Cienega Creek Preserve

Interrupting my "5" rated photo series -- with a new "5" rated photo (and some others) I took yesterday. I got out to the Empire Ranch section of Cienega Creek Preserve which sits between Arizona Highway 82 and Interstate 10. (There is another 4,000 acre section north of Interstate 10). So, 25 miles long and about 10 miles wide. The Empire Ranch area has lots of dirt roads, many passable by non-four wheel drive vehicles, some passable only by 4x4's, and in one case simply not passable by any means. Terrain changes dramatically, flatlands, hills, mountains, creeks, willows, cottonwoods, mesquites, grasses etc. It is a heaven for birders but also some rare or endangered fish, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals including Black Tail Prairie Dogs, Coatimundi, and Pronghorn, which is what I was looking for. I like to get off the beaten path so was exploring roads I hadn't been on before. I turned on one road which was the Pipeline Road. Pipeline roads are by necessity straight. And when they go through mountains or hills the road can by quite steep and challenging --- even if you were a Bighorn. I got to one spot and thought "Do I really want to go up that road?" It reminded me of the Phil Silvers scene in Mad, Mad, World. As I got closer I saw that much of the road had been washed out, but there was a detour path that serpentined up the hill about 100 yards away. So, away I went. 

I did find lots of birds: western meadowlark, loggerhead shrike, tropical kingbird, pyrrhuloxia, white crowned sparrow, cooper's, sharp shinned, harrier, and red tail hawks among others. I suspect some rarer species as well, but finding and identifying birds has become more difficult since I have gone deaf.

But, on to the Pronghorn. I found two small herds; one of 15 animals and one of about 10. They let me get some wonderful photos: eating, staring, and running. (click to enlarge)

A "5" Rated Photo

Cautiously Staring

Eating

Running