Monday, February 12, 2018

On the Road Again - Whitewater Draw

The night before leaving Quartzsite, we get a call that the RV repair is delayed a day.  Not wanting to overstay our welcome we head out Friday as Planned.  Another couple we know at the Park have gone to Padres Island for the month and our Kayaks are stored there.  They graciously offer up their 5th wheel for us to spend the extra night in.  Saturday we head to Lazydays and the RV is finished around 3:30.  They are kind enough to give us another free night at Lazydays so we don't have to get a late start traveling.
 The sun sets on our stay in Tucson

Morning and loaded and ready to hit the road!

We don't go far because I want to stop at whitewater draw to see the Sandhill Cranes I don't want to arrive on the weekend as we might not find a spot.  We layover at the Saquaro RV Park in Benson.  We get a nice view.  We are told that the night before you could see the fire in the Dragoon Mountains.  Fortunately it was put out and shouldn't effect our trip to Whitewater Draw
It's a beautiful day
Plenty of room for us
and another decent view

Tucson even gets to walk around

It is early and we are told the Cranes start returning from feeding in the cornfields around 11 am.

Just after lunch we hear a loud cacophony and I step out to see a huge flock returning


There are wall to wall birds.  Of the 33,000 birds in the area it is estimated that 19,000 are at whitewater draw.  They come from as far away as Siberia.  They arrive in August and start leaving mid February and are gone be mid March.  According to people who were here yesterday, quite a few have already left.

They have a couple viewing platforms
and a loop trail that surrounds the main ponds

There are other interesting birds to see as well.  Like this Black Phoebe
A Northern Pintail
Cinnamon Teals
Killdeer - the only bird that excited Tucson
Least Sandpiper
Green winged Teal
Female Vermilion Flycatcher
Male Vermilion Flycatcher
Snow Geese
A Hawk

Sandhill Cranes departing
A Great Horned Owl in the Picnic Pavillion
and Mom in her nest
Sunrise at the Draw

What a great thing to witness!

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