Clouds of Cranes

Local bird guide, Ken Blankenship shows visitors from out of town the beauty of the Draw

November is a relatively quiet month in Southeastern Arizona for birders. Wintering birds arrive while most of our summer breeding birds have left for the year. Many local bird guides plan their vacations during this time of year because everything slows down a bit. But that doesn't mean Arizona birding gets any less exciting!

Nature enthusiasts try to get that perfect shot of the cranes from one of the platforms

It's also the perfect time to search for wintering favorites like the Sprague's Pipit, Ruddy Ground Dove, Bell's Sparrow, Eurasian Wigeon or Mountain Plover. This past weekend, we headed out to the Whitewater Draw, near McNeal, for my yearly Sandhill Crane count.  We were not disappointed!

A young Sandhill Crane sticks close to the trail

Most birders think that the Sandhill Crane show is at its best in December and January, but mid-November is really quite excellent as well. With the arctic blast moving down into many US states this past week, I figured that cranes would be on the move.  Sandhill Cranes begin to migrate after their waterways are frozen by the cold northern weather. 

Incoming Sandhill Cranes

 Over the years, the Sandhill Crane population has increased dramatically at the Whitewater Draw  Wildlife area making it a premier Southeastern Arizona birding destination. I have discovered through personal experience that November is probably the best month to see these birds up close as they move back further in December and January due to the hunting season (which begins from November 22nd until December 18th this year.)  

Sandhill Cranes blanket the skies as they settle in for the afternoon

There are a couple platforms that will allow you access to see the birds closer.  If you do go, keep your eyes open for a rare wintering Ruddy Ground Dove. Other Whitewater Draw birds of interest include Great Horned and Barn Owls. I even suspect there could be a secretive Short-eared Owl hiding in those grasses. 

Keep your eyes open for a rare Ruddy Ground Dove.  Several can and do winter here from time to time

There are two great times to observe the spectacular Sandhill Cranes lifting off, early morning at sunrise and around 11 AM when the birds return to the wetlands for the day.  

If you're an early morning riser, which I am not, then the sunrise liftoff is perfect for you.  Wear some warm clothes because it can often be cold!  If you like to sleep in and have breakfast, then be there by 10:30 or eleven. 

Great Horned Owls hoot

Great Horned Owls are pairing up right now.  

So listen for their hoots and you might be serenaded by these amazing birds. 

I'd also like to mention my route that I take when I do my annual birding count at the Whitewater Draw.  I live in Tucson so it takes about 1 hour and 44 minutes to get there. It's easy to be tempted by the other amazing birding hotspots on the way there, but stay focused birder! Cranes first. 

Drive to the Draw.  Bird until 1 PM.  Then stop in Bisbee(nearby) for lunch or a late breakfast. And on your way back, stop by the San Pedro House along the San Pedro Riparian area outside of Sierra Vista for a nice afternoon walk. It makes for a great way to end your birding adventures. 

OH! One other thing!  If you see a flock of Snow Geese at the Whitewater Draw, don't assume they are all Snow Geese!  Can you find the Ross's Geese in the pic below?

Often the skies were full of cranes! I had estimated at least 6000 birds, but there were definitely more as we were leaving.  By the end of December and into January, Sandhill Crane numbers are at their highest!

To see our checklists from the day, I've attached them here with the links.  
Stop one.  The Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area
Stop two. The San Pedro House and Riparian Area

Sunset at the San Pedro Riparian Area

On a side note, I'm excited to be writing for Tucson Audubon and sharing my love for Southeastern Arizona birds with you all. Each month, I'll feature something exciting from the state of Arizona but I'll focus much of my energy around activities in Southeastern Arizona.  Next month, we'll be joining Jake Mohlman's CBC for the Atascosa Highlands.  So if you're looking to get involved in the birding world, check out Tucson Audubon's list of CBC(Christmas Bird Count) locations.  It's a great way to meet people and discover incredible birds. 

Note that the hyphen is no longer needed for the Common Ground Dove OR Ruddy Ground Dove.  A change that was made by the ABA this summer.  Also of note.  If you put a dog bowl out with water, will a Common Ground Dove be guaranteed? 😃

 November brings us much needed relief from the hot temps.  As many of us prepare to celebrate the upcoming holiday season, make sure you take the time to get outdoors and enjoy the birds.  Most people will be rushing to the malls and other high human density areas.  With everyone shopping and busy with holiday prep, the nature trails are often quiet and perfect for exploration. 

We explore and record our sightings carefully

Until next time everyone!  Happy birding!

Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area

The Sandhill Crane

I came home today and went straight to the computer to write about this experience.  Of course laundry has to be done! Today was a first with a new camera lens.  It's really a telescope made for a camera.  And I'm glad I brought this lens today because the Sandhill Cranes were further out than usual. There were two parts about this trip out to the Whitewater Draw that were important.  1. Observe  and    2. Photograph.  The previous night before leaving, I watched the weather reports.  And in a sense, I gambled with the timing of the flight patterns of these cranes.

So I drove excited and nervous about what I'd see there. Worried that my car might not make it on the dirt road. Worried that I'd miss them flying into the wetlands. And I drove and drove and drove in the rain and cloudy weather.  I left the house at 8 AM and arrived a little after 10.  I had my doubts and wondered where the hell I was at times, but I stopped at a gas station in Elfrida for directions when this woman glanced over at me and said in a drawl, "Looking for them birds?"  I didn't want to ask how she made that assumption.  Was it the vest?  Was it the full set of pearly whites and gorgeous greying and receding hairline?  Either way, she gave me the directions to "them birds". So I kept driving on and on and on fiddling around with my radio station in the car.  The channels were horrible and so I switched to a Cirque De Soleil CD.  Don't ask. Side note.  Why do people in rural communities here have southern accents? This is Arizona.

Terrible things run through my mind while driving alone.  What if my car broke down?  What if I get a flat tire?  Does OnStar work out here?  Who would come?  You see, I still don't own a cell phone, but that's a conversation for another day.  I wish I had had a friend who loved birding but wouldn't talk while I was filming.  Unfortunately, my other half had to work.  And you see not everyone would enjoy this activity because patience is required and if you don't like birding, this might be a terrible place to go.  I watched as a guy who loved birding tell his friend that he would "meet up with him" after he was done.  The friend replied, "I'll be waiting in the car when you're done." (Hint.  Hurry up.)

Timing was everything.  In my past, I have observed rain storms cause behavior change in animals and I wanted to be there for the big flight.  I went the day after Wings Over Willcox finished up because I hate crowds and my experience with crowds is that they scare off any wildlife.

I set up my scope and as I did, the heavens opened up before me.  Look closely at the above pic to see the thousands of birds high in the sky.  I was swapping lenses out one after another talking to myself like I always do and there were excited birders all around.  It just so happened the sand cranes were coming in earlier than previous times and with the best numbers that they had seen. This came from several RV guests that had been there for over a week.   I KNEW IT!!!  Good call on my part.  I did a little happy dance once the show started.....and what a show it was!!!

At first, it was like watching a storm coming.  Where were all these cranes going to go? And when would they land?  But the first signs came from the waterfowl as they burst forth in great numbers as they cranes descended onto their area.  Cranes trump waterfowl.

The explosion burst forward and my hands weren't quick enough for all the numbers that surrounded us......the watchers.  Oooohhhhh and ahhhhhhs and Holy @#$! came out of several observer's mouths.  I laughed and felt the rush of adrenaline.  Glorious!

More and more cranes landed......

....which caused this to happen!!!

Mother of pearls was that a challenge.  I couldn't keep the camera steady.  The wind was so strong and that particular lens was super sensitive causing some blur.

Eventually it all settled down.  Everyone gasping for air after the deep plunge.  Better than any movie I've seen this year.  And the best part?  It was free.  Well if you don't consider the gas spent....or the chili burrito.....or the ham sandwich....or the water......but you get my point.  Bring a lunch.  There is a bathroom.  And there are chairs.  I recommend sitting on them just to soak it all in.  There are so many more birds here to discover.  The experts look for the hard to find.  The rest of us just come for the main show...the Sandhill Cranes.  But the show will be closing soon.  By mid month these birds will have flown back to their summer homes.  The recommended time to view these birds is at sunrise when they all take off for corn.  But because it was cloudy, it messed with their timing and I got to see this spectacular show without getting up at 5 in the morning!!

What is that Sandhill Crane laughing about on the end?  Probably thinking, "Hah those idiots can't see us!!  We're too far away from them for any of them to notice!"   Okay, expert birder.  This is where you correct me with your literal no nonsense logic and tell us why Grus canadensis is exhibiting that particular behavior:)

You know what I loved most?  The birders that were there were extremely friendly.  If this is what retirement is like, I want in!  AND I think I spoke with a fellow blogger today.  We met each other and kinda had a connection....like, I know you from somewhere....but from where?  He was super friendly and we had a great conversation.  I went back to the car to switch out my lens and saw him again and he thought his shots wouldn't turn out because the cranes were too far, but I had mentioned to him that some moved closer.  His group released him and we went back to the spot and got the shots.  This is the last pic I took before returning back to Tucson. 

I drove home in what seemed like eternity.  Got home and ran to my computer to see all the cool images....to discover that most of my 500 pictures would be duds.  Even the ones on this post today are okay.  But had I not used my telephoto lens, I wouldn't have been able to get the shots I did.  There were 3 key shots that I was not able to get, but as a birder said to me today, "It's just another reason to come again."  And that thought stuck inside this little brain......next time:)  And I smile at the pure excitement from it all.  What an awesome day!