Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival day in Omaha and transfer to lodgings. Some
birding may be possible, depending upon your arrival time. There will be a late
afternoon and early evening outing to Lake Manawa to look for Bald Eagles,
waterfowl, and displaying American Woodcock. At dinner, we'll have
introductions and orientation. Overnight in Omaha.
Day 2: Morning birding in the Omaha area, at
nearby DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge to look for Harris's Sparrows and Snow
Geese, followed by a
drive to Grand Island. As we get close to the Platte River,
We'll take time to watch Sandhill Cranes foraging and interacting, and in the evening we will see large flocks of Sandhill
Cranes flying in to roost on the Platte River, vocalizing all the while. We'll
also keep an eye out for large gatherings of ducks and geese. Overnight in Grand Island.
Day 3-4: During these days we will explore the abundant
bird life found throughout south-central Nebraska. Blinds that afford close
looks at the cranes have been reserved for sunrise and sunset viewing. Weather
permitting, there should be some good photo
opportunities.
In the Rainwater Basin, we’ll look through the
flocks of Snow Geese, Ross’s Geese, and Greater
White-fronted Geese. With luck, we will also find Eagles, hawks and falcons to keep us busy working on
our identification skills, as many raptors are attracted by the migrating waterfowl.
On one morning, we’ll visit a Greater Prairie Chicken
lek where the males perform their courtship display, stomping their feet, and
making towering leaps and resonant booming noises from inflated yellow-orange
air sacs along the sides of their necks. We’ll also look for Harris’s Sparrow, and Lapland
Longspur – northern breeders that overwinter in this area. Nights in Grand
Island.
Day 5: In the morning, we will observe the cranes for one
last time before heading back to Omaha, keeping an eye out for any other
interesting birds and wildlife that we may encounter. Overnight in Omaha.
Day 6: The tour officially ends.
