Birding was very good at Staten Island in the Sacramento Delta and the Consumnes River Preserve.
At Staten Island there were literally thousands of Sandhill Cranes. Many were on the ground and even more were flying overhead. At times it was almost like being at Woodbridge Road (a nearby hotspot to see cranes come in at sunset). The Cranes were even doing their dances. There were also hundreds of Tundra Swans, many Canvasback Ducks, a number of Great Egrets and even a Golden Eagle today. I was able to identify 28 species in all (plus a number I didn’t get to ID).
Next stop was Consumnes where there were many waterbirds and I managed to identify 25 species. There were a number of birds in the reeds that either only sang or made fleeting appearances that I did not get good looks at and could not identify.
Great collection of birds overall in the slide show, Sandy. Seeing the one meadowlark brought back fond memories of being outdoors as a kid living in the country. I was lucky to see and hear some meadowlarks on my last trip to a few Utah farming areas......
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3 repliesAt Staten Island there were literally thousands of Sandhill Cranes. Many were on the ground and even more were flying overhead. At times it was almost like being at Woodbridge Road (a nearby hotspot to see cranes come in at sunset). The Cranes were even doing their dances. There were also hundreds of Tundra Swans, many Canvasback Ducks, a number of Great Egrets and even a Golden Eagle today. I was able to identify 28 species in all (plus a number I didn’t get to ID).
Next stop was Consumnes where there were many waterbirds and I managed to identify 25 species. There were a number of birds in the reeds that either only sang or made fleeting appearances that I did not get good looks at and could not identify.
You can see photos and bird lists from today at: http://sandysteinman.wordpress.com/2012/01/06/sandhill-cranes-birding-staten-island-and-consumnes/
Thanks for the comments. The cranes were putting on quite a show. Even doing mating dances.