to understand how a management plan can be predicated on a non-existent threat to a few cattle. Using brucellosis as an excuse to haze, trap and slaughter buffalo because they seek food in their ancestral lands is nothing more than obfuscation and cruelty dressed in scientific mumbo jumbo.
Anyone paying attention to this issue knows that there is zero threat to Montana’s cattle from brucellosis. If even one case of documented transmission could be presented as a reason for the brutal treatment of the bison it would still be a spurious argument in that so few domestic cattle are on the disputed lands. While buffalo are are treated as an invader into Montana elk that carry brucellosis throughout these areas are ignored and move freely about the state.
In my opinion it’s time to scrap the IBMP altogether and create a working group who’s mission is to save the Yellowstone Bison from the misguided and some would say down right hostile stance taken by Montana via the Montana Department of Livestock which is in my opinion the buffalos real enemy.
 A group that has the Montana Department of Livestock and APHIS in it’s membership cannot do the right thing for the bison that travel into Montana looking for food because of their complete lack of concern for the buffalo and their disregard for the facts about the transmission of brucellosis from bison to cattle.
 Cattle can be and are raised in hundreds of other areas including public lands across America. The last wild buffalo herd has only one option and it must continue to seek food where it exists in southern most Montana when no other option is available for their survival. The cattle industry enjoys unbelievable access to public lands and surely it can accommodate this single small herd of buffalo that is the symbol of the United States Interior Department and is loved by Americans everywhere.
As the group charged with the protection of America’s premier national park hopefully you can understand how this treatment of the Yellowstone Bison is viewed as a stain on the record of the National Park Service who otherwise have made remarkable contributions in protecting Americas parks.
It’s time to change from “managing the bison” to “allowing them to roam free”. Capturing and slaughtering wild buffalo is not even remotely humane and it does not matter if the numbers are 700 or 330 or 1 it is still wrong. Allowing bison to migrate into Montana so they can be prey for hunters in an equally bad idea and is also inhumanity at it worst.
Imagine the outcry if domestic cattle that roam public lands were suddenly available to hunters or imagine that they could be rounded up and sent to slaughter if they happened to wander where they were not welcome by environmental groups. Allowing the Montana Department of Livestock to control the future viability of the last remaining wild buffalo in America will ultimately lead to it’s destruction and that will be a sad day for all of America.

Ray Goodwin
Sonoran Connection
Tucson Arizona

I sent a copy of this letter to the Buffalo Field Campaign which is the group that works to document the treatment of the last wild bison herd in Yellowstone and according to Stephany it was read out loud to the group at their nightly meeting.

Picture of the Week- Empire Ranch

One of the things that I like about this area is the remnants of the grasslands just to the south of here. Most have been heavily transformed by grazing and the unrelenting march of Mesquite trees but in some areas there have been significant efforts to return to the grasslands of yesteryear. Just by chance the other day Nan and I were in the Sonoita area doing a little hiking and bird watching when I spotted a Northern Harrier from the road and wanted to get a better look and maybe take a picture or two. While we were stopped Nan spotted a kiosk out on the horizon which piqued our curiosity. We found a dirt road marked "Empire Ranch" and headed out to check it out.

 It was already mid afternoon so we didn't have a whole lot of time to explore, especially since the ranch is massive. We scouted a small section near the ranch headquarters and decided that we had to make a return trip much earlier in the day so we could explore this amazing place.
There is an ongoing effort to return 20,000 acres to grassland by removing the mesquite and a reintroduction effort for the Black-tailed Prairie Dog which became extinct in Arizona many year ago. I can't wait to make a return visit to this exciting project. You can read about the Empire Ranch here:                                      www.empireranchfoundation.org/RanchInfo.htm

Evening In Tucson Mountain Park

This shot is of the road through Gates Pass taken from Kinney Road. If you enlarge it by clicking on it you can see the road up the mountain in the background. This is my back yard which contains thousands of acres of protected lands here on Tucson's west side. Learn more about Tucson Mountain Park and Saguaro National Park West here: www.pima.gov/nrpr/parks/tmp/index.htm and here: www.nps.gov/sagu/index.htm

Picture of the Week

This weeks pic is of the Big Horn Sheep that can be seen at the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum here in Tucson. We are fortunate to live a short distance from the museum and I frequently take my early morning walk around the grounds. More information on the Desert Big Horn can be found at the Cabeza Prieta NWR site here: www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/arizona/cabighrn.html

Picture of the Week

It is my intention to post a new photograph each week just because I happen to like it and with the hopes that you will enjoy it too. Here's is this weeks offering. This female Anna's Hummingbird kept a close eye on me! www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Annas_Hummingbird/id/ac

Agua Caliente Park

We set out early this morning to visit Roy P. Drachman Agua Caliente Park which is nestled in the northeastern corner of Tucson. With the Santa Catalina's and the Rincon Mountains as back drops. Agua Caliente is an unusual desert oasis loaded with birdwatching opportunities. 

 As we stepped out of the car we were greeted by this "empidonax". There is no grouping of birds that is harder to identify but they make for a great picture. You can learn more about the trials and tribulations of identification of emphidonax here: 10000birds.com/what-is-an-empidonax-flycatcher.htm

We are originally from New England and immediately were aware of the familiar call of Robin Red Breast. There were perhaps 15 or so that I counted during our visit. Learn more about American Robins here: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/american_robin/id/ac

Agua Caliente which translates to "Hot Water" is a year round source of warm water that comes from the Santa Catalina's. There is a spot in the park where the water bubbles up out of the ground and turns into  a small stream that feeds the ponds at Agua Caliente. The park was planted many years ago with non native palm trees that have grown to magnificent size and are the most notable plant around the main pond.

I loved this walk through the wooded area of the park. It has a variety of trees but is mostly Mesquite. This path leads to the smaller ponds that are fed water after the main pond is full and while we were there the water was coming in at a very slow rate. These ponds were by no means at capacity and we saw very little activity here.

Most of the palms were not pruned and had the fronds hanging all the way to the ground which provides a home for many birds and other desert creatures.

Another surprise was the presence of Cedar Waxwings which were near the water and feeding in the palms as shown here. I estimate that there were around two dozen Waxwings in the park and everyone was trying to get a good picture. I have to admit that when I'm in the field the excitement of the moment sometimes overcomes my technical sensibilities and when I load the images onto my computer there is always the possibility that I will be disappointed with the results. The waxwings is one such incident and I am considering an early morning return to try once again. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Cedar_waxwing/id/ac

There are many picnic tables at the first pond which has a contingent of resident mallards and other ducks that are very comfortable around humans and some dogs. Most were scattered along the waters edge sleeping and barely noticed our presence if at all.

The three photos above show the size of the palms which must have been planted many years ago. While not native to the Sonoran Desert there are many palms throughout the Tucson area.

This Great Blue Heron spent the entire time we were there observing the water around this platform. Moving from side to side but we never saw it enter the water or catch any food. You can read more about Great Blue Herons here at: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Blue_Heron/id/ac

These two photos show the Santa Catalina's in the background and the "oasis" quality of the first pond juxtaposed against the traditional dry desert mountains. It's a contrast that's worth seeing as there are so few permanent water sources here in the desert.

The rule for bird watching here in southern Arizona in expect the unexpected and I didn't expect to see a pair of male Ring-necked Ducks today but here is the proof. Check out Ring-necked Ducks here: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ring-necked_Duck/id/ac

It was a nice visit and I will return to Agua Caliente in the future as it has allot to offer those of us who seek to spend our days in and around nature.

Saguaro Forest?

I have tried on many occasions to shoot a photo that would illustrate the term "Saguaro Forest". Saguaros have a tendency to stand out when I look at them and then blend into their surroundings when I snap the shutter. On more than one occasion I have thought that I captured the essence of the "forest" only to find out later that it was not to be.

I took this shot this morning at Gates Pass looking west toward the Baboquivari Mountain Range in the background. To get the full impact of the term "forest" click on the photo to see the enlarged version. Enjoy.

Grand Canyon Photo Group

This is a grouping of photos that I took on a whirlwind trip to the Grand Canyon in April of 2010. I have sold one of these photos multiple times and the others are printed and framed for the first time. As you will see all four photos were taken at the south rim within a 6 hour period. I couldn't help but notice how many different looks the canyon has in a short period of time.

                           

I've started doing my own mats and framing and really actually enjoy the process especially when the results are close to what I envisioned in the first place. This "Blue Canyon" was taken at 5:27 A.M. We had arrived while it was still dark and hung out to see what would happen. Overall size is approx. 14x24 and will be priced at around $65

I call this one "Rise" This is a much larger sunrise photo at right around 21x27 inches. It will be priced at $125. As these are pictures of pictures some of the detail in this photo near the bottom is not visible and the sun rays are much more pronounced in the actual photo. It was taken at 5:50 A.M

This photo has sold multiple times in this exact format. Even when placed with lots of other options this photo is a standout. This one reminds me of the Maxfield Parrish print that I used to buy at auction in New England. This is without a doubt my most popular art photograph and in this configuration sells for $125. This one was taken at 6:55 A.M.

When I first saw this photo I immediately thought what a great black and white print it would make. Smaller than most of my works and in a square format this one retails for $75 at 16x16 inches overall dimension including the frame. All dimensions given include the frames. This photo was taken mid morning. I can't wait to have another opportunity to photograph the Grand Canyon which is a project in the planning.

A Visit to the Sandhills

It's been quite a while since I've checked in on the Sandhill Cranes at Whitewater Draw so I thought I would use a little of my new found freedom and make the journey on Tuesday. Now it's about a 240 mile round trip so it's more time in the car then actually watching the cranes but it is a spectacular sight to see thousands of Sandhills return from feeding in the grain fields of area farms.

         

If you have ever been to this area you already know how "out there" you are due to long stretches of almost nothing. Fortunately Nan and I love to watch for the hawks that winter here and spend their time pole sitting along the roads leading to Whitewater. On this trip this guy caught my eye in the area known as "Sunsites" At first I thought it might be an eagle so I stopped turned around and got out the binoculars to identify the very dark bird. Turned out to be a Dark Morph Red Tail as you can see in the picture. It was munching on some poor bird who apparently wasn't fast enough to stay clear of this magnificent buteo. You can learn more about Red Tails here at: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/red-tailed_hawk/id/ac

Upon arriving at Whitewater it was immediately clear that water levels in the marshes had only recovered to about half their normal level since our last visit. Just to the left of the above picture there is water being pumped into the marsh at a pretty good rate so I expect that levels will continue to rise but it is a big area and without rain this could become quite dry in the summer months ahead.

Where ever I go here in extreme southern Arizona and there are marshes there are usually American Coot around making their distinctive call over and over to make sure everyone is aware of their presence.  Learn more about American Coot here at: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/american_coot/id/ac

Cold nights and days in the 60's and 70's make this area a great place to spend time bird watching. When we started out it was with jackets and gloves and ice on the marsh. Beautiful Arizona sun was the order of the day with a slow warming trend that made the outer wear unnecessary.

I have never seen Coots on ice before and it was quite humorous. Their large feet make their strides on the hard surface awkward and I was quite amused when they all fell into line to transition from open water to the ice.

Although water levels were low there was quite a variety of birds at the marsh including many Northern Shovelers and other ducks using the various ponds. Black Phoebes were abundant as were the many sparrows that are always present here at whitewater.

WHO AM I? The above picture shows the one that got away. A beautiful not too often seen because it likes to hide medium sized creature that frequents marshes. Tell me what you think it is by leaving a note in the comment section and I will let you know if you are correct.

The Sandhills started returning to the Draw almost as soon as we arrived. You can pretty much tell time by these guys as they are truly creatures of habit. If you arrive at Whitewater at 10 A.M. and stick around until 2 P.M. you will witness thousands of birds returning from feeding in the grain fields. On this visit the cranes were roosting much farther away than last year. Perhaps due to changes in the water levels or just their natural inclination to land where the first groups land for protection from predators they chose to stay far from the reach of my camera. I would put the numbers of Sandhills at between 10 and 12,000 but I could be wrong because they were for the most part they were hundreds of yards away.

When I first saw Sandhills I thought what awkward flyers they are but I have since come to realize that they are quite masterful in flight especially landing as seen above. Learn about Sandhill Cranes here at: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sandhill_Crane/lifehistory/ac

This is what the skies look like as the cranes return to Whitewater.

There were a few Pied-billed Grebes present which are always fun to watch as they go about their business of feeding which consists of diving over and over for their food source. The grebes also sink out of sight whenever they sense danger as we observed when the Northern Harrier got a little too close for their comfort.

There are a few Northern Harriers at the Draw and they seem to be continually looking for food. Moving in sometimes very large circles and sometimes smaller ones they fly just above the marsh dropping down to grab their meal out of sight in the marsh grasses. A remarkable bird to watch.

2012 at Sonoran Connection

Thanks to all of you who visited here over the last few years. I hope you have enjoyed your visits to Sonoran Connection and will plan on returning often during the coming year.
 2012 promises to be a great year for Sonoran Connection now that my time is no longer devoted to a 40 hour a week job. I will be spending allot more time in the field exploring the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts and expanding outward to places like the Grand Canyon, Yosemite National Park and many other interesting and picturesque places here in the west.
Wishing everyone a happy holiday season and prosperous new year .

Ray Goodwin
Sonoran Connection

Lunar Eclipse 12/10 2011

 4:49 A.M. MST

 5:44 A.M. MST

 5:50 A.M. MST

5:58 A.M. MST

                

6:12 A.M. MST

 6:18 A.M. MST

6:36 A.M. MST Camera setting change.

                                             

 6:41 A.M. MST

6:42 A.M. MST

6:43 A.M. MST