My husband Trav and I played tourist yesterday, February 16, 2011, and made the 70 mile trip from Tucson to south of Brisbee, a gorgeous summer day by our northern standards, blue sky and about 75 degrees. We were headed to an Arizona state wildlife preserve called The Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area.
Very cool. Thanks for posting. The link you gave didn’t work for me, but I could copy & paste to my browser, and that worked fine. Truly another of America’s amazing birds.
Thanks for an interesting article. We have quite a population of Cranes here in SW Florida, and they are always a delight to see. Some have taken up residence in closed communities, where I’m sure they feel secure. The rest of our resident population is scattered throughout the ranches of our area. They stay out of the orange groves, which restrict their movement.
Ladyfisher;
Congrats on your tour of southern Arizona, and the preserve. These are some of the better kept secrets of the U.S. most people think of Arizona as being barren, but that is far from the truth. I lived in Sierra Vista for 3 years back int he 1980s, and got a chance to do some exploring there, myself. Wonderful country that really grows on you if you give it a chance.
Just a suggestion for another day trip from Tucson – pass through Sierra Vista, and go to Ramsay Canyon Nature Conservancy. It’s a beautiful little canyon in the Huachuca Mountains, and is home to more different species of hummingbirds than any other location in the U.S. These little flying jewels are amazing to watch.
Here are some links with more info:
http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/arizona/preserves/art1973.html
http://www.sabo.org/birding/huacspv.htm#ramsey
http://www.arizonafolklore.com/ramsey.htm
[FONT=Arial-BoldMT][LEFT]Ramsey Canyon Preserve [/FONT][FONT=ArialMT][SIZE=3]is about 90 miles southeast of Tucson, near the city of Sierra Vista. Take I-10 east to Highway 90 exit. Go south to Sierra Vista. Take Highway 92 south from Sierra Vista for six miles and turn right on Ramsey Canyon Road. The preserve is at the end of Ramsey Canyon Road, four miles west of the highway.[/LEFT]
(520) 378-2785
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The Jasper-Pulaski Wildlife Area, in northern indiana, is a location were the cranes gather in the fall for their migration south. Must be the same 22,00 birds. It is an experience you will never forget. Here is a link to the DNR page about the fall migration: http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/3109.htm