While both visitor and crane counts were down tonight we were treated to river otters frolicking in Mud Lake Marsh.  Three were active in the 3 o’clock hour but later, when more visitors were here, one of the otters was seen swimming about. 

A half a dozen Eastern Bluebirds were very active in the meadow, checking out the nest boxes below the overlook.  Their color looked great and reminded us that spring is just 5 short months away.

The cranes came in fast and in large groups with several coming in close to the overlook.  The numbers dwindled as the night grew near and a Great Horned owl reminded us it was time to pack it up and head home for the evening. 

Tonight’s count of 1450 will be used for one of the official counts submitted to the US Fish & Wildlife Service for the 2015 Sandhill Crane survey.

You can view past postings and historical crane counting data at http://www.haehnlesanctuary.org/cranecount.html.

Crane counters:    Robyn Henise, Don Henise, Ross Green, and Gary Siegrist
Compiler:  Steve Jerant
Submitted by Steve Jerant

Crane Count-1450

Species count- 44

Pied-billed Grebe

Great Blue Heron

Mute Swan

Trumpeter Swan

Canada Goose

Wood Duck

Green-winged Teal

American Black Duck

Mallard

Northern Shoveler

Gadwall

American Widgeon

Bald Eagle

Northern Harrier

Cooper's Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

American Coot

Sandhill Crane

Wilson's Snipe

Ring-billed Gull

Mourning Dove

Great Horned Owl

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Blue Jay

American Crow

Black-capped Chickadee

White-breasted Nuthatch

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Eastern Bluebird

American Robin

Cedar Waxwing

European starling

Northern Cardinal

American Tree Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow

Red-winged Blackbird

Rusty Blackbird

Common Grackle

House Finch

Purple Finch

American Goldfinch

Over sixty visitors were on hand for the view tonight.  Our weather was fair and we had good lighting for scopes & cameras.  There was a great final flyover between sunset & dusk of about 15 cranes which included a juvenile with its distinctive squeak sound. 

We had a slow start and a late finish tonight.  Cranes continue to come in for their nightly roost although we had nearly 500 “fly bys” to seek another location.  At 1615, the count was lower than last week, but our historical peak week is still two weeks away.  They continued to come in past dusk and several hundred  were counted in low light.

You can view past postings and historical crane counting data at http://www.haehnlesanctuary.org/cranecount.html.

Crane counters:    Robyn Henise, Don Henise, Ross Green, and Gary Siegrist
Compiler:  Steve Jerant
Submitted by Steve Jerant

Crane Count-1615

Species count- 40

Pied-billed Grebe

Great Blue Heron

Turkey Vulture

Mute Swan

Trumpeter Swan

Canada Goose

Wood Duck

Green-winged Teal

American Black Duck

Mallard

Northern Pintail

Northern Shoveler

Gadwall

American Widgeon

Ring-necked Duck

Bald Eagle

Northern Harrier

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

American Coot

Sandhill Crane

Wilson's Snipe

Ring-billed Gull

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Blue Jay

American Crow

Black-capped Chickadee

Carolina Wren

Eastern Bluebird

American Robin

Cedar Waxwing

European starling

American Tree Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Red-winged Blackbird

Rusty Blackbird

Common Grackle

House Finch

American Goldfinch

Ninety visitors joined us for a great night of crane viewing.  We counted over twenty five hundred cranes this evening.  The lead up was a bit sluggish, but starting about 6:30 large groups started coming in.  The full moon rose to the northeast and was a great backdrop for some of the crane groups flying by.  

The species count was also very good.  In the 4 o’clock hour we were visited by a Golden Eagle.  Later, a Northern Shrike perched for us and many visitors were able to view this passerine hunter in one of the scopes.

You can view past postings and historical crane counting data at http://www.haehnlesanctuary.org/cranecount.html.

Crane counters:    Robyn Henise, Don Henise, Ross Green, and Gary Siegrist
Compiler:  Steve Jerant
Submitted by Steve Jerant

Crane Count-2516

Species count- 47

Pied-billed Grebe

Great Blue Heron

Great Egret

Turkey Vulture

Mute Swan

Canada Goose

Wood Duck

Green-winged Teal

American Black Duck

Mallard

Northern Shoveler

Gadwall

American Widgeon

Ring-necked Duck

Bald Eagle

Golden Eagle

Northern Harrier

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Cooper's Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

American Coot

Sandhill Crane

Yellowlegs species

Ring-billed Gull

Mourning Dove

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Pileated Woodpecker

Blue Jay

American Crow

Black-capped Chickadee

White-breasted Nuthatch

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Eastern Bluebird

American Robin

Cedar Waxwing

Northern Shrike

European starling

Yellow-rumped Warbler

American Tree Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow

Red-winged Blackbird

Rusty Blackbird

Common Grackle

American Goldfinch

This is looking to be a very good year for crane viewing.  Crane numbers continue to rise this season and we spotted 555 cranes coming in to roost at Haehnle Sanctuary tonight.  Visitors were treated to about a dozen groups of cranes flying directly above the Harold Wing overlook.  They were close enough for us to hear the call of some juveniles.  The colors were good, but muted due to the cloudy sky.  We did have about 30 minutes of direct sunlight and later the low sun lit the tops of the clouds with pinks and purples. 

In the 6 o’clock hour we had two separate steams of thousands of blackbirds coming in from the east and passing in front of us and reaching all the way across the marsh to the west. The first stream was well over a mile long.  They traveled to a location where we normally see a lot of blackbird activity.  But tonight the sky was boiling with activity. We continue to get Great Egrets coming in to roost. 

This Saturday we will be having our annual Cranes, Colors, & Cabernet Festival at Haehnle Sanctuary starting at 1200.  And we are celebrating the 65^th anniversary of the Sanctuary.  Come out and joins us!

Crane counters:    Robyn Henise, Don Henise, and Garg Siegrist

Compiler:  Steve Jerant

Submitted by Steve Jerant

Crane Count-555

Species count-37

Pied-billed Grebe

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Great Egret

Turkey Vulture

Canada Goose

Wood Duck

Green-winged Teal

American Black Duck

Mallard

Northern Shoveler

Ring-necked Duck

Northern Harrier

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Cooper's Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Sandhill Crane

Greater Yellowlegs

Wilson's Snipe

Ring-billed Gull

Mourning Dove

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Blue Jay

American Crow

Eastern Bluebird

American Robin

Cedar Waxwing

European starling

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Rufous-sided Towhee

Song Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow

Red-winged Blackbird

Rusty Blackbird

Common Grackle

162 Sandhill Cranes came to roost for the night in the Haehnle Sanctuary. There were 29 cranes that flew past looking for some where to spend the night. 

Crane counters:    Robyn Henise, Don Henise, and Garg Siegrist

Submitted by Robyn Henise

Crane Count-162

Species count-45

Pied-billed Grebe

Great Blue Heron

Great Egret

Turkey Vulture

Trumpeter Swan

Canada Goose

Green-winged Teal

American Black Duck

Mallard

Northern Pintail

Blue-winged Teal

Gadwall

American Widgeon

Northern Harrier

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

American Coot

Sandhill Crane

Greater Yellowlegs

Ring-billed Gull

Mourning Dove

Great Horned Owl

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Pileated Woodpecker

Blue Jay

American Crow

Black-capped Chickadee

White-breasted Nuthatch

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Eastern Bluebird

American Robin

Gray Catbird

Cedar Waxwing

European starling

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Field Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Swamp Sparrow

Red-winged Blackbird

Rusty Blackbird

Common Grackle

American Goldfinch

Water levels look favorable for a good season of roosting, and the cranes seem more confident coming in than they were last year.  The sky was cloudy this afternoon, with only a few patches of blue breaking out.  Some sunlight peeked through the openings to cast a bit of gold on the marsh, but overall it was muted.  50 visitors came out to view the cranes coming in and enjoy the mild evening.  It was still warm enough for a few mosquitoes, but at dusk we were helped by a bat (probably a big brown) who was feeding and hopefully ate a few dozen.  

Our weekly count continues to increase, albeit slowly.  In addition to the 88 cranes landing in the marsh, 14 were fly-bys who sought another venue for the evening.  We’re hoping to break 100 next week.  

Crane counters:    Don Henise and Gary Siegrist

Submitted by Steve Jerant

Crane Count-88

Species count-38

Pied-billed Grebe

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Great Egret

Turkey Vulture

Trumpeter Swan

Canada Goose

Wood Duck

Mallard

Northern Pintail

Blue-winged Teal

Northern Harrier

Cooper's Hawk

American Coot

Sandhill Crane

Yellowlegs (species)

Mourning Dove

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Pileated Woodpecker

Blue Jay

American Crow

Eastern Bluebird

American Robin

Gray Catbird

Cedar Waxwing

Tennessee Warbler

Nashville Warbler

Magnolia Warbler

Blackpoll Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Northern Cardinal

Field Sparrow

Lincoln's Sparrow

Swamp Sparrow

Red-winged Blackbird

American Goldfinch

Submitted by Robyn Henise

Thirty-three visitors were treated to a spectacular afternoon at the Phyllis Haehnle Memorial Sanctuary.  As the sun was setting, the sky over the Mud Lake Marsh changed from golden yellow to deep purple and finally to deep red.

Many species of birds were tallied for the day and they are listed below.  Of note were 9 Wilson's Snipe that flew past the overlook and 2 Greater Yellowlegs were heard from the overlook.  68 Sandhill Cranes come in at dusk to roost in the marsh.  

Crane counters:    Don Henise and Robyn Henise

Crane Count-68

Species count-45

Trumpeter Swan

Canada Goose

Wood Duck

American Black Duck

Mallard

Wild Turkey

Great Blue Heron

Great Egret

Turkey Vulture

Bald Eagle

Northern Harrier

Cooper's Hawk

Broad-winged Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

American Coot

Sandhill Crane

Greater Yellowlegs

Wilson's Snipe

Herring Gull

Mourning Dove

Great Horned Owl (2 heard calling to each other)

Chimney Swift

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

American Kestrel

Eastern Phoebe

Blue Jay

American Crow

Black-capped Chickadee

Tufted Titmouse

White-breasted Nuthatch

Eastern Bluebird

American Robin

Gray Catbird

Cedar Waxwing

Common Yellowthroat

Magnolia Warbler

Blackpoll Warbler

Field Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Red-winged Blackbird

House Finch

American Goldfinch

We had a beautiful day for the first count of the season. As always the setting sun put a golden patina on the marsh.  Several Great Egrets looked a pale blue as they came in to land, then turned white before then dipped below view.  Forty-eight egrets were counted but most of them left the sanctuary and headed north before sunset.

Notable species included a Common Nighthawk and 9 warblers found by Don & Robyn walking the trail and the marsh.  We also had lots of raptor activity with four Northern Harriers (most immature), a Bald Eagle, several Red-tailed Hawks, and lots of Turkey Vultures to remind us to keep moving while we watched for cranes.

Crane counters:    Don Henise, Robyn Henise, and Gary Siegrist

Crane Count-45

Species count-54

Pied-billed Grebe

Great Blue Heron

Great Egret

Turkey Vulture

Trumpeter Swan

Canada Goose

Wood Duck

Green-winged Teal

American Black Duck

Mallard

Blue-winged Teal

Bald Eagle

Northern Harrier

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Cooper's Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

American Kestrel

American Coot

Sandhill Crane

Ring-billed Gull

Herring Gull

Mourning Dove

Common Nighthawk

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Tree Swallow

Barn Swallow

Blue Jay

American Crow

Black-capped Chickadee

Tufted Titmouse

White-breasted Nuthatch

House Wren

Wood Thrush

American Robin

Gray Catbird

Cedar Waxwing

European starling

Tennessee Warbler

Nashville Warbler

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Magnolia Warbler

Black-throated Blue Warbler **

Bay-breasted Warbler

Blackpoll Warbler

Ovenbird

Common Yellowthroat

Field Sparrow

Swamp Sparrow

Red-winged Blackbird

Common Grackle

American Goldfinch

We have begun a project to remove the large stand of invasive Glossy Buckthorn that surrounds the fen at Haehnle Sanctuary.  Under a program managed by the US Fish & Wildlife Service, equipment has been brought on site to start the eradication of an old stand of buckthrons.  Tom Eitniear of the USF&WS has brought in Dennis Marshall to mow down these invasives.  They will work on this another few days this year, but only a portion of the stand will be removed this year.  This project will continue for the next several years.  For videos, see our JAS YouTube feed.

Chipper machine at work

View of work area looking east from Dike trail

Form this morning's visit to the Burke Lake Banding Station.  The highlight of the morning was the capture and banding of a young mourning warbler.  Here is photo of him in the hand of one of the interns at the station just before he was released back into the wild. 

The photo brings to mind a play on words to an old cliché: "A mourning warbler in hand is better than two in the bush."