After what seemed like weeks of snow and cold, dreary days, it was a BEAUTIFUL morning on Friday! Clear blue, cloudless sky, bright warm sunshine, and a forecast of 56 degrees. Wanting to take the most advantage of this glorious day, I hurried out the door with my camera in tow and headed down to Lee Metcalf Wildlife Refuge.
I first stopped off at the ponds near the Florence Bridge to see if any Wood Ducks had made their way back yet. As the ponds were still quite frozen, I would have to say - very emphatically - NO...
At the refuge there wasn't much in the way of songbirds yet, nor had the Sandhill Cranes or Osprey returned, but the ducks were already well represented. The pond on the south side of the levee (the main road), was still half frozen, but the open water at the far end within the reeds and cattails, hosted a number of "puddle ducks".
In the pond on the north side of the levee were Canada Geese, Buffleheads, Goldeneye, American Wigeons, Green-Winged Teals, Coots, Pintails, Gadwals, Canvasbacks, Mallards, a few Northern Shovelers and Scaups, and a single Eurasian Wigeon.
In the visitor center I was informed that there were a number of Swans in pond number 10. Pond 10 is a two mile hike down a small path that travels atop a low bench overlooking the marsh, at times winding downhill and skirting the marsh itself along a mucky, slippery trail (and as I found, the tripod can also come in handy as a walking stick on questionable footing). At the end of this path is a small, covered pavillion and a permenet scope with which to veiw the wildlife.
I was not disappointed. Among the numerous other waterfowl were 19 swans, a mix of Trumpeters and Tundras, although still too far off for my 400mm lens (what I really need is one of those mega mm lenses that cost more than my car...) Any Secret Santas out there?
The hike back out, other than unsuccessfully trying to photograph a very elusive Belted Kingfisher, was uneventful. I spent more time at the two main ponds, then headed to the walking trail a little further down the road. As I rounded the end of the south pond, I stopped to take a few last photos of the ducks. Using your car as a blind is a great idea; it disquises your shape. To the critters you don't look like a two-legged predator, and they'll approach fairly close. As I was taking photos a Marsh Hawk (aka Northern Harrier), flew over in search of a duck dinner. It was a young one, probably only in its first year, as it did not have the steel gray plumage of an adult. It circled and hovered, then dive-bombed the ducks, who simply dropped out of sight beneath the water. I flipped my camera to auto focus and followed the hawk's movements. Trying to get photos of a bird in flight is tricky at best, but thanks to high speed settings on the camera, I did manage a few decent shots.
While the walking trail didn't offer much more in the way of photo opps than the ponds did, I did capture this Kestrel alongside the road near the trailhead.
Even in the months of almost spring, if you can accept it for what it is, there's still some beautiful scenery.
Sadly, this spring-like weather did not last long. After a two day stint, the sky is once again gray and dreary, and there is snow in the forecast for the next week. The past two days only served as a teaser for the warmer weather to come. But it won't be long now before Spring is officially, and finally upon us!
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