Album Wildlife

Curt said:
The annual migration of 3/4 million Sandhill Cranes to the Platte River in Central Nebraska is underway. They stay for about 6 weeks fattening up on their way to their summer home in the arctic. They congregate along about a hundred mile stretch of the River between Grand Island and Kearney. It's an impressive sight. This year I decided to rent a spot in a blind for an opportunity to see them up closer. They generally will not tolerate your presence closer than about 100 yards. My blind reservation coincided with a snow storm which dropped about 6 inches locally over about 12 hours. It made getting there a little more challenging.

This photo was taken in the evening during a period of heavier snowfall from the viewing area by the Gibbon bridge. The dark mass in the water beginning near the center of the picture and extending to the right edge are Sandhill Cranes standing on a submerged sand bar in the Platte River. The birds spend the daylight hours feeding on fallen corn in nearby fields and then come to the river in the evening to stand in the water overnight. Experts believe this is a defensive strategy against predators.
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This was taken from the blind about 1/2 hour before sunrise.
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I had hoped that we would be closer to the birds in the blind. It turned out to be about 30 yards to the closest ones. But that was way closer than I've ever been before. The following photos have been cropped a lot but all in all I'm happy with how they turned out.
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This was taken after the birds left the River for breakfast. Just thought it was a pretty view with the snow.
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Cool photos, going to show my kids in the morning and then they can do some internet research on Sandhill Cranes :)

What's the deal with renting a blind? Is this a duck blind (for hunting)? Is renting blinds a common thing?
 
I found a few really cute Western Banded Geckos today while looking for fossils.
They are usually nocturnal, but since I look under every rock on my fossil hunts, I found these cuties today.

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Some backyard wildlife for this post.

Every year a pair of Canada Geese return to our pond to build a nest -- nearly always in the same location. Yesterday I noticed the female had a visitor while keeping the eggs warm. I cannot decide if they are looking at me or each other; I was quite a distance away.

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Her companion did not seem concerned a short distance away.

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While watching the geese I noticed movement on the pond surface. Another critter was active and swimming in my direction.

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He/she reminded me of when I thought I was seeing beavers in Yellowstone's Beaver Pond(s). Then, like now, the furry creature was actually a muskrat.

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In addition to the geese, turtles, and muskrats there are a number of Wood Ducks that make the pond their home. They have proven tricky to photograph as they are shy and usually fly into the trees when I walk up to the pond. Even after sitting (very still) at the pond's edge for an hour they chose to keep their distance and I could only get a couple semi-focused shots. I'll keep trying!

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TractorDoc said:
Some backyard wildlife for this post.

Every year a pair of Canada Geese return to our pond to build a nest -- nearly always in the same location. Yesterday I noticed the female had a visitor while keeping the eggs warm. I cannot decide if they are looking at me or each other; I was quite a distance away.

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Her companion did not seem concerned a short distance away.

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While watching the geese I noticed movement on the pond surface. Another critter was active and swimming in my direction.

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He/she reminded me of when I thought I was seeing beavers in Yellowstone's Beaver Pond(s). Then, like now, the furry creature was actually a muskrat.

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In addition to the geese, turtles, and muskrats there are a number of Wood Ducks that make the pond their home. They have proven tricky to photograph as they are shy and usually fly into the trees when I walk up to the pond. Even after sitting (very still) at the pond's edge for an hour they chose to keep their distance and I could only get a couple semi-focused shots. I'll keep trying!

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Very jealous that this is your "backyard" :)

thanks for posting, my sanity needs more outside time and "trip reports" like this scratches the itch a little bit
 
wsp_scott said:
Very jealous that this is your "backyard" :)

thanks for posting, my sanity needs more outside time and "trip reports" like this scratches the itch a little bit
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Mrs. TractorDoc and I were on a walk the other day. . . we stopped by the creek and just watched/listened for a little bit. I told her it reminded me of some of the streams in Yellowstone, to which she asked if I fly halfway across the country to experience the same things that I could in my backyard. Point taken, but I also made the point that we lacked Bison and Geysers. :p

It seems the Geese are proud parents today!

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TractorDoc said:
Mrs. TractorDoc and I were on a walk the other day. . . we stopped by the creek and just watched/listened for a little bit. I told her it reminded me of some of the streams in Yellowstone, to which she asked if I fly halfway across the country to experience the same things that I could in my backyard. Point taken, but I also made the point that we lacked Bison and Geysers. :p
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"we lacked Bison and Geysers"
So you are saying your backyard has grizzlies? :)
 
Yvonne said:
It's the time of the year again... the desert tortoises are out and about

I saw several on my hike this morning. First, a baby tortoise I almost stepped on because it was so small. Just the size of my hand

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Then a few adult tortoises. This one here was pretty comfortable having me around

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Love the middle picture: Grumpy Tortise
 
Yvonne said:
I'm beyond stoked to find this cutie today hissing at me next to the trail.
I totally love snakes but never see any. This is the first rattlesnake ever in the St. George area, I almost believed that there aren't any at all

Sorry, I only had my cellphone with me

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little cutie? uh no!
 
zionsky said:
little cutie? uh no!
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yes, they are cute. I totally love snakes. Every day I see a snake is a great day. I do even like rattlesnakes, so today was awesome.
I sat down on the trail next to it and we both looked at each other for quite a while. The snake hissed at me when I walked by on the trail but as soon as I sat down and did not move around a lot it really calmed down and looked curious. It was really awesome
 
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