White Water Draw in January, looking to the northwest.
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This page is on White Water Draw (WWD), a rich area of preserved fields and marshes in Cochise County, not far from McNeal Arizona, and a 30 minute drive from Bisbee. It occupies ranch land deeded to the state and managed by Arizona Game and Fish. The wetlands are flooded on a seasonal basis and form the wintering grounds for Sandhill Cranes. It is one of the best areas to see thousands of cranes (often 30,000-40,000) during a winter season.
The map to the right is from Google Maps, and shows WWD with the red drop pin toward the right side of the map. This page has links to 5 blog posts on WWD from 2015 to 2020. Click on the title in blue, or the photograph to the right of the text to load the post and see details. |
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Whitewater Draw: December 2015
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Introduction to White Water Draw with images of: Northern Shovelers (image to the right standing on ice at 8 am!), Meadow Lark, male Pyrrhuloxia, Loggerhead Shrike, Norther Harrier sitting in a field of grass, Cooper's Hawk and Sandhill Cranes.
Although WWD is well known for the thousands of migratory cranes sleeping in the wetlands at night and feeding in fields to the north each morning, it is also a rich habitat for many other birds, in the marsh or adjacent fields, or hopping around in the understory. It is cold in winter, bring your woolies! |
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Whitewater Draw - Cochise County
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My first visit to WWD with friends in November of 2015, at the start of this blog. Includes a road map, and good images of a Northern Harrier hunting over the fields, image to the right.
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White Water Draw, January 2018
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This post is from January 2018 and includes: An Eastern Meadowlark (image to the right); Sandhill Cranes in flight and on the ground in the marsh; a Loggerhead Shrike; an American Pipit walking (not hopping!) on the marsh; a Killdeer; an American Kestrel perched and in flight; and a White-crowned Sparrow.
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Winter at White Water Draw: The Sandhill Cranes have returned! December 2019
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A visit to WWD on December 19, 2019. Birds on this trip were: A Northern Harrier cruising over the fields and wetlands; Sandhill Cranes; a Say's Phoebe; a Black Phoebe; and an Eared Grebe;
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Winter Review 2020: Part II of II
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This post starts with a few winter birds on Mt. Lemmon then goes right to WWD with: A Great Horned Owl roosting in the barn (which unfortunately fell down this past summer in a thunderstorm); femaleYellow-headed Blackbirds roosting in a flock; Sandhill Cranes; Snow Geese including a blue morph; a Least Sandpiper; and a Marsh Wren.
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