Blog Archives

Sandhill Cranes, Again

3/25/2018

Well, I had to go to Nebraska again to see the incredible Sandhill Crane migration. When I was there last week they were estimating around 600,000 cranes in an 80 mile stretch of the Platte River between Overton and Chapman, Nebraska, the most ever recorded, and there was some speculation that this number was low (read more). It is quite an experience to see and hear tens of thousands of cranes as they fly to the river where they roost at night and then out to the corn fields to feed during the day. I have been there many times and taken lots of photos, but I always enjoy the spectacle.
(Click images to see larger)

Take a close look at this one. There is one Crane swimming upstream. Or perhaps playing chicken with the others? Well, they were flying in every direction.

More Crane photos...

1 Comment

The Milky Way Emerges Again

3/23/2018

0 Comments

The Milky Way in Nebraska on a hazy March 21st night (well, more like pre-dawn at about 5:30 AM). The sky wasn't as clear as I had hoped and the haze or light fog was causing a glow in the sky from nearby farm lights. As the Earth makes its annual trip around the Sun the galactic center of the Milky Way isn't visible for several months in the Winter. Now we will be able to see it on a clear night until late fall. At this time of year only for a few hours in the pre-dawn hours, gradually rising earlier each night.

0 Comments

Icicles in the Trees

3/10/2018

0 Comments

An interesting week with icicles hanging in the trees. Too bad we can't decorate Christmas trees like this. The wet sticky snow clinging to the tree branches was melting in the sun, but because the air temperature was below freezing the melting water refroze quickly forming sparkling icicles.
[Click the images below to see larger.]

0 Comments

First Spring Bluebirds

3/10/2018

0 Comments

Eastern Bluebird (Click to see larger)

It was a nice sunny early March day, most of the snow had melted and migratory birds were falling out of the sky. Robins, Red-Winged Blackbirds (hundreds), Grackles, Starlings and at least two male Eastern Bluebirds. I have never seen Bluebirds in the backyard. What a thrill. They really didn't care to pose long for pictures, but I got a few. The next day it snowed and the Bluebirds were not impressed. I found them hiding under logs and branches to get out of the snow and they were gone the next day. The Juncos, on the other hand, were having a wonderful time in the snow, hopping around the bird feeders like it was just another Winter day. In addition to that we had a Fox Sparrow scratching the snow under the feeders foraging for seeds.
Click the images below to see larger.

0 Comments

Sandhill Cranes, Again

The Milky Way Emerges Again

Icicles in the Trees

First Spring Bluebirds

Bruce's Blog

Archives

Categories