Bug Eating Birds: Greater Yellowlegs

Greater Yellowlegs

Whitewater Draw: the End of Winter

Whitewater Draw was "drawing" down for the winter as well. There were still a couple thousand Sandhill Cranes, but most have left. And, still a couple hundred Snow Geese. Many of the wintering Ducks have also begun their Spring Migration home.  However, a few Green Winged Teals remained, as well as American Avocets, and Greater Yellowlegs. I was also pleased to find the American Bittern and a Great Egret that wanted his picture taken too. Oh, and the usually present Great Horned Owl. Here, then, the best from Whitewater Draw this trip:

American Avocet

Greater Yellowlegs

Sandhill Cranes

Pyrrhuloxia

American Bittern

Green Winged Teal

Great Egret

Great Horned Owl

Whitewater Draw Waterbirds

Another quick yesterday trip to Waterwater Draw looking for the American Bittern. Not only success in finding the Bittern but lots of great photos. Here are some:

Northern Pintail

American Bittern

Greater Yellowlegs

Northern Shoveler

Sandhill Crane

Sandhill Crane

Sandhill Crane

Sandhill Crane

Green Winged Teal

National Wildlife Refuges

Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, California, 1937

The Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge is the headquarters for the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex and is one of six refuges located in the Sacramento Valley of north-central California. The refuge is approximately 90 miles north of Sacramento, adjacent to Interstate 5.

The 10,783-acre refuge consists of about 7,600 acres of intensively managed wetlands, uplands, riparian habitat, and vernal pools. It typically supports wintering populations of more than 600,000 ducks and 200,000 geese. Since more than 95 percent of the wetlands of the central valley have been lost in the last 100 years, and waterfowl have become increasingly dependent upon the refuges of the Sacramento Valley.

The refuge supports several endangered plants and animals, including transplanted colonies of palmate-bracted bird s-beak, several species of fairy shrimp, vernal pool tadpole shrimp, giant garter snake, wintering peregrine falcon, bald eagle, and breeding tricolored blackbird. Resident wildlife includes grebe, heron, blackbird, golden eagle, beaver, muskrat, black-tailed deer, and other species typical of upland and wetland habitats. 

Sacramento NWR is one of my favorites. I have been there many times and am never disappointed. Here are some of my favorite photos:

Sunset

American Bittern and Ring Necked Pheasant

Greater Yellowlegs

Long Billed Curlew

Peregrine Falcon

Ring Necked Pheasant

Sandhill Cranes

Turkey Vulture

White Faced Ibis

Sandpipers: Part I

Again, the term is loosely used and debatable. But here are the first four:

The Greater Yellowlegs -- not nearly as good a photo as the others -- I found at Whitewater Draw in Arizona. It is about 14 inches so it larger than a jay, but smaller than a crow. It breeds on the tundra during the summer months, and winters along the southern coasts with an occasional sighting somewhat inland, as it is here at Whitewater Draw:

Greater Yellowlegs

The Willet is typically about 15 inches and likes coastal beaches, freshwater and salt water marshes, lakeshores, and even wet prairies. They are noisey birds with several distinctive calls -- similar to the Killdeer. They separate when feeding but if one Willet takes flight all will follow, as in the second photo. The first photo is from Central Oregon and second from Humboldt Bay, California.

Willet

The Spotted Sandpiper is half the size of a Willet. It winters in the Southernmost part of the United States and winters in throughout the rest of the US and Canada. The spots of the Spotted Sandpiper are only shown during breeding plumage. Otherwise the breast is white. This photo was taken at Lake Cochise in Arizona.

Spotted Sandpiper

The last one for today is the Long Billed Curlew. I am sure I have shown you this before, but since it is listed as a Sandpiper, here it is again. The Long Billed Curlew is quite large, the size of most large hawks, although shorter wingspan. It winters along the Pacific Coast and summers on inland plains. It is a sandpiper less associated with ocean shores.

Long Billed Curlew