It is very exciting to come to Whitewater Draw, southeast of Tucson, Arizona, to see the Sandhill Cranes fly in for a landing. We actually made this visit in late January. In the photo below you can barely make out waves of Sandhill Cranes. In the early morning they fly out to the farmers fields to feed and then start returning in the late morning.
They begin collecting in small groups. These gradually flow into other groups until there is a huge gathering of birds. It is a unique experience to close your eyes and listen to them.
There are other wonderful birds to be seen at Whitewater Draw. Besides the ones pictured below we saw Killdeer, Greater Yellowlegs, Green-winged Teal, Gadwall, and Northern Pintail.
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| Small flock of Snow Geese |
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| Northern Shoveler |
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| Great Egret |
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| American Bittern |
