Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge: Roseate Spoonbills

Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge is another wonderful wilderness area protected thanks to Teddy Roosevelt. The refuge was once home to Mexican Gray Wolves and Grizzly Bears though long since gone. However, pronghorn still remain in small numbers along with coyotes, javelinas, and mule deer.

Once the monsoon rains begin and for a couple months after small "lakes" occur. During that time birds -- especially migrating waterbirds, stop to rest and eat.

A few days ago there were reports of three Roseate Spoonbills on Aguirre Lake. So, Christine and I headed out to see if we could find them. While it was a good day birding, the Spoonbills were no where to be found.

However, we returned the next day and found 4 Roseate Spoonbills. Here are some photos:

  

Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge

After wandering around Arivaca Cienegas, I headed over to the main "campus" of Buenos Aires NWR. I was hoping to find some Pronghorn, but with 117,500 acres it is not always in the cards. However, I did find a few things to photograph. One was an Ornate Box Turtle. This is an endangered  turtle and well protected by the State of Arizona. So it was a nice find. Also a Scaled Quail posed for me -- as did a nice Western Kingbird:

Ornate Box Turtle

Female Scaled Quail

Western Kingbird

On to Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge

Continuing East from Madera Canyon in the Santa Rita Mountains you reach Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge. BANWR is 150 square miles or so butting up against the Mexican Border. I remember once being greeted by a pair of Great Horned Owlets (first photo). The sunrise passing through the tree in which it sat yielded a very colorful result. The second photo is a Swainson's Hawk. It was one of the first I had photographed, even though it has a fairly wide distribution in the West. The third photo is a Turkey Vulture who wanted to convince me that, contrary to movies and folklore,  are actually very beautiful birds. And, since they prey only on carrion, they do us a tremendous service by eliminating a source for maggots and flies. Tomorrow, the primary attraction of BANWR, the endangered Sonoran Pronghorn.

Pronghorn in Wildflowers

Continuing with Wildlife and wildflowers, the top photo was taken at Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge in Southern Arizona. Obviously, the Pronghorn were aware of my presence. I tried not to move around too much. Eventually, I got too close and they took off running. The bottom photo I have shown you before. It was taken in Southwestern Wyoming. The wonderful wildflower color in the background make this one of my favorite photos. But, I must also say that the Pronghorn here looks magnificent, even regal, in his beautiful coat.

Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge

A little closer to home, about an hour and a half away, is the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge. It is here that I have had the best luck finding the endangered Sonoran Pronghorn (photos from last year). Interestingly, you cannot drive up US 191 through Southwestern Wyoming and not see pronghorn every couple of miles. And, Hart Mountain in Southeastern Oregon is the best place to see several hundred pronghorn as they gather together for the winter. The Sonoran Pronghorn, though, is a subspecies and estimates range from only 100 to 300 left in the United States. Like their cousins they have incredible eyesight, able to detect movement from 4 miles away! They are also the fastest animal in North American reaching speeds up to 60 miles per hour. So, finding them is a challenge, but getting close enough for a photo requires great patience and a lot of luck. Usually, your coming over a hill so they haven't been able to see you. Then it is stop, wait, watch, and move ever so slowly diagonally to get the photo. I love the coloration in the neck. It's like they have "dressed up" with a bow tie and cummerbund.