Cibola National Wildlife Refuge

Next on my trip this past week was Cibola National Wildlife Refuge. This is not an easy place to get to from Arizona. Cibola is adjacent to Imperial just to the north. If you are on the Colorado River you would boat from one right into the other. However, if you are driving, it is a 2 and a half hour drive from one to the other.

Nonetheless, I made that journey (as I have in the past). While Cibola's duck pond was dry and therefore no ducks, there were about 1000 Sandhill Cranes and 50 or so Great Egrets. Got a few okay photos of the Cranes (Whitewater Draw has more and usually closer -- same with Bosque del Apache in New Mexico). But the Egrets were nice and cooperative. I also came across a light phased juvenile Ferruginous Hawk. However, the find of the day were a couple of Burrowing Owls. 

Here are some photos from Cibola:

Burrowing Owl

Ferruginous Hawk

Great Egret

Sandhill Crane

Fall Colors at Cibola National Wildlife Refuge

Fall comes late to the Southwest. And, yet just as I say this, Flagstaff is bracing for two feet of snow. And, they already have snow on the ground. But, Flagstaff is northern Arizona, 7000 feet. Raking all the mesquite leaves has only just begun here in Tucson. But, back to Cibola. As I mentioned Cibola has a lovely nature trail that leads to a blind for viewing waterbirds in the ponds along the Colorado River. I thought today, maybe just of few pictures of the fall colors along the trail at Cibola.

Cibola National Wildlife Refuge

My apologies for the break in the blog. On the spur of the moment a trip to Palm Springs, Joshua Tree National Park, and Cibola National Wildlife Refuge became possible. Our son, Matt and his wife Rung, made a last minute change in their vacation plans: a time share in Palm Springs, only six hours from Tucson. It was such a delight to see them - an early Christmas Present for sure. So, for the next couple of days we will have some photos of that trip. One such photo, this Great Egret, was captured at Cibola National Wildlife Refuge. Cibola is unique in that the refuge is in Arizona, but there is no way to get to it from Arizona. Whether approaching from Yuma (Interstate 8) or Blythe (Interstate 10) it is at least two hours from Imperial National Wildlife Refuge (also Arizona) to which it shares a common border. (Although, obviously no road between them). We saw several hundred Sandhill Cranes and Canada Geese that winter on the refuge along with this egret. Also a hundred or more yellow headed blackbirds persistent in eating something that was all along the dirt road. For Christine, the short hike through the Cottonwood forest was the highlight. The combination of cottonwoods, honey and screwbean mesquite trees, willow trees, and the turning from fall to winter made for a colorful fairyland. Bobcat tracks and scat all along the trail -- but, I guess if I want to see a bobcat the best place is still our backyard. More tomorrow.