Species Diversity

We wanted to stay in the city but still get out and spend some time with nature so we headed off to Sweetwater to see what we could find there for wildlife. For those of you who have never been to Sweetwater it can be a species filled morning with perhaps over one hundred different birds and animals in this tiny oasis.This is one of a family of Harris's Hawks that makes Sweetwater it's home.



Right off the bat we spotted Northern Pintails which we had not seen here before.

Next up was this Pied-Billed Grebe in winter plumage.

This little guy is a difficult ID for me but I was hoping someone would be able to help me with this one. My expert in Massachusetts tells me this is a female Ruddy Duck.

At one point I slipped off the trail to see if I could get a shot of a Yellow Warbler that was flitting nearby and this male Bobcat walked slowly by me maybe seven feet away. It showed no concern that I was there stopping to mark it's territory and moving twenty feet away, cleaning itself and then laying down in full view of me.

The American Coot is the most vocal water bird at the marsh.

Blackbirds are everywhere in both small and large flocks.

I believe that this is an immature White Crowned Sparrow but my sparrow skills are sadly lacking so I could be wrong.

We were fortunate to spot this life lister for both of us. The Black Throated Gray Warbler is a great find and one of the highlights of the day.

I think this is a Lincoln's Sparrow which if I am correct would be another life lister for us.

The Abert's Towhee keeps very close to the underbrush so that it can scurry to safety and feed at the same time.

These Lawrence's Goldfinches were a nice surprise and another life lister for us.

The Yellow Warbler is an elegant little creature that I love to see over and over.

Harris' Antelope Squirrel

This is a Harris' Antelope Squirrel which makes it's home here in parts of the Sonoran Desert.  www.enature.com/flashcard/show_flash_card.asp?recordNumber=MA0182                                         

Sandhill Cranes Willcox Arizona

We set out for Willcox at 5 A.M. It's a 90 minute drive from Tucson and we wanted to arrive before sun-up and hopefully catch the Sandhill Cranes before they started moving to the grain fields to feed.

We had checked the weather at Willcox and it said 30 degrees so we dressed for 30. When we arrived at the Playa it was actually 18 degrees! Cold, Cold, Cold!!!

Not wanting to miss the Sandhills that we came to see we put on all available clothing and set out towards the Playa. A short distance into the walk we saw our first flight of Sandhills against the morning sky.
I estimate approximately 1000 birds flew over on their way to feed.

Even though we are originally from New England and should be able to stand a little cold we began to realize that our faces, feet and hands were getting really frozen.

We pressed on until we were about a half mile out and we looked at each other and both said it was time to beat a hasty retreat to the truck to thaw out.

It was quite beautiful before sunrise and I managed to take more pictures even though my hands were numb and the auto focus on the camera was sluggish.


On their way to feed. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/sandhill_crane/id


Sunrise finally came and helped a little but by this time we were walking very fast to the truck trying to stay warm. We set out to locate the feeding grounds and expected to find Sandhills in various fields along the way but we traveled the 37 mile loop and didn't see any at all.

On our second trip around the loop we went up side roads that lead out to the expansive farms and as you can see we located what I estimate to be more than 1000 birds. Sandhills are not easy to approach because they match your movements without you even realizing that your not getting any closer. They do not seem to mind the tractor.

Sandhills fly in formation like geese but if you observe their flight all of the sudden it looks like chaos and then they regroup. Look closely at the base of the trees and you will see a line of feeding cranes that stretches across the entire field.

                        Ferruginous Hawk springing into action.

We did witness them using a thermal to gain altitude in a group which was hawk like only not as graceful.
In the afternoon we decided to take the 2 1/2 mile hike out to the viewing area on the Playa.

It was extremely quiet on the entire walk out with very little bird activity and no other human beings. While we were at the viewing area we were fortunate to have about 300 or so Sandhills return in smaller groups to the lake. We were able to watch the multiple circles necessary for the cranes to be able to land where they intend. All in all this was a very successful trip.

Once we arrived at the viewing area we realized that we would not be allowed to approach the lake as it was closed. One of my personal rules is that I always respect the rules that protect wild places. Getting great pictures is important but not important enough to harm wildlife or habitat.

A Playa is a dry lake bed that occasionally turns into a lake when it gets significant rain.

This Cottontail amazingly sat a few feet from us on our return walk and didn't offer to run away. We did not get to Whitewater Draw which is home to 22,000 Sandhills but we will make another trip to see this area and report on it in the near future.

Trip to Willcox Arizona

Coyote

I wanted to let everyone know that we will be heading out to Willcox Arizona on this Saturday to photograph the thousands of Sandhill Cranes that winter there. They are estimated to number 36,000 in the area. I am really looking forward to this trip and will hopefully be ready to post sometime Sunday.

We will head out at 5 AM so that we can arrive before sun-up and be ready to photograph as the sun comes up.

Special Event News!!!! Wings Over Willcox Annual Celebration of the Sandhill Cranes and other birds will be held January 14-17 2010. www.wingsoverwillcox.com/

Return To Arivaca Cienaga Trail

We returned to Arivaca on Saturday to take another hike at the Arivaca Cienega Trail hoping to get some of the pictures that were lost because of the bad CF card. We decided to head down RT. 286 and take Arivaca Road which bisects Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge. We counted close to 40 hawks on the trip with the Red Tail being the most prevalent.
We came across this Red Tail on Arivaca Rd. and decided to stop and take a short walk on one of the many dirt roads that crisscross the refuge. As I got close enough to get a good picture he let out a very annoyed screech at me. I advanced closer and again he screeched at me and finally moved to another tree a short distance away.

As I watched the hawk fly I noticed that I was being watched by someone at the tree line. Judging by the ears I would have to say about a dozen Mule Deer! (Some are not in the picture).

Beautiful grasslands.
Less than 10 miles from the Mexican border there are very few other humans except the Border Patrol as this is a very active area for illegal immigration. I have traveled for miles and never seen another vehicle.
On my first stop to get a shot of the Arivaca Cienega Creek I jumped out of the truck and this girl was standing there wondering what the heck I was doing only a few feet away. I was as startled as she was and she decided to leave. As she moved away I realized there was another doe a short distance away.
The Cottonwoods are a definite clue to the path of the creek. They are very stately and beautiful even in winter. Sunny and 70 degrees is a winter day here although it does get colder from time to time.

This is one of the Cottonwoods at the cienega. A cienega is a swamp or marsh fed by springs and is one of the rarest habitats in Arizona.
A Willow Tree does well in this environment.

Cattails.

The last thing I expected to see was an Eastern Meadowlark and even though I didn't get a great shot I had to include it just for proof!

White Crowned Sparrows were everywhere as were Purple Finches.
On the walk back we stopped and talked to a group of people out walking and they turned out to be the presidents of both the Friends of Buenos Aries Wildlife Refuge and The friends of the Alaska Wildlife Refuges. They also run workshops in Brown Canyon which is accessible only with the BANWR people. A private visit to Brown Canyon may be in my future.
We saw Northern Harrier, Red Tailed Hawk, Eastern Medowlark, White Crowned Sparrow, American Kestrel, Purple Finches, and a possible Rufus-backed Robin.