I don't consider myself a birder, but I enjoy looking for them and assisting in identification. Jim (my husband and traveling companion) comes from a family of birders and I support the habit as much as possible. We have a good pair of binoculars and we use the Sibley Guide to Birds (Second Edition). On our recent trip to Utah via Nebraska we decided to look for and record the birds we saw.
Our first stop (March 27, 2016) was on the Sandhill Crane Flyway near Kearny, Nebraska where we saw tens of thousands of Sandhill Cranes on their spring migration. We were told that the weekend before had been the peek with around 500,000 birds. We were there when about 250,000 were still hanging out in the cornfields during the day and congregating at the North Platte River at night.
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| During the day the Sandhill Cranes feast on the local corn fields. (Don't miss the masses on the ground!) |
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| At night they congregate along the river. The sound an be deafening. |
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| In the morning they fly back to the fields. |
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| We heard them before we saw them. |
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| A group landed right next to our camp site. |
If you like birds, don't miss this annual event!
The following list includes the first siting of each bird and the place it was seen.
Bird
|
Date
|
Where
|
| Meadowlark, Eastern |
3/26/16
|
Wisconsin |
| Hawk, Red-Tailed |
3/26/16
|
Wisconsin |
| Goose, Canada |
3/26/16
|
Wisconsin |
| Vulture, Turkey |
3/26/16
|
Iowa |
| Crow, American |
3/26/16
|
Iowa |
| Pigeon, Rock |
3/26/16
|
Iowa |
| Starling, European |
3/26/16
|
Iowa |
| Gull |
3/26/16
|
Iowa |
| Robin, American |
3/26/16
|
Iowa |
| Duck, (Misc) |
3/26/16
|
Iowa |
| Grackle, Common |
3/27/16
|
Nebraska |
| Dove, Mourning |
3/27/16
|
Nebraska |
| Blackbird, Red-Winged |
3/27/16
|
Nebraska |
| Kestrel, American |
3/27/16
|
Nebraska |
| Sandhill Crane, Lesser |
3/27/16
|
Nebraska |
| Sandhill Crane, Greater |
3/27/16
|
Nebraska |
| Wigeon, American |
3/27/16
|
Nebraska |
| Teal, Blue-Winged |
3/27/16
|
Nebraska |
| Flicker, Northern (Yellow-Shafted) |
3/27/16
|
Nebraska |
| Owl, Barred (heard) |
3/27/16
|
Nebraska |
| Willet |
3/27/16
|
Nebraska |
| Goose, Snow |
3/27/16
|
Nebraska |
| Mallard |
3/29/16
|
Colorado |
| Heron, Great Blue |
3/29/16
|
Colorado |
| Raven, Common |
3/29/16
|
Colorado |
| Towhee, Spotted |
3/30/16
|
Utah, Moab area |
| Jay, Pinion |
3/31/16
|
Utah, Dead Horse SP |
| Magpie, Black-Billed |
4/2/16
|
Utah, Moab |
| Woodpecker, Downy |
4/2/16
|
Utah, Moab |
| Dipper, American |
4/2/16
|
Utah, Moab, Mill Creek |
| Wren, Canyon |
4/3/16
|
Utah, Arches NP |
| Sparrow, English |
4/5/16
|
Utah, Capitol Reef NP |
| Chat, Yellow-Breasted |
4/5/16
|
Utah, Capitol Reef NP |
| Vireo, Warbling |
4/5/16
|
Utah, Capitol Reef NP |
| Bluebird, Mountain |
4/5/16
|
Utah, Capitol Reef NP |
| Coot, American |
4/5/16
|
Utah, Bricknel Bottoms |
| Pheasant, Ring-Necked |
4/5/16
|
Utah, Bricknel Bottoms |
| Swift, White-Throated |
4/6/16
|
Utah, Capitol Reef NP |
| Titmouse, Juniper |
4/6/16
|
Utah, Capitol Reef NP |
| Eagle, Bald |
4/6/16
|
Utah, So of Capitol Reef |
| Jay, Stellar’s |
4/6/16
|
Utah, So of Capitol Reef |
| Flicker, Northern (Red-Shafted |
4/6/16
|
Utah, So of Capitol Reef |
| Loon, Common |
4/7/16
|
Utah, Petrified Forest SP |
| Merganser, Common |
4/7/16
|
Utah, Petrified Forest SP |
| Merganser, Red-Breasted |
4/7/16
|
Utah, Petrified Forest SP |
| Cormorant, Double-Crested |
4/7/16
|
Utah, Petrified Forest SP |
| Sparrow, Chipping |
4/8/16
|
Utah, Lower Cedar Creek |
| Sparrow, White-Crowned |
4/8/16
|
Utah, Lower Cedar Creek |
| Sparrow, Lincoln |
4/8/16
|
Utah, Lower Cedar Creek |
| Bluebird, Western |
4/10/16
|
Utah, Bryce NP |
| Shrike, Loggerhead |
4/10/16
|
Utah, Bryce NP |
| Nuthatch, White-Breasted |
4/10/16
|
Utah, Bryce NP |
| Nuthatch, Pygmy |
4/10/16
|
Utah, Bryce NP |
| Kinglet, Gold-Crowned |
4/10/16
|
Utah, Bryce NP |
| Warbler, Yellow-Rumped |
4/11/16
|
Utah, Zion NP |
| Goldfinch, Lesser |
4/11/16
|
Utah, Zion NP |
| Warbler, Black-Throated Gray |
4/12/16
|
Utah, Zion NP |
| Goldfinch, American |
4/12/16
|
Utah, Zion NP |
| Chickadee, Mountain |
4/12/16
|
Utah, Zion NP |
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| Spotted Towhee in a nearby bush. The redish background is the rock formation across the River. |
My favorite bird siting was the Spotted Towhee that hung out by our campsite on the Colorado River near Moab, Utah.
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| I think he got used to us. That's our picnic table! |
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