Sandhill CraneI first visited Whitewater Draw, in McNeal AZ, in November 2018 during our Beverly Hillbillies style adventure moving from New Jersey to our new home in Hereford. My sense of awe upon hearing and seeing the thousands of Sandhill Cranes converged at this little oasis in the high desert was complete. Since then I have visited "The Draw" many times, with each visit adding to a chapter to the unfolding story in my imagination of this magical place. And with each visit, I have hoped to capture a quintessential image that captures the beauty and wonder of simultaneously serene and chaotic ebb and flow of life there.

I have concluded that this is not possible. Whitewater Draw is a testament to the symbiotic existence of the individual and the whole. It is a place to gestalt in happiness at the cohesive totality of its parts. And, it is a place to micro-focus on the individuality of the lives that embrace its presence. Each visit is a new experience, and each tour provides a new revelation. It is one of the greatest testaments that I know of to God's will for us to live in a diversified and harmonious existence.

Therefore, for now, I have given up on my quest for a single image that captures what "The Draw" is. I do not believe that would do it justice. I am now embarking on creating a series of images that tell the story of this fantastic island of abundant life in the Southern Arizona high desert. At the heart of the story is the Sandhill Crane. A singularly unique and beautiful bird that winters here in the tens of thousands. It is the Sandhill Crane that lives in the epicenter of "The Draw" and at the heart of the story.

This image of a Sandhills Crane banking in flight, with the water below, the fields and farmlands behind and the mountains in the background is the first of these images. I pray that I do service to God and the glory of His creation as I tell this story. I humbly remain His scribe.
Shoot Date: December 18, 2018
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Manual ¹⁄₁₀₀₀ sec at f/9.0 0 EV
Lens: TAMRON SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD A011 @ 600 mm
ISO: 500

I first visited Whitewater Draw, in McNeal AZ,  in November 2018 during our Beverly Hillbillies style adventure moving from New Jersey to our new home in Hereford. My sense of awe upon hearing and seeing the thousands of Sandhill Cranes converged at this little oasis in the high desert was complete. Since then I have visited "The Draw" many times, with each visit adding to a chapter to the unfolding story in my imagination of this magical place.  And with each visit, I have hoped to capture a quintessential image that captures the beauty and wonder of simultaneously serene and chaotic ebb and flow of life there. 

I have concluded that this is not possible. Whitewater Draw is a testament to the symbiotic existence of the individual and the whole.  It is a place to gestalt in happiness at the cohesive totality of its parts. And, it is a place to micro-focus on the individuality of the lives that embrace its presence. Each visit is a new experience, and each tour provides a new revelation. It is one of the greatest testaments that I know of to God's will for us to live in a diversified and harmonious existence. 

Therefore, for now, I have given up on my quest for a single image that captures what "The Draw" is. I do not believe that would do it justice. I am now embarking on creating a series of images that tell the story of this fantastic island of abundant life in the Southern Arizona high desert. At the heart of the story is the Sandhill Crane. A singularly unique and beautiful bird that winters here in the tens of thousands. It is the Sandhill Crane that lives in the epicenter of "The Draw" and at the heart of the story.

This image of a Sandhills Crane banking in flight, with the water below, the fields and farmlands behind and the mountains in the background is the first of these images. I pray that I do service to God and the glory of His creation as I tell this story. I humbly remain His scribe. 

Sandhill Crane
©RGallucci Photography
---
Shoot Date: December 18, 2018
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Manual ¹⁄1000 sec at f/9.0 0 EV
Lens: TAMRON SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD A011 @ 600 mm
ISO: 500

Vermillion FlycatcherOne of the great alures of birding is to see the incredible depth of color and diversity of the thousands of species of birds that dominate our planet. For this birder, the gamut of joy encompasses the full spectrum of combinations, from the muted shades of dusky brown and gray that some species camouflage themselves in through the brilliant explosions of color that adorn other members of the avian tribe. However, within that all-encompassing love, there are a few species that stand apart in my adoration.

The Vermillion Flycatcher ranks high on that list. At just 5 inches in size, it makes up for its diminutive stature with a claret beacon of plumage on its head and belly, offset by a slate gray and black beak, eyeline and back. Apropos of the season, it is natures Christmas ornament decorating whatever limb it perches from.

It is also incredibly swift as it frequently darts off its perch to capture some poor insect that flies by its path. So fast that catching one in flight has been one of this photographers nemesis goals. Of the hundreds of images I have of this bird I have less than five good shots of it in flight. That number includes this image.

My brother is visiting from New York, and I had take him to Whitewater Draw to see for himself the spectacle of the wintering Sandhill Cranes as just another of the countless reasons we view life in the high desert of southern Arizona as paradise. As we stood on the pier looking at the ballet of cranes taking off and landing this flycatcher flew down from its perch in a nearby tree demanding our attention. When it settled on a swamp reed right in front of us, I quickly refocused my camera and shot away. Luckily this image was part of the series.

I am humbled that God allowed me the honor of capturing and sharing it and remain blessed to be His scribe.

Vermillion Flycatcher
©RGallucci Photography
---
Shoot Date: December 18, 2018
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Manual ¹⁄₁₀₀₀ sec at f/6.3 0 EV
Lens: TAMRON SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD A011 @ 600 mm
ISO: 400

One of the great alures of birding is to see the incredible depth of color and diversity of the thousands of species of birds that dominate our planet. For this birder, the gamut of joy encompasses the full spectrum of combinations, from the muted shades of dusky brown and gray that some species camouflage themselves in through the brilliant explosions of color that adorn other members of the avian tribe. However, within that all-encompassing love, there are a few species that stand apart in my adoration. 

The Vermillion Flycatcher ranks high on that list.  At just 5 inches in size, it makes up for its diminutive stature with a claret beacon of plumage on its head and belly, offset by a slate gray and black beak, eyeline and back. Apropos of the season, it is natures Christmas ornament decorating whatever limb it perches from. 

It is also incredibly swift as it frequently darts off its perch to capture some poor insect that flies by its path. So fast that catching one in flight has been one of this photographers nemesis goals. Of the hundreds of images, I have of this bird I have less than five good shots of it in flight. That number includes this image. 

My brother is visiting from New York, and I had take him to Whitewater Draw to see for himself the spectacle of the wintering Sandhill Cranes as just another of the countless reasons we view life in the high desert of southern Arizona as paradise. As we stood on the pier looking at the ballet of cranes taking off and landing this flycatcher flew down from its perch in a nearby tree demanding our attention.  When it settled on a swamp reed right in front of us, I quickly refocused my camera and shot away. Luckily this image was part of the series. 

I am humbled that God allowed me the honor of capturing and sharing it and remain blessed to be His scribe. 

Vermillion Flycatcher
©RGallucci Photography

Ferruginous HawkSoaring through the cold winter skies of southern Arizona's high desert sky-island valleys in search of prey, the Ferruginous Hawk is the largest of all the North American raptors. Stunningly regal in its stiff-winged flight this Buteo rules the fallow fields it stalks in search of prey. At around two feet long, with just under a six-foot wingspan, this hawk is similar in size to the Upland Buzzard of Central Asia, its distant relative. In the late Pleistocene, they shared the skies over the Alaska Siberia land bridge. Today, the species dominates its realm alone.

The high desert of southern Arizona is home to the largest diversity of animal life in the United States. Within that ecosystem, the Ferruginous Hawk sits as the top predator in the sky. Pity the poor prairie dog or jackrabbit that gets caught in its talons. To see one perched on one of the numerous utility poles that line the primitive roads around Whitewater Draw is a revelation. To watch one in flight is doubly so.

I remain humbly thankful to God for granting me the opportunity to witness the beauty of the high desert region and share it with others. I am blessed to be His scribe.
Shoot Date: December 15, 2018
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Aperture priority ¹⁄₈₀₀ sec at f/6.3 ²⁄₃ EV
Lens: TAMRON SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD A011 @ 600 mm
ISO: 320

Soaring through the cold winter skies of southern Arizona's high desert sky-island valleys in search of prey, the Ferruginous Hawk is the largest of all the North American raptors. Stunningly regal in its stiff-winged flight this Buteo rules the fallow fields it stalks in search of prey.  At around two feet long, with just under a six-foot wingspan, this hawk is similar in size to the Upland Buzzard of Central Asia, its distant relative.  In the late Pleistocene, they shared the skies over the Alaska Siberia land bridge. Today, the species dominates its realm alone. 

The high desert of southern Arizona is home to the largest diversity of animal life in the United States. Within that ecosystem, the Ferruginous Hawk sits as the top predator in the sky. Pity the poor prairie dog or jackrabbit that gets caught in its talons. To see one perched on one of the numerous utility poles that line the primitive roads around Whitewater Draw is a revelation. To watch one in flight is doubly so. 

I remain humbly thankful to God for granting me the opportunity to witness the beauty of the high desert region and share it with others. I am blessed to be His scribe.