On February twelfth, I had my first experience photographing Sandhill Cranes at the Whitewater Draw Wildlife Reserve in Southern Arizona past Tombstone. This location is about a three-hour drive from Phoenix, but it is well worth the effort. Over 200,000 thousand cranes migrate through this location during the fall and winter season and regularly can have 10,000 or more cranes roosting there at one time. 

Seeing such a large amount of such a graceful animal was an experience that left me awestruck and dumbfounded. Put this is an excellent opportunity for any photographer who loves bird pictures. I captured over 600 pieces of media and had an experience I will remember for a lifetime. Below I will leave some of my field notes and observations on how to get the most out of your experience when you travel to the Whitewater Draw Wildlife Reserve.

 

 

Timeline:

Day 1 – Saturday, 2/12/2022

4:00 pm -Thousands of birds gathered near the parking lot path. The birds were calm but loud, grouping with small groups flying in. I walked down the main way to the right (insert map).

5:30 pm -Large amounts of birds begin flocking in.

6:05- 7:00 pm – Sunset birds are still arriving, but most birds are now in groups huddled in the water, near entirely dark by 7.

Day 2 – Sunday 2/13/2022

6:30 am – Birds begin leaving bond in droves.

7:00 am– All Sandhill cranes vacate the main pond of the Draw

10:00 am – Tiny groups of Sandhill cranes return to the Draw

11:00 am– Large groups form in multiple locations around Draw. Birds filter between getting drinks of water, cawing, and wandering the dried-up areas around the Draw.

1:00 pm – Birds continue to arrive in small groups of 2-10. The birds seemed to quiet down and rest a little in the heat—occasional bursts of large flocks lifting into the air.

4:00 pm -Other birds such as the Yellow Headed Black Bird begin to arrive in large groups. 

5:00 pm – Large groups are now arriving, and the bursts of flocks lifting into the air to fly unanimously begin to occur more and more often.

5:30 pm – Outlying groups of birds begin to huddle closer to the center of the Draw into a massive flock. Thousands of birds are flying simultaneously. 

6:00 pm – Birds are mainly in the center area by the main observation decks.

I think this schedule is quite regular and could be used to predict how to get the best pictures of the Sandhill Cranes of the Whitewater Draw Wildlife Reserve.

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Challenges to expect when photographing Sandhill Cranes

  • The flock is enormous.

The magnitude of the flock is so large it’s challenging to capture. Go too wide, and you lose all the details of the individual birds. Go too close, and you miss out on how many cranes are in the shot. The size of the flock can also lead to being swept up in the moment and only capturing images focused on the flock rather than individuals in creative compositions.

  • Birds Feathers Reflect Light

The birds in the area are mostly shades of white and reflect the light quite brightly so protect your highlights. Use an ND filter at the very least and consider a polarizer.

  • Angles Are Limited.

To protect the cranes’ roosting area, you are restricted to a small path raised from the water. On the path, about 90% of it is above the water level where the birds are roosting. To further complicate shots there are farms that surround the roost with buildings and large equipment that can get into the shot. 

  • Active time for the birds is limited.

Everything will be absolutely still. The birds will even stop making noises then without any warning, you will hear the thundering sound of their wings beating as they take off into the air. The birds are most active at sunset. Light is fading right when most birds are landing in the water. Sadly most of the birds spend the day in the fields looking for food and getting shots of them eating didn’t seem very feasible during my time there. 

My Recommendations :

Check the WebCam

Fish and Game has a webcam that you can check. Here is the link to the webcam.

Bring a big Telephoto Lens

You will not regret any millimeter of your lens in this situation. The walk is leisurely and any added weight will be easily managed.

Shoot multiple locations.

On my second sunset, I feel like I failed to capture as many pictures as I might have if I had been willing to leave my location. I had found this beautifully secluded part on the path that allowed me to get eye level with the birds during the day. Sadly, the birds flew towards the other end of the Draw as the sunset. I may have benefited from changing locations.

Be as close to the water as you can at sunset.

I picked my spot and set up my chair hours before sunset but moved back to some shade in the heat. Once the sun started setting, everyone wanted to be right on the water edge; thus getting in my wide-angle shots. Had I been entirely alone, these shots would have been great, but this is a location you will improbable ever be alone.

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