Feb 10, 2022
A fun outing last week to Whitewater Draw, not far from home. Whitewater Draw is a wildlife area managed by the Arizona Game & Fish Department. It covers approximately 600 acres of wetlands and riparian habitat and features a large lake. Located only a couple of hours from Tucson, and close to Tombstone and Bisbee, it makes for an entertaining day trip.
Sandhill Cranes in the tens of thousands spend the winter there. The cranes take wing at sunrise, leaving the ponds to forage for food in nearby fields. They return to the water midday to spend the night in safety from predators. Other waterfowl including ducks, geese, herons, egrets and shorebirds are also attracted to the shallow waters and wetlands.
The site amenities are minimal but include gravel parking lots, picnic tables, signed trails, and benches and viewing platforms by the lake shore. Dogs on leash are allowed. We visited on a Tuesday and it was not at all crowded – just scattered small groups of folks enjoying the sights and sounds of nature.
My visit was a casual foray just to check things out. If I had been serious about photography, I would have arrived the evening before, camped overnight, and set my alarm clock to wake pre-dawn to photograph the cranes taking off at sunrise. Still, even though this was just a scouting expedition, I didn’t leave my camera at home.
The cloudy skies were to my benefit, canceling out harsh midday shadows. I was happy with the images I captured that day. I’m still looking through my files for the keepers, but here are a couple I thought were print-worthy.
Be sure to click on the video at the top of this post to hear the sound of thousands of cranes socializing.
Sandhill Cranes glide down for a water landing at the Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area in southeastern Arizona. It’s fascinating to see their ability to synchronize wingstrokes in flight.
I like the pose of this bird, with his lifted foot encased in mud and his eyes intently focused in search of a meal.
I love the synchronized flight shot! The length of their legs always amaze me. Thanks for sharing.
I have quite a few shots that show that same formation technique. And their posture as they coast down for a landing is rather comical. I’m still working on finding a few more images to share. Thanks!