Along an old county road where the snowmelt and recent rains have made temporary wetlands a variety of birds enjoy a cloudy spring afternoon.
Yellowlegs, dowitchers, stilts and even a great tailed grackle enjoyed some time in the pool.
Having open lands and bit of available water is vital for many migratory birds making the spring journey to their breeding grounds. With development of open farmlands and ranches for housing, business parks and the wonderful strip mall birds lose both land and water in which they need and humans in turn lose another connection to the other creatures we share the planet with.
These farmers fields will dry up in the blink of an eye but for now support life not only for bird habitat in the spring but they also grow food for us humans as well. Less farmland, more development. Virtual reality birds and lab grown food. The future is looking bright.
Time to get out and enjoy what we still have.
Have a wonderful weekend wherever you are.
nature has no boss 
This is a handsome array of waders, Mike. All of these photos are terrific, and I especially like the pair of snipes. I, too, lament the struggle to keep land from burgeoning human development; and hope you and the community can find other places for this important migration to continue.
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Hi Jet, although I try to be optimistic most day I find it hard to be about the steady march of consumption and the rate at which it progresses across the western US. Birds, and most life, is strong, resilient and adaptable, but only to a point. Unfortunately we may quickly reach that point where we eliminate a good deal of the planets other life forms. Without a culture change that spreads like a virus, a virus that infects us with a respect for all life, turning in a new direction will be difficult. Yet hope remains.
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Dear Mike, I share your plight….
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I think many people feel this way right now.
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Migration is such a miracle to witness, and we get that twice a year. A real thrill to see the birds pass through. Conservation groups are trying to establish migration corridors that are protected, but it is a huge task. We support and applaud their efforts!
Have a good weekend!
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Hi Eliza, conservation groups are indeed trying hard yet it seem like we need a culture change to prevent the steady march of consumption of the land to prevent habitat loss.
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Agreed. Suburban sprawl is relentless!
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Something will give sometime. It may sooner or it may be latter.
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Fabulous photos of beautiful birds 🙂
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Thanks.
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Hi and thanks, we really enjoy the opportunity to get to see a few of these migrating birds each spring. Unfortunately with each passing year the farm fields keep disappearing into tract housing and we have to drive further from town to find a few of these birds. I wonder what a bird think when they come back to visit a pond and it is now a stip mall?
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