On our trip to the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch, the preserve is one of autobahns important birding areas, this

is because of the areas only major riparian area as well as a resting point for many migrating birds during the winter months. We were met by Jennie Rambo, a naturalist and member of the Audubon society. She took us on a guided tour of the preserve, and she was very informative about the birds, plants and what the area is used for.

The preserve is home to around 200 different birds, ducks and geese, with more migrating in starting in December. We saw Thrashers, brown with gold eyes and curved bills. They use their bills to obtain insects and eat fruit. We also saw European starlings, and Verdins, a tiny songbird with a yellow face who like to put their spherical nests at the end of a branch for easy access. In the Riparian Preserve Annas Hummingbirds are present all year long. We saw

Pied-billed grebe ducks, stilts, geese, green teal Ducks, cinnamon teal Ducks, Reef sandpipers, song sparrows, Gila Woodpeckers, Northern Mockingbirds, Grackles(which are not native in the Phoenix area) and starlings, to name a few. We were told by Jennie that in order to hear and spot birds, it is best to stand or sit quietly and listen.

We learned that the saguaro is endemic and that it is pollinated at night by bats and during the day by white wing doves. The saguaro stomata opens at night to receive moisture; saguaro when young needs a nurturing plant to survive and grows arms when much older. The Santa Rita cactus turns purple because of a stressful environment, and that the Agave can grow rain roots when water is plentiful then shut down for a dry summer and revive again when

Monsoons come .

We learned that the seven ponds in the preserve are filled on a rotating basis, and that Cottonwoods, willows and the invasive Salt cedar (take salt out of the earth and when the leaves fall they kill plants below)live around the ponds, The Salt Cedar are being removed from the preserve. There are also survival ponds that are filled at all times where you will see many ducks and geese.