Winter Birds of Sauvie Island

At the confluence of Oregon's Willamette and Columbia Rivers lies Sauvie Island.  It's the largest island along the Columbia River, and at 26,000 acres, one of the largest river islands in the United States.  Although farms dot the lowlands here, a large area of this island is also designated as a wildlife refuge.  In the winter, many bird species migrate and spend several months here.  For wildlife photographers such as my neighbor Cheri, it's a great place to find photo subjects.

Young bald eagle

 

A mid-January break in the weather provided the perfect opportunity to check out the wildlife, and Cheri invited me to accompany her on a visit to the island.  A frequent visitor, she knew all the good places to spot birds.  As we traveled down the island's main road, she made sure to stop at every one.  At the first overlook, we spotted a bunch of juvenile bald eagles.

Lovely scenery on the island

Cheri is so knowledgeable about the birds she photographs.  From Cheri, I learned that bald eagles retain brown feathers for 5 years before getting their distinctive white head.  (I also learned from Cheri that eagles and other birds poop right before alighting from their perches - handy to know if you're trying to capture an in-flight image!)

Sandhill cranes in flight

Driving a little further down the road, we came upon a large flock of sandhill cranes in a farmer's field.  Lucky us - the birds were very close.  As a matter of fact, so close we were able to shoot our photos from the car window.

A flock of cranes right by the road

I've come to enjoy watching these red-headed birds with their distinctive call.  Today some of the males were active - jumping up and down while flapping their wings.  I think they were trying to impress the ladies.

Foraging in a harvested field

Of course, the cranes quickly noticed our vehicle and didn't hang around long.  They slowly began sauntering farther and farther away, while foraging in the remains of a harvested field.

Thousands of snow geese flock to the island

Time to move on!  Our next stop was at a wooden observation structure.  This raised platform was constructed specifically for birdwatching, with views over a nearby body of water.  A very popular stop for waterfowl, we almost always spotted some type of bird hanging out here.

 

Snow geese in the sky

Today our luck was with us - an enormous flock of snow geese had taken up residence in the water right next to this platform.  

Taking advantage of some good light

The geese were so numerous they colored the ground and water white.  There must've been hundreds, if not thousands, of these waterfowl.  I don't know how they all fit into the water - it seemed like there were birds atop birds.  We kept spotting a few geese flying away and also a small number coming in for a landing.  Although the small groups were fun to photograph, Cheri was hoping for something to spook the entire flock so they'd all rise into the air en masse.  

Then a bald eagle flew by 

It wasn't long before we got our wish.  So intent on photographing the snow geese flock, we nearly missed a bald eagle flying by, so close he was practically under our noses!

This is what happens when a bald eagle flies by a flock of snow geese

Snow geese are a favorite snack of bald eagles, and this guy was intent on capturing one for lunch.  Once the eagle swooped by, the entire flock took to the sky in a noisy wing-beating, honking mass.  The birds were so thick, I don't know how they were able to fly and not run into each other.

Eagle now gone, the geese began to land

We couldn't tell if the eagle had a successful hunt or not.  He flew away before we had a chance to tell.  But once the danger had passed, the entire flock of snow geese began to land back into the same pond.  The huge number of birds landing was also quite a sight - one that was fun, but challenging (for me anyway) to photograph.  Oh well, practice is how I'll get better!  Cheri, who has photographed birds and other wildlife for years, does an outstanding job at catching animals in action.  My goal is to someday be as good as she is!

Sandhill cranes coming in for a landing

Our final stop for the day was at another farmer's field further down the road from the overlook.  Here Cheri spotted a second group of sandhill cranes.  Several cranes kept flying in to join their comrades.  I got plenty of practice capturing birds in flight, and even managed to get a few images that were actually in focus!  What I really liked about this location was the beautiful backdrop of gnarled oak trees and foggy fields.

Beautiful winter scenery

Not only is Sauvie Island a great place to photograph wildlife, it's also mighty scenic.  As we were finishing up, the sun peeked through the clouds, illuminating an adjacent forest with beautiful light.  A perfect way to end what had been an outstanding morning of photography!

Cheri's images can be viewed on her website: Cheri Kanaan Photography  I highly recommend checking it out.  If you see something you like, she also sells prints.