Visiting Just Got a Little Bit Easier

Yes, the I-10/Prince Road overpass construction continues so we still have to approach the Wetlands from the north. However, the Frontage Road, south of El Camino del Cerro has re-opened which makes it a bit easier.

Make your way to El Camino del Cerro/Ruthrauff. Either take Exit 252 off I-10 or follow Wetmore Road west (it turns into Ruthrauff which turns into El Camino del Cerro – confusing little habit we have here in Tucson). At the El Camino del Cerro intersection, just west of I-10, head south on the Frontage Road and take the first right onto Sweetwater Drive.

Its a great time to wander around the Wetlands – yesterday, in addition to a small rattlesnake and hundreds of lizards we saw a turtle laying eggs, a flock of ibis, and a fuzzy, curious Great Horned Owlet still in the nest with a protective parent nearby.

See you there!

Construction Will Affect Wetlands Access

Boy, oh boy. The Wetlands are going to be hard to enjoy during the first full week of March! Not only will they be closed for a prescribed burn on Wednesday, March 7th (scheduled to reopen at the usual time on the 8th if all goes well) but the Arizona Department of Transportation will be closing Ruthrauff/El Camino del Cerro under I-10 that weekend. It will close for repaving at 9 pm on Friday the 9th and should be open by 11pm on Sunday, March 11th.

So, for those of you who live east of I-10 it sounds like the easiest way to get to the Wetlands that weekend will be to get on eastbound I-10 at Orange Grove, then take the Prince Road exit. As you descend the ramp slow down and get in the far right lane. Take the first right on to Sweetwater Dr. (If by chance you miss that turn, you can take the next right onto Commerce Drive. Then another quick right onto Benan Drive will take you back up to Sweetwater Drive. Left to the Wetlands.) Remember that Prince Road west of the frontage road is closed.

Now for those of us that live west of I-10, we have two choices but either way we’re in for a bit of driving. We can either head down to Grant Road, then hop on I-10 westbound, exit at Sunset Road, go under I-10, and get back on. Then take the Prince Road exit. As you descend the ramp slow down and get in the far right lane. Take the first right on to Sweetwater Dr. (If by chance you miss that turn, you can take the next right onto Commerce Drive. Then another quick right onto Benan Drive will take you back up to Sweetwater Drive. Left to the Wetlands.) Remember that Prince Road west of the frontage road is closed.

Or drive north on Silverbell Road to Ina Road and get on eastbound I-10, then take the Prince Road exit. As you descend the ramp slow down and get in the far right lane. Take the first right on to Sweetwater Dr. (If by chance you miss that turn, you can take the next right onto Commerce Drive. Then another quick right onto Benan Drive will take you back up to Sweetwater Drive. Left to the Wetlands.) Remember that Prince Road west of the frontage road is closed.

More info about the project from ADOT.

Breezy Birding

We braved the wind yesterday and met our friends Nancy and Denny at the Wetlands for some catching up and birding. Though the dancing leaves made it challenging, we ended up with almost 40 species. Our highlights: Peregrine Falcon, Summer Tanager, and Black-crowned Night-Heron (which we haven’t seen there in quite some time).

We had a lovely chat with a group from Missoula, Montana that had high praise for our recreated oasis. Always nice to be reminded just how special our Wetlands are!

So, what are you waiting for? Get out and enjoy this wonderful weather—come see all the wildlife at the Wetlands. Don’t let the nearby road construction scare you!

Please remember that the Wetlands will be closed on March 7th.

Wetlands Will be Closed on Wednesday, March 7th

Sweetwater Wetlands will be closed on March 7th for a controlled burn. Rotating sections of the park are burned every year in an attempt to remove brush and reeds (which not only improves our views of the ponds but helps reduce mosquito habitat). While fire may sound scary at such birdy spot, keep in mind that only a portion of the Wetlands will be burned – there will still be plenty of trees, reeds, water and other places of refuge.

Here’s the official blurb from the city: The annual burn at the Sweetwater Wetlands is scheduled for Wednesday, March 7. The wetlands will be closed to the public that day and should reopen on March 8, barring an interruption, such as weather. The Tucson Fire Department is in command of the operation.

Check here for any updates or changes to the scheduled burn: http://cms3.tucsonaz.gov/water/sweetwater

Spring has Sprung

We aren’t the only ones enjoying this warm February weather – our feathered friends are out in force at Sweetwater Wetlands. The willows are already budding out and there was a flurry of courting and nest-building activity. Be sure to stop by – you never know what you might see!

Fun Reads: Coyotes and Sweetwater

Meant to share these two articles with you last month. Oh well, better late than never.

According to this first article Arizona Game and Fish calculates that our urban coyote population is double that of rural areas. Presumably because there are so many more food sources, like trash cans and stray cats. The author, Jonathan DuHamel, also includes an enlightening Native American coyote story.

Then there’s an interesting piece about the wonders of Sweetwater Wetlands posted as a pdf link on the Wetland’s official, city-run website (scroll down to “Strike up the Band”). Fun read about the author’s first visit to our oasis.

After you finish reading – be sure to head on over to the Wetlands – there are lots of birds and other wildlife to enjoy!

Roadwork Affects Access to Sweetwater Wetlands

2 weeks, 2 months, 2 years. Those are the lengths of three different road construction projects affecting access to the Wetlands.

I’ll start with the shortest one first: El Camino del Cerro is closed at the railroad tracks (just east of I-10) until November 4th. Thankfully, we now have less than a week left on that project.

The eastbound frontage road south of El Camino del Cerro is closed for utility work and there are roughly two months left in that project.

Finally there is the I-10 widening from Prince Road to El Camino del Cerro, that project is expected to take two years. This will be great when finished since vehicles on Prince will no longer have to wait for trains. There will be an overpass similar to the one at Miracle Mile Road that spans I-10 and the tracks.

Even with all this construction it is still possible to visit our wonderful Wetlands.

If you are coming down from the north, get on I-10, then take the Prince Road exit. As you descend the ramp get in the far right lane and take the first right onto Sweetwater Drive. (If by chance you miss that turn, you can take the next right onto Commerce Drive. Then another quick right onto Benan Drive will take you back up to Sweetwater Drive. Left to the Wetlands.) Remember that Prince Road west of the frontage road is closed.

If you are coming from the south, get onto westbound I-10 (or the frontage road), exit at Ruthrauff/El Camino del Cerro (Exit 252). Take a left at the light, go under I-10, then another left at the light and get back on I-10 heading eastbound. Get off at the next exit which is Prince Road. As you descend the ramp get into the far right lane and take the first right onto Sweetwater Drive. (If by chance you miss that turn, you can take the next right onto Commerce Drive. Then another quick right onto Benan Drive will take you back up to Sweetwater Drive. Left to the Wetlands.) Remember that Prince Road west of the frontage road is closed.

More information about the I-10 project can be found here.

Hope to see you out there soon!

An Unpleasant Discovery

June’s cleanup was going really well until we turned the last corner. On the ground near one of the new and larger power lines was a dead Great Blue Heron. At first we chalked it up to the cycle of life, where one creature becomes food for another. But something didn’t seem quite right, the bird was still intact and therefore hadn’t been someone’s dinner.

Our next thought was maybe, just maybe someone had shot it. I hate thinking like that but after the recent inhumane, senseless, and illegal shootings of Javelina in the area I can be forgiven for leaping to that conclusion. We’re not forensic experts and we did not disturb the carcass but we didn’t see any signs of bullets, thankfully.

So we continued on our way, dismissing it as just another one of those “weird things that happen.” Until we found the next one. The discovery of a second dead Great Blue Heron in roughly the same area, in roughly the same condition sent me scrambling for my camera. Something was definitely wrong – nature doesn’t dabble in coincidence.

After documenting the birds and their location we have reason to suspect that the new power lines may be the culprit. We have witnessed them atop other power lines across the river at Columbus Park, so it doesn’t take a huge leap to presume that they might have tried the same thing on these new poles. We don’t have definitive proof of the cause of death for those two majestic and wonderful birds, so we can’t make any conclusion, but  we did send the information (with photos) on to the relevant authorities.

Let’s hope that next month’s cleanup doesn’t reveal any more of these kinds of discoveries!

New Summer Cleanup Times

In deference to the upcoming warm summer months we have moved the start time for our monthly cleanups an hour earlier. We will hit the trail at 8am and, if all goes well, we will finish in about an hour which should get us out of the sun in the nick of time.

Though the birds at the Wetlands are less numerous the species count will not disappoint. Lush riparian areas are in high demand during our hot and dry “Foresummer” months. So come on out – join us for a cleanup and some birding fun!

Brisk but Sunny February Cleanup

Even though there was snow on all the mountains around Tucson on Sunday morning the inhabitants of the Wetlands are already acting like it’s Spring. Male birds were sporting their flashiest and brightest outfits and trees were budding out all over. It was a cool morning for a cleanup but the cheery sunshine made for an enjoyable time.

This is a great time of year to explore the Wetlands – there are all sorts of avian treasures flitting overhead and the ponds are full of raucous chatter. So come on out and join us for our cleanup on the 20th of March and stay afterward to enjoy this oasis with us!