A Visit to Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge

I am thrilled to announce that I am returning to Tampa! I spent the past eight months working in Lexington, which was a great experience. However, a new opportunity presented itself which is enabling me to return to Florida. I am super excited about the new job, being closer to my friends, and Florida birding. I left Lexington mid-December and for the past two weeks have been birding while traveling and visiting family in Alabama.

One of the first stops I made was at the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in Decatur, AL. I stopped at the Visitor’s Center where staff told me there were 10,000 to 15,000 Sandhill Cranes in the refuge. That’s a lot of birds! Fourteen Whooping Cranes had also been spotted in the park over the past week. In one day I saw seven individuals.

Here are my notes from the visit:

1. Lodging: I stayed at the Hampton Inn in Decatur. It’s 12 minute drive from the Visitor’s Center. Other hotels are in the area.

2. Where to go: There are several blinds around the visitor’s center. They are easy to find using the available maps and trail signs. The main blind was a disappointment because it is glass enclosed. The glass was thick and tinted, making photography all but fruitless. It’s a great place to see the birds though. The other blinds were all normal wooden blinds with open holes in the walls that you can stick your lens through. Visit them all.

   Also visit the little park across the street (Point Mallard Pkwy) from the entrance to the refuge. The park is adjacent to a river tributary where there were wading Great Egrets and Great Blue Herons. There were also some Sandies on a little island in the river. In the trees around the parking area I found Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, White-throated Sparrows, & Cedar Waxwings.

3. When to go: Thanksgiving through the end of January. I visited 16 - 18 December without any crowds and plenty of birds. You may also choose to come during the Festival of the Cranes in early January, but expect crowds.

4. Lens choice. I used an 800mm lens because it was all that I had on me while traveling. I was glad to have it though, as the cranes, especially the Whoopers, were keeping a good distance from the blinds. A 600mm lens is more than adequate and a better choice for birds in flight. Wide angle lenses are a good choice to take in the whole scene.

5. What you’ll see: My bird list:

   • Sandhill Crane

   • Whooping Crane (x7, including 1 immature)

   • White-throated Sparrow

   • Hermit Thrush

   • Northern Harrier

   • Great Egret

   • Brown Thrasher

   • Carolina Chickadee

   • Tufted Titmouse

   • Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

   • Cedar Waxwing

   • Eastern Bluebird

   • Eastern Towhee

   • Swamp Sparrow

Sandhill Cranes. Nikon Z8 with monopod-mounted Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/1600 sec, ISO 1800.

Sandhill Crane. In this shot I intentionally slowed the shutter to capture some motion blur as a bird landed. It’s too bad the upper bill is deformed/broken on this particular subject. Nikon Z8 with monopod-mounted Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/125 sec, ISO 100.

Sandhill Cranes and Whooping Cranes. This was only the second time I have seen Whopping Cranes, and the closest I have ever been to them. The only other time was in south Louisiana in the rice fields. I was also thrilled to see the juvenile in its buff-colored plumage. The juvenile and one of the adults are banded, while one of the adults was unbanned. Nikon Z8 with monopod-mounted Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/800 sec, ISO 720.

Great Egret. Black and white image of a Great Egret coming in for a landing in shallow water. Nikon Z8 with monopod-mounted Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/1250 sec, ISO 2000.

Great Blue Heron. Nikon Z8 with monopod-mounted Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/1000 sec, ISO 2200.

White-throated Sparrow. Nikon Z8 with monopod-mounted Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/1000 sec, ISO 3600.

Cedar Waxwing. Nikon Z8 with monopod-mounted Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/1250 sec, ISO 450.

Eastern Bluebird. Nikon Z8 with monopod-mounted Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/2000 sec, ISO 1250.

Northern Harrier. There are more than Sandhill Cranes in the fields! Nikon Z8 with monopod-mounted Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/3200 sec, ISO 10,000.

This was my first visit to Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge and I was thrilled with the experience. The sights and sounds of 10,000 cranes in a concentrated area was simply spectacular. It is a must-visit site for any birder, and a perfect place to go during the winter months.

Happy birding!