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Tag Archives: sandhill cranes

Birds, Birds, Birds

The girls and I just returned from a nearly three-week roadtrip. We spent time in the California desert and also at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. I made lots of pictures. Lots. So far, I have processed most of the bird photos from Malheur and even skipping many, I still have so many favorites. It’s overwhelming. Here is a group of several miscellaneous species to get started. Sandhill Cranes, Osprey, Song Sparrow, Bullock’s Oriole, Cinnamon Teal, Gadwall, Mallard, Ring-necked Pheasant, White-faced Ibis, Pintails, Franklin’s Gulls, Yellow-headed Blackbird, White-faced Ibis, Turkey Vultures. There will be more.

Spring Birds

Spring migration is in full swing with new birds arriving, and departing, daily. After a long quiet winter, it’s nice to hear bird song again. Mountain Bluebird, Say’s Phoebe, Dusky Grouse, Vesper Sparrow, Northern Flicker, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Western Bluebird, Townsend’s Solitaire, Bald Eagle, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Sandhill Cranes.

Sandhill Cranes

I have been fortunate to see Sandhill Cranes in many places. The Columbia Basin is the first place I saw them and learned about their migrations. As they travel north from their wintering grounds to Alaska where they breed, they stop over to rest and eat in the corn stubble fields on the big irrigated farms.

Bernardo Wildlife Area

The Bernardo Wildlife Area was just minutes from our campsite. I had read a small article about it in the National Audubon magazine so I knew it could be a good spot to see cranes and I had driven by it before setting up the camper earlier in the day. We went there for sunset and were not disappointed. And the next day it was even better at sunset. With colder weather and more wind, I never did get back to Bosque.

Bernardo had a very nice, short auto route and several really nice blinds for watching wildlife. The best part (besides the birds) was that no one was there! And the dogs could get out of the car. They are pretty good bird watchers. Sometimes all of us stayed in the car and used it as a blind to watch and make photos. They watched and listened while I made photos.

This is a rest area featuring bird blinds with picnic tables overlooking the Seviletta National Wildlife Refuge.
The entry to a bird blind
Sky is watching birds
Not like that Sky
Two rooster pheasants near another blind
I love the way cranes come in for a landing
I wonder if these coyotes thought they were going to get a crane for dinner?
Cranes were constantly coming and going both evenings.

Bosque del Apache

We continued to travel south, staying at another RV park without goatheads this time, north of Socorro. I wanted to see wintering Sandhill Cranes and other birds at Bosque del Apache, a National Wildlife Refuge in the Rio Grande valley. After setting up camp, we headed for the refuge and spent the afternoon in the visitors’ center and driving one of the auto tours. The dogs spent the whole time in the car so as not to disturb the wildlife. The weather was cold and windy, not the best for bird watching and photography but I made the best of it.

Sandhill Cranes
female Northern Harrier
Harriers hunt by hovering and pouncing on small mammals
Snow Geese