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Thursday, December 23, 2010Sunday, hubby & I went back to the Hop-In Refuge, hoping this time we’d see the Sandhill Cranes. (if you remember, our trip the weekend before , we came up dry). Luck was on our side and skies were busy with cranes flying around but we couldn’t see any landing in the nearby cornfields they usually roost in. We followed a flock a few miles down the road to field not in the refuge and it paid off. We also saw our first owl in the wild..not one but two! Tuesday, my fellow photographer buddy, Susan, and I went back to the Hop-In Refuge to see the cranes again. The weather was mild and we hoped the warmth hadn’t driven the cranes into colder temperatures. We didn’t see a thing in the sky and the fields around the refuge were bare as well so we went back towards the location we’d seen them in earlier in the week and luck was on side again. We didn’t see any owls in this outing but we did see a ton of hawks. We had bird fever!
Sunday the skies were dotted with Sandhill Cranes
And the fields weren’t too shabby either.
We saw our first Short-Eared Owl.
And our first Barred Owl
Tuesday they had moved into various other cornfields….always just out of the reach of the zoom. lol
We found a few *couples* here and there..I guess they wanted to be alone.
(Red Shouldered Hawk) The fields were full of hawks this day too. Must have been lunchtime.
Listen closely to that familiar sound…I love it.
7 comments:
You had a great day of birding and photography. I swear those are the same cranes we saw here. They look so ghostly in that gray phase. Seeing two owls is unbelievable and so cool that you got pictures of them. Neat seeing and hearing them in the video.
This was one of the best posts! Kimmy, the audio was a great add to this, too. I must have played it at least 4 times.
You know what I love about the shots of the cranes flying in the sky? It's the way their legs float out from behind them. It's beautiful. And when I saw the owls! Omg, they are gorgeous and what great photos you had of them. Love the "couple" and even the hawk -- I guess they have to eat, too, darn it. This was really a wonderful visit here today! XOXOXO
OMG that owl shot is really awesome Kim!! I had seen your crane shots earlier on FB but guess I missed the owl. He is a beauty! Great shots. :)
Hi Kimmy
Love your bird shots, my favourite is the Owl, what an awesome picture.
Wishing you and yours a Very Happy Christmas and blessed 2011 - hugs Nita
Wow! Kimmy, what beautiful shots; so I guess you were successful after all. Sometimes it just takes patience...I love the pictures of the owls especially...the hosrt eared one has a great look on his face as if to say, 'what are you looking at?'
Merry Christmas Kimmy!
Hi, Kimmy! Merry Christmas to you, too! I was starting to think I was the only one around the old blog this morning.
Do you know you and I have been leaving notes for almost 4 yrs now, starting at wls. Time has flown! You are just so great and I am so happy to know you. How's the new pup?
XOXOXO
Hi Kimmy!
Beautiful blog you have here! Thanks for your kind comments on my Journey Through Grace. Will have a nice hawk to show tomorrow. :c)
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