George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary – Page 38

Sparrows & Rail

Cloudy and cool this afternoon when helping out at Reifel, but not a bad crowd given the conditions. The Great Horned and Northern Saw-whet Owls were noticeably absent along the east dyke trail. In the northeast corner I checked out some of the regulars.

Like this Fox Sparrow,

… and the ever present Song Sparrow. A couple of birds entertaining the visitors this afternoon and providing good views,

… were two Virginia Rails. This one captured on ice along the slough’s edge. Another highlight today were two Swamp Sparrows making brief appearances around the tower again. A few birders were delighted to see them, some for the first time. Unfortunately I did not manage any new photos of them.

Sparrows, Owl & Rail

With the winds subsiding somewhat today I headed out as the wind chill was not going to be as bad. It kept me indoors yesterday. The trails at Reifel afford a little protection from the breeze and I started out along the east dyke.

First photo op was this Golden-crowned Sparrow. At the northeast corner,

… one of the Great Horned Owls was roosting a little lower than they have been of late. Still not as low as I would like, but it was an unobstructed view. Next stop was the tower to check for the Swamp Sparrows. While there was no sign of them,

… the Song Sparrows were busy foraging everywhere including scampering around on the ice. Then the bonus bird for the day,

… was this Virginia Rail scurrying around the base of the tower. I was fortunate to get this shot as most of the time I was only getting partial views. A good end to the day.

Night-Heron & Eagle

Managed a quick walk in the sun this afternoon. There were more people than I expected there would be for a Friday at Reifel. Birding wise it was fairly quiet, but there was one pleasant surprise.

On starting out for my walk one of the Black-crowned Night-Heron was on the move and in the open in an evergreen tree across from the gift shop. The only other action I managed was at the tower.

The Bald Eagles are still frequenting the tree tops here providing some good photo opportunities.