Tag Archives: wildlife watching

I know it sounds cliché, but I’ll be the first to admit it. As a hardcore outdoor enthusiast, finding a holiday gift for me is a difficult task. In fact, whether you hunt, trap, fish, boat, kayak, camp, backpack, hike, bike or watch wildlife, I bet you are also in the hard-to-buy-for category. Am I right? We are a picky lot, aren’t we? We are a detailed bunch. We know what we need and desire to have. And what the …

When I was kid, I always looked forward to taking a drive with my grandparents during the March thaw to see the spring migration of birds along the Platte River in rural Sarpy County, Nebraska. We never had to travel very far from our homes in Gretna to see the migrating birds either. It’s those drives that helped develop my appreciation for birds. Truth is, you still do not have to venture far at all to enjoy the spectacular spring migration of birds …

There are 76 areas in our park system and they truly offer something for everyone. I know. I have firsthand knowledge of all of them. In my 45 years with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. I have been to EVERY. SINGLE.ONE and even worked in our parks division for a time. So I have a good breadth of knowledge about these areas. Our larger state parks, what many call “destination parks” or “resort parks,” get a lot of attention …

My standard greeting for a new dog I encounter is to hold out my hand and say, “Hi, Puppy!”  I do not know if the dogs like that greeting or not.  At least I have not been bitten yet. I was walking around the neighborhood the other day and saw a pretty red dog watching me from someone’s backyard.  I think he wanted to come out and play: That was a good-looking dog, wonder where I could get one? OK, …

I’ve been in the field a lot archery/crossbow spring wild turkey hunting from a portable, camouflaged, pop-up blind in rural eastern Nebraska. As I always say “hunting is not about the harvest, but the experience.” It has been an exciting experience seeing nature in early spring! Here are just some of the various wildlife species we’ve seen. Take a look with us through the lens. Before I began this blog, I was going to list all the reasons why I deeply love spring turkey hunting. After much reflection, I …

Don’t miss my weekly TV outdoor report this Thursday night when we cover bald eagle viewing in Nebraska and not far from the metro area! Who doesn’t enjoy seeing bald eagles in the wild at places like De Soto Refuge, huh? I certainly do! Learn more about winter bald eagle viewing by tuning in to my outdoor segment which airs on Omaha’s WOWT-TV/Channel 6 LIVE Thursday evening during the 6 p.m. CST sportscast with Ross Jernstrom. Unable to view the live broadcast of the report? Take note that video replays …

Don’t miss my weekly WOWT 6 News Outdoors segment Thursday evening when we cover winter bald eagle viewing in Nebraska. Everyone I know, including myself, marvels at the sight of a bald eagle in the wild! Here’s a photo of a bald eagle at the Ak-sar-ben Aquarium/Schramm Park State Recreation Area near Gretna, NE. Cool, huh? How about another photo of a bald eagle from that same area? Find out more information about bald eagle viewing opportunities by tuning in to The Weekly …

I always tote my camera along wherever I’m going these days to capture glimpses of wildlife and so should you! This Thanksgiving holiday period I decided to bring my camera with me to our Thanksgiving family rendezvous with my in-laws who live on Kuester Lake located on the east side of Grand Island, NE. I was hoping to shoot some pics of waterfowl on the lake that I could share with you. I was fortunate. There were mallard ducks hanging around! Enjoy …

My family and I are counting birds amid the old-growth trees in our Metcalfe Park neighborhood in north-central Omaha. We are counting birds for The Great Backyard Bird Count www.BirdSource.org This is a fun, very worthwhile citizen science project for the whole family to do! As you’ll note by clicking the link to the website for the count, it’s in full swing and it’s not too late to get involved where you live! Here are a few of the birds we …

Don’t miss my Weekly Outdoor Report on Omaha’s WOWT-TV/Channel 6 (www.wowt.com) when we take you to a state recreation area near the metro area to show you where you can go to view wild Canada geese (and perhaps a few wild ducks) up-close. Here’s a sample of what you’ll see with video courtesy of  my buddy and fellow Game and Parks Public Information Officer Ralph Wall. Before you click on the pic below, where do you think we’re going? Take …