Weather - Beautiful blue sky, cool 54.
Our goal today was to drive to Willcox, AZ and then head down to Bisbee close to the Mexico border. South of Willcox on Rte 191 is a viewing station for migratory birds that winter in the area. Our daughter Tracey has been there a number of times with bird watching groups to watch the sandhill cranes. It was reported that there were around 30,000 cranes this year so we were anxious to see what we could see.
It was an easy drive over I10 into Arizona to Willcox. Just past Willcox was the cutoff for 191 and we headed south and found the viewing station. Tracey's directions were good and we found it right away. It is just across the street from a large Arizona Power generating station and was funded and built by the power company. You drive back a gravel drive about a half mile to where a raised platform about 100 yards long is located along with a large parking area. They have also mounted large telescopes for spotting animal life in the open water areas that attract the birds. The search was on for cranes but we couldn't find any. To the right of us was a body of water that had 2 or 3 white swans but no cranes. We did spot a hawk perched on a fence post
Soon after arriving there began a steady stream of people coming and going to look also. We chatted with a couple (we think father and daughter) and they confirmed that this was the spot and said the cranes actually blackened the sky there were so many. OK - where are the cranes? The couple said the cranes come into the area between 11AM and 2PM to rest after feeding in the morning in grain fields in the area and then go back out in the afternoon to feed once again. It was about 1:15PM. Maybe these birds are on Central Time.
The gentleman we were talking with said there was another area further south at Whitewater Reserve and gave us instructions on how to get there. We after hanging around there with our eyes peeled for about an hour we decided to move on and continue our adventure.
As we continued south on 191 we went through a border patrol station but they were only stopping traffic going north. As we headed south we programmed Bisbee in the GPS which we have named Amelia, as in Amelia Earhart. She does a great job but at times we confuse her when we don't turn when she tells us to. Today we followed her instructions and considering the out back area we were in she led us on some interesting roads. Mostly small two lane roads through cowboy and farming country. Again some real interesting country. A lot of pecan and Pistacio orchards here in southern Arizona.
We gradually made our way to the Lavender open pit and Queen shaft copper mines. We found the Queen RV Park at the edge of the open pit mine practically with the back end of the trailer hanging over the edge. We plan to tour the Queen mine tomorrow.
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