A Midwestern Thanksgiving

It had been years, literally, since Alison and I had both been to Nebraska for a holiday, so we were very happy to find that our schedules would let us meet in Omaha this year for a short week with my family. Not quite so happy, I guess, to find it cold, gray, windy, and snowy the whole time we were there, but it was great to get to see so many friends and relatives and, of course, to indulge in a little birding.

Our only formally scheduled event was a free birdwalk sponsored by WINGS at Wehrspann Lake, in western Sarpy County. Not to put too fine a point on it, the weather was punishing, and though attendance reflected the fact that no reasonable human being should be out in such stuff, we were still a delightfully congenial group as we stood around in the blowing snow, dreaming (me at least!) of the promised cup of hot chocolate to follow.

Passerine birding was very difficult in the wind, though I never complain about being surrounded by Slate-colored Juncos and American Tree Sparrows! Kevin-of-the-excellent-eyes spotted an adult Bald Eagle overhead, and though waterfowl numbers were still low, diversity was good indeed, including such beauties as Gadwall, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, and Hooded Merganser. A couple of cold and grouchy Great Blue Herons were still in the cattails surrounding the lake, too; the several Pied-billed Grebes didn’t seem to mind as much, but we were soon on the side of the herons, ready to get back to warmth.

It turned out that we had braved the cold for just the right amount of time. On our return to the vehicles, a little flock of Cedar Waxwings flew in to the crabapples in the parking lot, where they set about having their breakfast, and made us feel better about heading off to ours as well.