We set off to celebrate a spring rite

So far, so good. Our bird species count for this year is running about even with last year at 72. But, with any luck, things are about to jump.

My wife Fran and I are taking off for northern climes (well, Nebraska) this Friday with a stop at Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge (formerly Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge, a name change we fully support, by the way). Our final destination is Kearney, Nebraska, and the stopover grounds for upwards of 500,000 Lesser Sandhill Cranes. It’s a pilgrimage we make almost every year to welcome spring.

Usually at this time of year, the Loess Hills refuge is a pretty good hunting ground (metaphorically speaking, of course). We’ve seen Trumpeter Swans, White Pelicans, Ross’s Geese and quite a few ducks on previous forays. We never know what to expect, and that’s half the fun, except when the pools are bare and the wind is blowing a gale. Our confidence is high, though.

I’ll have more to tell–for better or worse–in a longer entry when we get back.