The Sandhill Cranes returned a few weeks ago, and the celebration among the locals is akin to the Swallows returning to Capistrano. These magnificent birds nest on the refuge among the thick reeds and cattails, and are highly protected by staff to avoid intrusion by curious visitors. Their call is nothing short of prehistoric, and sounds more like a rusty siren than a bird.
A pair of Bald Eagles greeted me as I drove onto the refuge, perched in the top of a large Cottonwood near the edge of the main pond. Herons are nesting in the tall pine and spruce trees along the edge of the ponds. Considering their large wingspan and long legs, it amazes me how these birds can even land in the branches. But they do, and return to the same nest every year.
The numbers for Red-winged and Yellow-headed Blackbirds seem very low at this point, and not much variety yet in the waterfowl. Canada Geese, Coots (or Mud Hens), Northern Shoveler, Cinnamon Teals and of course Mallards, are ever present, many even over-wintering at the refuge.
My prize for the day was finally being able to get photos of the elusive
little Marsh Wrens! These tiny birds live among the dense cattails,
and while you can hear them calling from everywhere, they don't stay
exposed to view for more than a few moments before diving back into the
reeds. But these little guys were not only quite vocal today, but also
quite visible and I was rewarded with numerous shots of them. This alone
was worth the entire day of shooting. 
The Marsh Wrens were not the only prize that day however, for as I was
photographing a pair of Osprey on their nest, an intruder dove in and
was either attempting to steal their fish, or trying to commandeer the
nest. Either way, the male resident was quick to defend both his food
and his domain, and drove the intruder off. I've never witnessed this behavior before, and was lucky enough to capture the initial moments of the fight with my camera. 
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