Sunrise on the Platte

Sandhill cranes departing their overnight roost on sandbars in the Platte River, near Grand Island, Nebraska. They will spend their entire day feeding on stubble in nearby farmland fields before returning to the river at sunset.

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The Great Grus Canadensis Gathering

 The spring migration of sandhill cranes is truly one of the great spectacles of nature and a birder's delight. They arrive in waves from various southern wintering grounds beginning in mid February and continue until early April. In the weeks ahead I hope to make several posts with current photos and information about the extraordinary sandhill crane gathering and possibly a few pics of some of the other estimated 300 species that will also be passing through on their northbound journey.

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The Trumpeters

 A small flock of some 20 plus trumpeter swans (Cygnus buccinator) have chosen a lake (with some open water) in the Omaha metro as their place to winter over before heading north again, most likely in late February. The trumpeter swan is considered to be the world's largest extant species of waterfowl.. They mate for life and congregate in small groups or families rather than travel in large flocks. Their loud, resonant, bugling voice is unmistakable. The trumpeters are native to North America and have a black bill with a long straight neck and do not share the bright orange bill and classic S shaped neck of the introduced Eurasian mute swan more commonly seen in urban ponds and lakes.

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Day's End on the Plains

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Vibrant Vermilion

The northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) stands out vividly in winter white.

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Night Flight

Canada geese migrating south along the Missouri River corridor at dawn.

Sky Watch Friday

Calling It a Day

After a day of feeding in cornfields around the Platte River Valley of Nebraska, many thousands of migrating sandhill cranes move back to the river beds to roost. Before and after sunset we watched for about an hour as formation after formation sailed over our heads, chatting it up all the while, and settled down on the river for the night.

Sky Watch Friday

Lesser is Sometimes Greater

Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis) 

Among the hundreds of thousands of migrating sandhill cranes now converging on the
Platte River Valley in Nebraska are several subspecies including the greater and lesser sandhill cranes.
The greater cranes are a little taller (4 to 5 feet) and slightly heavier (10-12 lbs)  than the their lesser cousins.
It's estimated that the lessers represent 90% of the total sandhill cranes passing through.
It is such a pleasure to get into the mix of their migration and experience their large numbers in the evening as they return to roost along the river valley and then to catch them again the next morning at dawn as these large graceful birds suddenly make for the heavens with a deafening cacophony of chatter.
It is truly one of nature's premier spectacles.

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Home, Sweet Home

A worn and weathered bluebird nesting box stands 

 in an open field awaiting new arrivals.

ABC Wednesday

Flight

Cold, cloudy skies along the Missouri river valley are beginning to show migrating birds on the move. We are still in the grip of winter, but the migrants are restless. Flocks of snow geese shown here are a harbinger of the millions of waterfowl to follow in the coming spring. Soon some half million sandhill cranes will collect along the Platte River wetlands and cornfields in south central Nebraska for weeks of rest and feeding before their final push to nesting grounds in Canada and Alaska.

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Walk in the Woods

A quiet place for reflection in the marsh.

Weekend Reflections

Happy Turkeys Day

Wild Turkeys running free in a Nebraska cornfield.

Can almost hear Lightnin' Hopkins singing, " Long gone, long gone like a turkey through the corn."

Wild Bird Wednesday

Redbird

Hey, you looking at me?

Of all our backyard songbirds, the Northern Cardinal, cardinalis cardinalis, is probably our favorite. The clear, whistling melodies exchanged with its mate through all the seasons never fail to get our attention.

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The Water's Edge

The Antarctic Penguin exhibit in Omaha's Zoo and Aquarium is seen here through a 60 foot long, 25 foot high window extending both above and below water. The exhibit includes Antarctic rock, water and man-made snow, all kept at a temperature between 35 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Over 85 penguins, ranging from king penguins (as tall as a five-year-old child), to gentoo penguins, a macaroni penguin and little rockhopper penguins, inhabit this frigid environment.

The Water's Edge is the November theme for City Daily Photo bloggers around the world.

Theme Day photos from CDP bloggers can be found here.

Gulf Coast Gold

A serene sunrise on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico belies the violent and destructive potential every year for storms like Hurricane Isaac now raging across southern Louisiana and Mississippi.

Travels - 2011

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Fine Feathered Friends

 Atticus

 Creighton

 Borgia

Lovey

Four members of the Backyard Feeder Bunch

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Northward Bound

A new year and another migration for the Sandhill Cranes that amass here in Nebraska on their way north. About a half million of these large, graceful birds will stop to feed and rest along the Platte River during March and April before continuing their journey to nesting grounds in Canada and Alaska. For a quick glance at basic facts about this fascinating bird, check this link to the Rowe Bird Sanctuary.

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Sky Watch Friday

Day of the Raptor

This is an image from a post I made several years ago when living in Washington state. It was an incredible encounter I had one day with wildlife in action while walking the beach in Port Townsend.  I couldn't believe my luck when a bald eagle suddenly swooped down out the blue and attacked a river otter very close to where I was standing. I had only a pocket point and shoot which I fumbled out of my shirt, but got a few shots off as the eagle pounced from the top of the rock toward the otter, which had a fish in its jaws, at the bottom of the rock. The otter darted into the sea and out of sight just in time.  It all happened so quickly I felt lucky to get even this, but it was an exciting few minutes, to be sure.

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World Bird Wednesday

Theme Day - Photo of the Year 2011

A favorite image because it comes close to what I had hoped to capture that day. It was taken in the corn fields around the Platte River near Kearney, Nebraska where migrating Sandhill Cranes make a stopover every spring on their way north to Canada and Alaska. As all of us who enjoy photography know, lots of patience and a little luck are everything for getting decent shots in nature. So the challenge of getting close enough to the cranes while working the moon into the frame finally came together for a good picture or, at least, one that I liked.

View the best photos of the year 2011 from City Daily Photo bloggers around the world.

 Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Best wishes to everyone for a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!

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World Bird Wednesday

Underway

Migrating Sandhill Cranes

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