Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)

Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)

This male and female pair of northern shovelers was seen at Fossil Creek Reservoir on the afternoon of March 20th, 2012. These dabbling ducks have a neat spatulate bill that they use to forage for food. This picture was taken using my iPhone and a scope from a long distance away. You can read more about these ducks here.

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

This red-tailed hawk was seen at Fossil Creek Reservoir on March 21, 2012 in the afternoon. These hawks are really common- I think that 95% of the raptors that I see are red-tailed hawks. Recently Cornell set up a camera on a red-tailed hawk located on their campus. You can check that out here, and read more about the red-tailed hawk here.

Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus)

Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus)

This sparrow was seen on the morning of April 7th, 2012 at Bobcat Ridge in Colorado. This is a new adult. These birds can bee seen in grassy areas, like the start of the trail at Bobcat Ridge (also home to many western meadowlarks). You can read more about this bird here.

Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta)

Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta)

Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta)

These western meadowlarks were seen on two separate occasions, once on March 31st, 2012 in the morning, and once on April 7th, 2012 in the morning. They were both spotted at Bobcat Ridge in Colorado. I have taken to using a Swarovski scope and my iPhone to take pictures of birds at a distance (lending to the less crisp look of these photos). I like the way I can snap up close pictures from far away, using what I already have. The only tricky part is positioning the iPhone camera lens at just the right distance to take a clear picture. I then crop the photos and place a filter in them using the Instagram app. Back to the meadowlark. The most distinguishing feature of the western meadowlark is its call, which you can listen to here. You can also read more about this bird here. You can learn about scopes here, and more about Instagram here.

Whooping Crane (Grus americana): International Crane Foundation

Whooping Crane (Grus americana) at the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, WI.

Whooping Crane (Grus americana) at the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, WI.

Whooping Cranes (Grus americana) at the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, WI.

Whooping Cranes (Grus americana) at the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, WI.

Whooping Crane (Grus americana) at the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, WI.

Whooping Cranes (Grus americana) at the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, WI.

Whooping Cranes (Grus americana) at the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, WI.

 I saw these cranes at the International Crane Foundation (ICF) in Baraboo, WI in the fall of 2011. The ICF has pairs of all the cranes there are in the world (there are 15 species). Whooping cranes are endangered species, and the ICF has successfully helped with the conservation efforts. The ICF had a viewing area where visitors to the center could observe the whooping cranes, and the cranes did not disappoint. As soon as we entered into the viewing area they started running back and fort, dancing. I took all these pictures with my iPhone, and I think that they look really good because the viewing area was designed spectacularly. I have a video of them doing their dance, but I am having trouble uploading it. Updates later. In the meantime, you can read more about these cranes here and here. You can read more about the ICF here, and see the other posts from my visit here.

Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis)

Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis)

Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis)

I saw this flock of sandhill cranes in Albuquerque, New Mexico twice- once on Saturday, February 4th, and once on Sunday, February 5th, 2012. They were at the Rio Grande Nature Center. I had gone there both times looking for a greater roadrunner with no success (reminiscent of the wood duck incident of 2011). The flock of cranes was a nice surprise. I had only seen these birds one other time, in a field near the Ski-Hi Fruit Farm in Baraboo, Wisconsin last year. I had just left the International Crane Foundation, and it was nice to have seen a flock in the wild, but it was too far away for any close observation. While this sighting didn't add any birds to my life list, it did add a photo op and some video footage of them to my collection.

The sandhill crane is one of two cranes we have in North America, the other being the whooping crane. Sandhill cranes like to winter in New Mexico, and they can often be found in large numbers there during the winter. You can read more about these cranes here, and more about the Rio Grande Nature Center here.

Pictures with Birds: Me + Mallard Chicks (Anas platyrhynchos)

Lake Mendota, University of Wisconsin-Madison, September 2, 2011.