Whitewater Draw, Arizona

Another unexpected event -- a little one this time. Our guests needed to leave first thing yesterday morning, so: no breakfast. This allowed me to get off early to look for a photograph or two. I decided to check out Whitewater Draw about an hour and 30 minutes from us. It's about 20 minutes past Tombstone. There a several shallow lakes that provide winter homes for Sandhill Crane, Snow and Ross' Geese. It is also a nesting area for Great Horned, Barn, Burrowing, and Long Eared Owls (January, February, and March). But, here it is mid December so I'll need to wait a month or so for the owls to start arriving. However,  a couple thousand Sandhill Cranes had arrived. Sandhill Cranes are very noisy birds. You can hear them from a mile away. And, of course when there are a couple thousand flying at one time it is quite a sight. Also a couple hundred Geese and this Great Egret that allowed me several wonderful photos. Also present a pair of Buffleheads - uncommon in Southern Arizona. Unfortunately, they just were not going to come close enough to me for a good photo. Also got a nice photo of a male Vermillion Flycatcher and the much more common Killdeer. I checked out Lake Cochise as well, although not much there. Did get a decent Great Blue Heron, but disappointed that White Pelicans, White Faced Ibises, and Cattle Egrets hadn't arrived yet. But, that is the "nature" of the wildlife photographer.