Blog – Page 67 – CrazyM Bird & Nature Photography

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.

Wilson’s Snipe

Today’s outing was to Brunswick Point where there were several people and other birders/photographers enjoying another beautiful, but cold afternoon. The usual Double-crested Cormorants were on the pilings and I could still hear Western Meadowlarks singing in the fields and marsh. The Northern Harriers were up, but no Short-eared Owls that I noticed. While watching the stand of trees the Prairie Falcon frequents I got called a little further to the east by another birder. The surprise of the afternoon,

… was a Wilson’s Snipe taking a siesta in the sun while the Robins wondered around it.

Eventually it did get up and start foraging in the farm yard. While I have seen and photographed Wilson’s Snipe before,

… this is the closest I have managed to be. The bird was quite cooperative as well, staying in the open the whole time I was there. Thanks for the heads up Doug. To top the day off, the Prairie Falcon did make an appearance in the trees on my way back.

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.