Sandhill Crane Watch Saturday October 16th 2010

We set out for Whitewater Draw at 4 A.M. expecting to arrive just before sunrise which was at 6:15 A.M. We knew we would be cutting it close because Sandhills as is their habit leave their roosting area at or just before sunrise and head to the grain fields.
As we arrived at 6:05 A.M. it was immediately clear that the birds were already heading out to feed. Within minutes there were only a few Sandhills that remained. There were about 200 or so cranes that headed out.
Happy to have at least seen and heard the birds moving to the feeding grounds we decided to do a little bird watching and take some photos and so we set out to do just that not knowing if we would see any Sandhills again during the day.
Whitewater Draw is a fairly remote destination and we had the whole place to ourselves from our arrival at six until after ten when a couple of other folks showed up.



This is a view of the pavilion looking east as the sun clears the mountains in the background.

We could see and hear well enough to know that there were hundreds of blackbirds present and as many if not more swallows. Shorebirds, ducks, and many flycatchers were also present in good numbers as well.
It was around 50 degrees early on so it was very pleasant as far as the temperature was concerned but walking was a little difficult as mud from the walkways built up on the heels of our shoes.



There were several Killdeers and many wading birds, mostly Greater Yellowlegs.
As we had come to see Sandhills we spent very little time trying to identify the birds that we saw and just tried to enjoy the peacefulness of the place and we ended up walking about for over three and a half hours.

This web with inhabitant was spotted on the south side of the preserve and I couldn't resist trying to get a shot for the blog. I believe that this is an Orb Weaver. You can find more information about the Orb Weaver here at: fireflyforest.net/firefly/2006/09/08/orb-weaver-spider/






There were two Northern Harriers that cruised along the marsh never getting more than twenty feet above the ground. We see these hawks in many of the preserves that we frequent but never more than one or two in any one place. More about Northern Harriers at: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Harrier/id

Lots and lots of grasshoppers and other insects around and this tiny toad that was no bigger than a the fist joint of my thumb. It was so small in fact that I had trouble finding it with my camera. It also looked allot like the soil in which it was sitting.

The Great Horned Owls were sleeping in the pavilion which is where we saw them the last time we were at Whitewater. Find out more about Great Horned Owls here at: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/great_horned_owl/id

At around ten o'clock we discussed whether to go looking for the Sandhills in the fields or to stick around and just do a little photography and see if they returned to the marsh. We decided to stay at the marsh and set up on one of the viewing platforms. This was the view, about a dozen or so Sandhills and a Great White Egret and one lonely Snow Goose.

Our timing could not have been better because at 10 o'clock we spotted maybe twenty Sandhills coming from the north and joining up with the few that remained at the pool. Originally I thought that these were birds returning from the fields but then I realized that the cranes that left earlier had headed to the east.
We were entertained by waders and Harriers for a while and just enjoyed the quiet of this place while we waited to see if any more Sandhills would arrive.




The scenery is quite beautiful and relaxing but there is very little shade to be found anywhere so we were happy to have brought an umbrella to shelter us from time to time.


About ten minutes later we heard the familiar call from the sky and what seems to be a low response from the birds already on the ground as kind of a locator for the incoming birds. This time the flock was larger and our excitement grew accordingly.

And then more came, and more. It wasn't long before we realized that we could reach 1000 Cranes.
For every flight that came in there was a calling from the sky and a low call form the ground. Each flight came to the exact location and the Sandhills gathered together as close to one another as they could. No incoming cranes landed in any other location. It was clear that this was as much a social gathering as it was for protection. Truly remarkable behavior and amazing to witness.
Sandhills are obviously strong flyers but their flight has some very noticeable characteristics. My first observation was that their flight while not as organized as geese has a general spacing that keeps them from collisions and it seems to me that there is an individual who leads although I couldn't pick one out. They also break into smaller groups to land if there are too many for a single landing. At times their landings look like pure chaos as they prepare to touch down with their legs extended well before the get near the ground.
As you can see the flock grew and grew. 1000 Birds

1,300 birds!



1,500 birds!
Our final count was between 1,600 and 1,800 Sandhills had arrived at their wintering home. It was a magnificent day and I will always remember flight after flight of these beautiful birds landing as close to one another as possible. I will be attending the Grasslands Fair at Buenos Aries National Wildlife Refuge next Saturday the 23rd and will return to Whitewater Draw the following weekend to see how the numbers have increased. Last year there were a reported 44,000 individuals here at Whitewater.

From San Pedro River to Whitewater Draw

Our plan was to head to Whitewater Draw to see if the Sandhill Cranes had begun to return to the farmland that provides food for the thousands of birds that winter in the area. It's over a hundred miles from Tucson so we decided to stop at San Pedro River Conservation Area which is on the way just to be able to stretch and take a break from the car.

We were greeted by several majestic cottonwoods which are prevalent in riparian areas here in the south of Arizona. I was immediately amazed by the stature of the trees and the many different birds that were everywhere we looked.

This was the tree with the largest trunk which I would estimate to be at least 25 to 30 feet in circumference. It was simply magnificent with branches that were as large as many trees and I couldn't help be amazed that it had survived so many years in this place.

The San Pedro House serves as the gift shop/bookstore which is run by the Friends of the San Pedro River.

It boasts a pretty good reference library and has a great selection of books as well other gifts you would expect to find in a place like this. You can find more information on the San Pedro River here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Pedro_River_(Arizona)

The San Pedro House is nestled under this one tree that is quite impressive.

There is an extensive trail system the runs along the river and of course we couldn't resist taking a walk out along one of the trails to see what this place was all about. As you can imagine when you don't really have to be anywhere on the clock time sorta slips away and we ended up walking the trail for about three hours. It is a beautiful place with a huge number of species of plants, animals, birds, insects, reptiles, etc. We were greeted by the ever present signs warning that "snakes may be present" which makes you keep a close eye where you walk but we did not encounter any poisonous creatures during our walk.

We did see several hawks including this Red Tailed Hawk that was being harassed by a couple of Western Kingbirds. It put up with it for quite a while and then all at once decided that enough was enough and took to the skies with the Kingbirds hot on his tail.





The vegetation along the trail was quite high and in some areas we had to push the grasses aside but for the most part the trail was wide and easy to walk.

Butterflies are very hard to get decent pictures of because they seem to be moving most of the time. This Checkered White was cooperative probably due to the 50 degree temperatures in the early hours of the day.

We took half a dozen side trips on trails that got us closer to water. We saw several deer here that moved quickly away from us.

This dragonfly was hovering above the first pool that we were able to get right next to the water.

A Great Blue Heron was fishing on the other side of the pool and paid little attention to us as we were a good distance from him/her.



Insects were everywhere but there were almost no mosquitoes or biting insects the whole time we walked. This Queen Butterfly paid little attention to the Grasshopper that was right next to it.

I don't know a whole lot about grasshoppers but I thought this was a great shot that shows some interesting grasshopper behavior.

Sparrows! Sparrows were everywhere including Song Sparrow and Cassin's Sparrow. There are over thirty different variations of song sparrow in the west so it can be interesting trying to identify them.

The valley goes on for an eternity here in the southwest and mountains are frame the landscape here.





After our detour we headed to Bisbee for lunch and then off to Whitewater Draw to see if there were any Sandhill Cranes that had returned to their wintering spot.

For those of you who know Arizona you know that the sun at midday can be brutal even if the temperature is comfortable the sun is extremely intense. This would mean a purposeful walk around Whitewater as there is very little shade to be had.

The first pool was really quiet but extremely peaceful and very pretty. There were no Sandhills to be found.





On our second stop there were 50-60 ducks but still no Sandhills anywhere in sight.




As we moved toward the next location we heard the familiar call that we had hoped to hear.

The Sandhills had begun to return. Granted there weren't 40,000 but there were 30 or so and they made our trip worth while. They were several hundred yards away but I didn't mind because they were there and the season had begun and I knew there would be many opportunities to get some great pictures.





We will return often to record the Sandhill Cranes but in the meantime you can find more information on them here: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sandhill_Crane/id

Road To Madera

Today was one of those days that I just wanted to get out of the house to walk and enjoy the great outdoors. Living here in Southern Arizona during the summer can be a challenge especially if you don't like being cooped up indoors.
Today started out at 66 degrees and ended in the mid 90's which is considerably cooler than it has been in a while. With the humidity that accompanies the Monsoon noticeably absent being out is actually pleasant even at 95 degrees.

It is really inspiring to see the great expanse across the valley especially on such a beautiful day.
I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. Enjoy!