Las Cienegas National Conservation Area is 45,000 acres northeast of Sonoita. It is home to a wide variety of wildlife. The grasses provide shelter and food for a wide variety of Sparrows and Longspurs. The area is a great place to find four different species of Kingbirds (Western, Cassin's, Tropical, and Thick-billed). Flocks of Meadowlarks -- mostly western but some eastern seem to be everywhere.
There is Cottonwood Pond which attracts waterbirds and flycatchers with an occasional rarity: Black Bellied Whistling Ducks, Rosette Spoonbills ...
Then there is a spring in Empire Gulch that produces a variety of Warblers: Yellow, MacGillivray's, Black and White, Black-throated Grey, Yellow-rumped, Wilson's, Common Yellowthroat, Lucy's, Orange Crowned, and the occasional Northern Waterthrush.
In addition to the avian wildlife, there are Javelinas, Coyotes, Jackrabbits, White Tailed Deer, and Pronghorn -- which the subject of this post.
Las Cienegas is probably the most reliable place to find pronghorn in Southern Arizona. Sometimes they are near highway 83 just north of Sonoita. Sometimes there are in the fields along Curly Horse Road. And sometimes they are in the grasslands along the dirt road through the preserve.
Regardless of how often seen, it is still a delight finding them -- and photographing them. They are truly beautiful animals. Here are some photos from the last week:
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