Finding Peace and Surprises at Riverlands: a Sandhill Crane, a Mink and more

We seemed to have Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary mostly to ourselves when we arrived in the afternoon with temps in the 50s and the sky a bit moody. Very few people were around, but there were so many birds. A sense of both peace and joy arose as we observed whatever made their presence known. When we first drove into the area, we spoke of how lovely it was to be open to surprises and not have any target species in mind. A dark morph Red-tailed Hawk was an immediate delight as we drove along Red School Road. A Sandhill Crane flying by was a huge surprise as we drove to the blind along Orton Road behind Heron Pond and saw her flying over the pond and heading toward Lincoln Shields. Then a mink made a very dashing appearance. A fun spider landed on the window. Snow Geese called, alerting us to their presence as they flew about in small groups most of the time we were there. Greater White-fronted Geese and Canada Geese were still present in big numbers at Teal Pond. Four Trumpeter Swans were blushed with their gorgeous breeding russet. Ducks were everywhere: Wood Ducks, first of the season Blue-winged Teal, numerous Northern Shovelers, Gadwall, American Wigeons, Mallards, Northern Pintail, hordes of Green-winged Teal, a few Redheads, many Ring-necked Ducks, both Greater and Lesser Scaup, several Buffleheads, a pair of Hooded Mergansers, twenty plus Red-breasted Mergansers and a half dozen Common Mergansers. Pied-billed Grebes and three Horned Grebes (one in transition!) tickled our fancy. American Coots were grouping and ungrouping in various places. Killdeer and Wilson's Snipe were scattered about. Four Bonaparte's Gulls hung out for a bit near the dam, then flew off, but other than that little group, there were fewer gulls today than on other days, with Ring-billed and Herring being the only other species we observed. A group of ten Double-crested Cormorants kept flying about seeming unsure as to where to hang. American White Pelicans dotted the bay and flew overhead in numerous small groups. Great Blue Herons hung along the edges of water bodies, hunting. Turkey Vultures and Bald Eagles were about. American Kestrels were still present and hovering, hunting mice. Song, White-throated, White-crowned, Savannah, and Fox Sparrows were behind Heron Pond. There were Meadowlarks, Horned Larks (although the photos are poor, they are super fun in that they clearly demonstrate why the Horned Lark is called 'horned'), Eastern Towhees, and hundreds of blackbirds. Despite the numerous burns going on, it was a gift to have this place to go to today, where we rejoiced in the birds and their beauty.

As a side note, Fish Crows are back. We ran into a group yesterday at Busch CA.

Posted on 07 March, 2022 03:07 by