more Whitewater Draw

There are 2 parking lots here for RVs, one fairly close to the ponds & an overflow area about a mile north. The main RV lot was full yesterday afternoon, & I couldn't see any water while driving through. Due to the high winds, I couldn't hear any birds, & none were flying around: I concluded that the area was too dry, so the birds were elsewhere this year. I camped at the overflow lot a mile north, & was awakened by a weird noise about 6:30. A long wave of sandhill cranes was approaching, followed by another wave & another; this went on for more than an hour; they all leave the ponds in the morning to feed in nearby fields. Seems that the 20,000 sandhill cranes that usually winter here were just kept in the ponds yesterday afternoon by the wind. Today, I moved over to the main area, & watched off & on as groups came back to the ponds to overnight. My alarm is set for 5:30 to be sure I'll catch them all lifting off in the morning. Photos can't really capture the extent of this, but here are a few to give an idea.   








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