More from Whitewater Draw

In addition to the several thousand Sandhill Cranes at Whitewater Draw are a hundred or so Snow Geese. Snow Geese spend their summers in the Arctic Circle, where they nest in colonies. They typically winter along the shores of the Gulf of California and Gulf of Mexico. Therefore, their migrations are quite long -- 4000 miles or more. There are a few exceptions. Bosque de Apache in New Mexico and Whitewater Draw in Arizona have small wintering populations. In the first photo you will see 50 or so flying above several thousand Sandhill Cranes. The second photo is a close up of five Snow Geese in flight.

A few other surprises at Whitewater Draw this time. First, a Willet, and then a Green Winged Teal. Willets are year round residents along the Atlantic coast. In the West, they winter along the Pacific Coast and then move inland during the summer to the Northwest Interior. They are relatively rare to the other parts of the Country. But, again Whitewater Draw seems to "draw" waterbirds that otherwise --- in Arizona -- would be hard pressed to find water.  The Green Winged Teal is found throughout the US during the winter, with summers in Canada. There are parts of the Northwestern US where the Green Winged Teal is a year round resident. It is the smallest of the dabbling ducks, and as the photo shows dabbles its bill along the shallow muddy areas of ponds or lakes.