Waneka Lake Bird Walk

A house finch perches on the top branch of an evergreen tree and bursts into song. We peer through binoculars to observe the bird vocalizing in a string of short, warbling notes, finishing with a gentle slur. 

Our leader for this early April bird walk is Ted Floyd, author of numerous books and hundreds of articles on birding, as well as editor of American Birding Association magazine. One of Ted's favorite places to bird is Lafayette's Waneka Lake Park and its adjacent Greenlee Wildlife Preserve. Within steps of his home, Ted is enthusiastic about sharing his extended 'backyard' where he's lived for almost 20 years. He knows the area like the back of his hand, but still finds something new every time he goes out, which is almost daily. "I see new things every day," said Ted. "You just have to look!"

On this particular morning, we are learning to identify bird sounds. Ted encourages us to watch the birds vocalize. Observing the visual processing of a bird's song is one way to help the brain retain a species' sound patterns. We also learn about sound spectograms, pictorial representations of bird sounds. (For more information on this, See Ted's YouTube video on the subject, How to See Birdsong).

By the end of the morning, our group dwindles in size to just a few hardy birders. We walk along a familiar section of the lake, not expecting to find anything unusual. So, I am more than a little surprised at Ted's enthusiasm at spotting a couple of bushtits. While charming, these tiny little birds are quite common. However, Ted launches an enthusiastic discourse on why he considers these the "greatest birds in the world." And I am convinced. Check out Ted's video presentation on the subject, Celebrating the Greatest Bird in the World, and you just might be, too.

 

Post and photos by Karen Clark

Sandhill Cranes in Nebraska

The squawks, honks and rattles grew louder as we stepped out of the van and crept through the woods toward the blind. Just yards ahead, in front of the simple plywood structure, thousands of sandhill cranes were standing side by side in the North Platte River shallows, calling to one another as they waited for dawn.

Each spring an estimated 80% of the world’s sandhill crane population passes through the North Platte and Platte River valleys in Nebraska, a stopover on the birds’ annual migration from Mexico and the American Southwest to their breeding grounds in northern Canada and Alaska.

I’d seen more than 1,000 cranes the afternoon before, feeding in empty cornfields outside the city of North Platte, just a 3.5-hour drive from Broomfield. Peeking through the window of my parked car, I’d watched the 4-foot-tall birds peck at waste grain and use their long, pointed bills to probe the ground for edible roots, insects and snails.

Sandhill cranes pack on the pounds, gaining 15% to 20% of their body weight, during their spring layover in Nebraska. It’s fuel for the long flight north. But I’d seen some pause while feeding to “dance,” leaping into the air with wings spread wide, ruffling their feathers and occasionally tossing small twigs into the air. It had been quite a show.

Now 12 of us were sitting silently inside the blind while the shadowy shapes of cranes slowly came into focus. Just moments before sunrise, the birds’ calls took on a new urgency – and then, all at once, perhaps 500 cranes lifted their wings and took to the sky. They circled two or three times, then headed off for another day of foraging. One after another, flocks up and down the river gathered, circled and flew.

For a few minutes, the air rang with their rattling “bugle calls,” which can be heard more than two miles away. Then sunlight reached the riverbank, and the cranes were gone.

This birder couldn’t stop smiling.

Post and photos by Christine Kindl

—

Sandhill cranes typically visit Nebraska in huge numbers from late February through early April, with peak spring migration occurring in mid-March. Visitor centers along the flyway, in North Platte, Kearney, Hastings, and Grand Island, Neb., have information about viewing sites and tours.