Per Wikipedia: “Willcox Playa is a large endorheic dry lake or sink (playa) adjacent to Willcox, Arizona in Cochise County, in the southeast corner of the state.” (No affiliation, but please consider supporting this great online resource.) BirdingPI.com translation: large, shallow, seasonal lake; interesting habitat for (maybe) seeing unusual birds in the desert.
Several access points – on the west, Apache Station Wildlife Viewing Area off Route 191 (easy access); on the north, observation area south of the Twinlakes Golf Course (easy access); on the east, Wilcox Playa Wildlife Area off S. Kansas Settlement Rd (hike-in access).
Helpful hint: Wilcox Playa, mid-day in August = sunbaked, hot, & humid; not a pleasant hike.
Totally worth the suffering to see American Avocet. Absolutely beautiful.
Breeding adults: reddish head; nonbreeding/immature: gray/white head.
From the marsh/lagoon at the south end of the lake.
Helpful hint: viewing area’s fairly far from the nearest water. Recommend a good spotting scope, and/or #giant_camera. (All shots long distance and heavily cropped.)
Saw a dove or two going out to the viewing area; + one Western Kingbird (probably – rufous coloring is unusual, perhaps juvenile?):
Now it’s out by the golf course. Very easy access with views (of this portion of the lake/area) from the dirt road:
What a great surprise, another lovely shore bird, Black-necked Stilt:
[Editor’s Note: It was pointed out that the lake immediately above is called Cochise Lake; considered an adjacent habitat to Wilcox Playa proper.]
Comin’ up, the coolest bird in Arizona? Stay tuned.