Arizona Photography

 February 10th was a cold morning, made worse by a brisk wind.  It seemed to me that most of the birds had stayed home, so I took the hint and returned home pretty quickly.  When I returned on the 20th, conditions were much better, and I noticed a few new birds were present. Cactus Wren Lesser Goldfinch (M) Lesser Goldfinch (F) Verdin Spotted Towhee (M) Mourning Dove White-crowned Sparrow  Chipping Sparrow Ladder-backed Woodpecker (F) Yellow-rumped Warbler Canyon Towhee House Finch (M) Mexican Jay Turkey Rock Squirrel  

 I try to visit this wildlife area each winter while the migrating Sandhill Cranes and various water fowl are present.  It's a long drive, around 100 miles round trip, and you never know exactly what you may find there.  I've had some very productive visits, but also a few disappointing ones.  That's why I had put off going this year until late in the season.  This trip proved to be moderately productive, with lots of cranes and snow geese, but not much in the way of ducks, shore birds or songbirds.  But, the cranes are the stars of the show, even though it seemed to me that some had already left for the long trip north.  Even so, there were thousands standing in the wetlands, and many returning from their morning foray to nearby fields where they scavenge for grain.   There were also thousands of Snow Geese, and maybe other types of geese.  They were mostly too far away to identify others.  One Snow Goose strayed from the main flock, al...