Bill and I made our third annual trek to Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge to the see Sandhill Cranes. We also hoped for a Whooping Crane sighting. We were at the viewing platform from about noon until 2 pm. We saw many Sandhills, but not the exuberant numbers that we have seen before. Bill spotted a bird across the lake that looked like an eagle, but even with the spotting scope of some of the other birders, we could not be sure. Probably a juvenile bald eagle, possibly a golden eagle. We also saw several large hawks, likely red-shouldered. A few blue herons were among the Sandhills. There were ducks we couldn't identify, but a few snow and blue geese swimming with them. Double-crested cormorants flew by occasionally. Among the small birds, I saw a yellow-rumped (Myrtle) warbler to add to my life list, bluebirds and phoebe. My camera is not powerful enough to get good pictures at the distances we were. I am definitely getting a spotting scope. Below the Hiwassee pictures are a few from earlier in January.
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| Can you see three birds? |
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| Sandhill Head Shot |
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| Feeding Time |
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| In-Flight |
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A large gathering of Cranes
Mississippi HomePlace
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Snow and Blue Geese, Taylor Rd, Sunflower County, MS
January 3, 2013
Our Little Pond
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| Robins enjoy the water, joined by a Cedar Waxwing |
This is a beautiful post :)
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