Sandhill Cranes, Mississippi Valley, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa
If you read my blog long enough you knew that I would go back to the Green Island Wetlands along the Mississippi River if great weather would unfold today again. That’s what exactly happened. The ice on the river has melted very quickly this week and only very shallow parts of the backwaters show still some ice cover. I was pretty sure that the geese and ducks would prefer to spend more time here, because the tundra up north in the arctic regions is probably still white and the warm sun at the moment feels good for the birds and of course for us as well.
So, here is a little report about the species I have seen during the last couple evenings in the Green Island Wetlands:
Mallards (many, very many…)
American Wigeon (6+),
Northern Pintail (4+),
Bufflehead (4),
Northern Shoveler (just one, but more will come soon),
Sandhill Crane (6+),
Great Blue Heron (2)
Snow Goose, ( ~10)
Greater White-fronted Goose (thousands),
Killdeer, (after hearing and seeing the first ones last weekend, many have arrived today)
Red-winged Blackbirds (now appearing in large numbers as every year)
plus the locals, like Trumpeter Swans, Ring-billed Gulls, Bald Eagles, etc….)
I saw a few Sandhill Cranes foraging in the wet fields and marsh land already yesterday. The direction of light and even more annoying the presence of heat shimmer prevented a good click. Heat shimmer is pretty common at this time of the season. The warm air above the cold ground has an distorting effect and makes a sharp image nearly impossible, in particular if viewed through a long lens. It was a pretty crisp day and when these two Sandhill Cranes flew by while loud calling, heat shimmer didn’t play any role because they flew high enough above the ground. We don’t see them by the hundreds or thousands, like further west, but quiet a few breed in the Mississippi Valley and no other bird announces spring better with their call like the Sandhill Cranes. More to come, please stay tuned…