The numbers of sandhill cranes has remained steady during the past week at Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge, with Canada geese and a few swans still mixed in. American wigeon, mallard, northern pintail and shoveler, and green-winged teal are still regular visitors to the ponds. Exciting sightings on the refuge this week include the first of the year American golden-plovers. Two males were using the fields near the barn on Monday. This species is not only spectacular-looking, it also makes one of the longest migratory journeys of any shorebird. It breeds on the high Arctic tundra of Alaska and Canada and winters in the grasslands of central and southern South America. To me, their arrival into town marks the beginning of the summer season. An uncommon killdeer was heard calling on Monday at the refuge as well. A shorebird you can see without going to the beach, killdeer are graceful plovers common to lawns, golf courses, athletic fields, and parking lots. They get their name from their call — a far-carrying, excited kill-deer, a common sound heard in the lower 48 and Canada but not here in the Interior.

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