Sunset Serenade

Today was my last day on the job at the Visitor’s Center, and I believe the first full day of fall after the autumnal equinox.  My calendar shows the equinox as tomorrow, but today is close enough.  I think the birds may somehow know this.
Overnight, thousands of sandhill cranes migrated into this oasis in the high desert from places far North.  The moon is full, and the winds must have been right!  Almost everyone that came into the VC reported seeing large flocks of cranes in the fields.  I’m sure they were fueling up after their long flight.  They are joining the 200+ pairs and their young that nest here.
I was happy to see an Osprey pull one of the carp out of the pond below the VC this morning.  The refuge needs all the help it can get in eliminating this invasive species of fish!
As I took this picture of the departing Osprey with it’s booty, I was able to capture a bit of Malheur Lake in the background.  The lake is about 40,000 acres this year, and this is about the only way you can see it unless you have an airplane.  There are no access roads open to the public.  Those cranes in the first photo were flying over the VC and headed to the field area between the pond and the lake. 

I had 79 visitors today, so I was pretty busy from opening to closing, and didn’t get much of a chance to get outside.  :(  It certainly made the day go faster as compared to only 7 visitors when I started here!

So, what about the sunset serenade?  Well, as Emma and I sat outside this evening just before sunset, there was suddenly a great loud ruckus going on.  All those thousands of sandhill cranes were descending upon Malheur Lake to roost for the night.  They generally roost in water to make them safer from predation by the coyotes…and no one can call sandhill cranes quiet!  Wow!  Even though the lake is about a mile away, you just couldn’t help but hear all those cranes whooping it up.  :)  I just love the sound of cranes, and when you get thousands of them all jabbering away at the same time, it is just something I will never forget!  After about ten minutes, they all quieted down, and then the great horned owl decided to chime in with it’s hoots adding bass notes to the symphony!  Not to be outdone, the coyotes added their mournful alto and soprano tones as well.  The Chicago Symphony would have a hard time competing with the wonderful wild concert I was listening to tonight.  What a fantastic musical send off for our time here at Malheur!  Is it any wonder that I continue to volunteer at National Wildlife Refuges?

Thanks for stopping by….talk to you later,  Judy