And who, having obtained a New Camera, could resist visiting the wildfowl sanctuary just a quick jog down the highway?
Not me.
(click little pics to see bigger pics)
The Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary, as I noted last September, is home to a few cranes, some hawks, herons, owls, and eagles, as well as an astonishing number of ducks. Ducks like to pose for pictures.
Cold as it was, we proceeded slowly in, looking for Tree #100, wherein was supposed to be sitting some species of owl reputed to be very small and well-camouflaged. It lived up to its press, so we wasted twenty minutes trying to get chickadees to sit on Nola's hand long enough for me to get a shot. I succeeded in getting one blur that might have been a chickadee or perhaps Tinkerbell, so we cast more seed toward a few hopeful ducks and proceeded to the observation tower in the far corner of the sanctuary.
The ducks are even more insistent in their demands for handouts in winter than they are in summer, and everywhere we went large flocks gathered. We'd seen several hawks and two eagles on the way in, but these insisted on positioning themselves with the sun behind them. The ducks, however, fell all over themselves to present their best profiles in the available light.
This last flock was in fact nowhere to be seen until Nola accidently rustled an empty seed bag.
With dusk coming on, though, and despite their obvious welcome, we declined to remain any longer. We were more than half frozen, and my battery had given out.
