Whitewater Draw Day Trip to see the Sandhill Cranes (and many other birds!)

"Tis the season for Sandhill Crane watching! This will be a day trip and I'd like to set up a carpool. Of course it depends on how many people sign up for such an adventure that determines how many drivers we will need. The carpool meeting place is TBD. And if you plan on riding and not driving then please help with gas money for your driver. Leaving Tucson at 8:30 am puts us at Whitewater Draw about 10:00 am.

If you've never been then it's a special day! Of course we'll walk around the ponds and in addition to sandhill cranes, Whitewater Draw's waters attract many kinds of ducks, geese, herons, egrets, shorebirds, gulls and terns, owls, hawks and many passerine (perching (ie: sparrows)) birds. Hunting in the grasslands or soaring overhead are prairie and peregrine falcons and wintering hawks. Sparrows and warblers will be in the surrounding trees and fields.

Here's a comprehensive list (311 species): https://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/checklist.jspregion=USazch04&list=howardmoore

On the way back to the city we'll stop in Tombstone for lunch (if you want to) at Big Nose Kate's or maybe somewhere else depending on who has room for our group on Allen Street. This is where the Earp bother's would hang out until they bought the Crystal Palace across the street (at least I think that's how the story goes)!

IF you haven't seen the Whitewater Draw web cam then here you go: https://www.azgfd.com/wildlife/viewing/sandhillcranes/cranecam/
(this link may not work, it's not working when I went to it earlier today, I called the ADNR today and spoke with the wildlife manager and he said that there is about 10,000 cranes, a couple hundred snow geese and various ducks)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2XNzU6JfEU&t=44s (5 minutes)

It's a fun day of bird watching about an hour and 30 minutes from the carpool spot IF we can build one. We pass through Tombstone on Route 80 from Benson. Just south of Tombstone we'll turn east off of Rt 80 onto Davis Rd which will take us to Coffman Rd where we turn south and that'll take us to the parking area of the wildlife preserve.

Maybe you've made the trek this season but each day is different in this jewel in the desert so you'll never know what you're going to see when you get there!

Warning: there is a lot of walking involved however there are benches spread around the property.

(the photo above is a screen shot from the AZ Fish & Game web cam from 3:00 pm January 3, 2023)