I had a wonderful time this past weekend in Willcox at the annual Wings Over Willcox Birding and Nature Festival. Prior to leaving on my trip, I scoured eBird reports of rare bird sightings in both Maricopa and Pima counties. I figured since I’d be driving right through both counties, if there were a really unusual rare bird in the area, I would stop on my drive down and do a little birding.
After reviewing a multitude of eBird reports, I decided to pursue two rare birds—chestnut-collared longspur and thick-billed longspur. Both species were being observed daily at a wastewater treatment plant in Avra Valley, south and west of Tucson.
I had never been to this facility, so I didn’t really know what to expect. Fortunately, I ran into another birder who gave me some pointers on where I might see the longspurs. In the end, however, I came up empty handed, which was super frustrating as the birder I ran into had seen them that morning.
The festival in Willcox was well attended with birders from all over the state, as well as the country. The main draw was the opportunity to see thousands of wintering sandhill cranes. It is a sight to behold! For me, it was almost a spiritual experience.
This area of southeastern Arizona is referred to as Sulphur Springs Valley, and there are several places where wintering cranes congregate: Whitewater Draw Wildlife area, Apache Station Wildlife Viewing Area, Willcox Playa Wildlife area, and the Cochise Lake birding area.
There are two distinct “races” of sandhill cranes. One is referred to as “greater” and the other “lesser”. Greater sandhill cranes can stall as tall as five feet and have an impressive six-to-seven-foot wingspan. Lesser sandhill cranes are about three and a half feet tall with a six-foot wingspan.
The Sulphur Springs Valley usually has between 30,000 and 40,000 cranes each winter! They begin to arrive in September, and leave in mid-March. They roost each night in open water to deter predators such as coyotes and bobcats.
During the day, they fly out into the surrounding agricultural areas where they feed in harvested fields eating grain crops such as corn, milo and alfalfa. They spend their morning foraging, and, once satiated, they fly to a loafing area which could be their night roost, other wetlands, fallow fields or even desert grassland.
It is a spectacle to see them lifting off in the morning, one wave after another. Once airborne, they form large vee formations as they fly to their morning feeding destination. No matter where you are in Sulphur Springs Valley, you will not only see them, but you will hear them. Their unique vocalization can be heard a mile away!
While in Willcox, I did some rare bird chasing each morning before my vendor booth opened. My target bird was the mountain plover, a species I have looked for in the past. There were daily eBird reports of mountain plovers in the Sulphur Springs Valley area. I just knew this was going to be the time I found them. Unfortunately, I never did find any of them!
As a reminder, the next birding festival is the Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival in Cottonwood at Dead Horse Ranch State Park. The festival runs from April 24-27. It is a great event, and I encourage you to consider attending since it is practically in our backyard. Online registration opens up in early February.
Don’t forget to check out our website for a list of our free weekly guided bird walks at www.thelookoutazcom. These field trips provide a wonderful way to learn about the birds in our local area.
Until next week, Happy Birding!
Eric Moore is the owner of The Lookout, in Prescott, where you will find a Hallmark Gold Crown Store, wild bird products, and Swarovski and Vortex optics. Eric has been an avid birder for over 55 years. Eric can be contacted at eric@thelookoutaz.com.
