Arizona

A group created to showcase the beautiful scenery and life of Arizona, USA.

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Featured Work

Barrel Maze by AsEyeSee

This image was selected as a Featured Work in the group Arizona A Redbubble member Favorite!
Sunset sahuaros by RichImage

Two Magnificent Sahuaro Cacti at sunset in the Sonoran Desert near Tucson, Arizona, USA. This image was captured in Sept. of 2007.
Sun-Lit by BarbaraManis

Cholla cacti, Green Valley, AZ Taken with my Nilon D-80, 18-135 mm lens, UV filter. FEATURED in the ARIZONA Group- 12/06/08
Compass Barrel Cactus by Richard Rushton

This is a young compass barrel cactus I came across after a rain. It is tucked in to a shelter created by the skeleton of a giant Saguaro cactus in the desert near Cave Creek, AZ.
Gila River Valley by kjgordon

The central portion of the Gila River flows on the southern Phoenix Valley region-(where Phoenix, in the Salt River Valley joins the Gila River Valley) Located just a few miles down I-10 from our Arizona home / After the rain the desert is crisp and clean…...... / the The Saguaro, pronounced “sah-wah-roh” Cactus soaks up the moisture like a sponge / I didn’t have my camera with me so I took this photo with my eye and recreated it with acrylic paint …............ /

Recent Work

Snow Fall by Stormygirl

This is the beautiful view I woke up to on sunday. It wasn’t even that cold. / Close to Heber Arizona. Thanks for viewing.
Sandhill Cranes ll by Marvin Collins

These cranes are beginning their long glide down to land in the draw. Shot at Whitewater Draw near Elfrida AZ on 1-3-09.
Winter in the mountains of Arizona by cindylu

View of mountains and fog in Arizona in January
Desert Giant by Richard Rushton

This is a giant Saguaro cactus, located in the Sonoran Desert, North Scottsdale, Arizona against one of the rock outcropings common to the area.
Sentinel by Richard Rushton

This giant saguaro cactus stands alone against the deep blue Arizona sky.
Lone Crane by Marvin Collins

Shot at Whitewater Draw near Elfrida AZ on 1-3-08
Sun Light by Stormygirl

Taken in Heber Arizona
Elfrida Red-Tailed Hawk by Marvin Collins

Shot on the way to Whitewater Draw on 1-3-09
Aspen Trees by Stormygirl

Photo was taken close to Heber Arizona along the rim road. /
Sandhill Cranes by Marvin Collins

This is the reason thousands of people visit the Whitewater Draw Wildlife Sanctuary near Willcox AZ each winter. Approximately 30,000 of the cranes spend their winter here. It is quite spectacular in terms of sight and sound when the large flocks are leaving to go into the surrounding fields to feed or are arriving back at the draw fo rest and spend the night. They circle up to height, then begin their flight to the fields and then circle back down to land, awesome sight. !Sandhill Cranes are big birds, with long legs and necks, long pointed beaks, and wingspans which can be over six feet. Adults are gray with red crowns. Juveniles are gray, washed with brown. During the breeding season, the gray plumage of the adults is often stained brown with mud. A “bustle”, which covers the short tail, is composed of long, drooping inner wing feathers (tertials and inner secondaries.) Habitat / Sandhill Cranes live in wet meadows and grasslands, and they feed in grain fields and pastures. In Washington, they nest in wetlands in areas that are surrounded by Lodgepole Pine, Ponderosa Pine, Grand Fir, or Douglas Fir forests. Emergent vegetation is a key component of their preferred nesting areas. During migration and in winter they live in more open prairie, agricultural fields, and river valleys. Sandhill Cranes prefer to live in habitats where they have clear views of their surroundings. Behavior / During the breeding season, Sandhill Cranes paint themselves by preening mud, which serves as camouflage, into their feathers. The courtship rituals of cranes are elaborate: paired birds spread their wings and leap repeatedly into the air while calling. Pairs return to the same nesting territories year after year and sometimes use the same nest repeatedly. The young learn migratory routes from adults; without this modeling, they do not migrate. Diet / Sandhill Cranes are omnivores; their diet varies by location and season. They eat insects, rodents, snails, small reptiles and amphibians, nestling birds, the roots of aquatic plants, tubers, berries, seeds, and grains. Nesting / Nests are built in emergent vegetation in shallow water or close to water. Both parents build the nest, a mound of plant material pulled up from around the site and anchored to surrounding vegetation. Both parents incubate the two eggs. The young leave the nest within a day of hatching and follow their parents out into the marsh. At first, both parents feed the young, but the young quickly learn to feed themselves. They remain with their parents for their first nine to ten months. Migration Status / There are six recognized subspecies of Sandhill Cranes. Of these, half are migratory. The migratory cranes travel long distances, using routes learned from adults. During this migration they congregate at major stopover spots. The subspecies of Sandhill Crane seen in Washington are migratory. Most of the cranes that breed in Washington are members of the Central Valley population of the Greater Sandhill Crane subspecies, and they winter in the Central Valley of California. Members of the other two migratory subspecies, Lesser Sandhill Crane and Canadian Sandhill Crane, breed to our north and only migrate through Washington. Breeding Sandhill Cranes arrive at their nesting grounds in early March and leave for California between late September and mid-October. Conservation Status / Although with over 500,000 birds the Sandhill Crane is the most abundant crane worldwide, it is an endangered species in Washington. Its low numbers in the state, limited distribution, and low reproduction rate, and the loss of suitable crane habitat put it at significant risk of extirpation in the state. As an added risk, a large percentage of its wintering habitat is privately owned and thus subject to alteration without concern for endangered species. The small population of the Sandhill Cranes that breed in Washington are members of the Greater Sandhill Crane subspecies, which numbers only 70-80,000 birds throughout its entire range. / Sandhill Cranes formerly bred commonly in wetlands on both sides of the Cascade Crest but now breed in only two or three places in eastern Washington. They are limited by the availability of large tracts of undisturbed marsh and meadow for nesting and feeding, with adequate water levels during the nesting period. Sandhill Cranes are extremely wary, requiring isolated sites with good cover during the nesting period. When repeatedly disturbed by pedestrians, construction, low-flying aircraft, vehicles, or predators, they desert their nests. For Sandhill Cranes to survive in Washington, breeding, migration, and wintering habitats all need to be protected and enhanced. It is crucial that the loss and degradation of wetlands in Sandhill Crane nesting habitat is stopped, and in some cases, creation of additional habitat should be considered. Wetlands within two miles of agricultural areas providing grain are ideal roosting areas.
Tree by Stormygirl

This is just one of the photos I capture on a lucky trip to northern Arizona to a girls weekend out with my sister inlaw Cindylu5 / /
Storm Coming by Stormygirl

As is! / /