Where would you go in late March if you had a week.

Have a contract on my house, set to close in late March. I'll have some time to take a trip within the US. after closing. Perfect timing to see the sandhill cranes in Nebraska, but that's an awefully long drive from the east coast. Could be worth it if there were other great photography oppotunities along the way. Regardless of NE, if you had a week in late March, where would you travel for excellent wildlife photography?

Well, March is the perfect time for many of the gallinaceous birds, as they are breeding and doing their courtship displays then. Wild turkeys, pheasants, hungarian partridge, prairie chickens, and just about all of the grouse species.....all of 'em are active and photogenic in March! Other than a PA turkey spot, I am not sure what the best areas are in the eastern part of the U.S., but if you are interested in traveling, I know of places in MN, ND, SD, CA, and WA that would all provide good gamebird opportunities. Many of these could combine nicely with a NE crane trip. Send me a PM if you would like any more specific information.

The other thing that comes to mind is waterfowl. If you have migration-route areas (stopover areas) available, March is when the birds visit for a few weeks. Out here, the greater Klamath marsh system is one such stopover area, and March is a very target-rich time, as thousands upon thousands of Ross' Geese, Snow Geese, Canada Geese, Pintails, Mallards, Redheads, Canvasbacks, Wigeon, Cinnamon Teal, Buffleheads, and Gadwalls use the wetland areas to feed for a few weeks before they resume their northward progress.

I do realize this is the wildlife forum, and not the bird forum, but you mentioned cranes, and honestly, March is a great month for birds, and a relatively poor time of year for mammals, so that is why my suggestions center around birds and not wildlife.

Thanks Tom. I'll keep that in mind if I get the job on Portland.
I posted this thread in both the Bird and Wildlife forums as I don't mind shooting both.

Alaska or Yellowstone.

March is perfect for bird photography in Florida. Tops on the list might be Blue Cypress Lake and the ospreys there.

RikWriter wrote in post #17437844
Alaska or Yellowstone.

I know what areas of Yellowstone are open, and which are closed, in late March.....but what about Alaska? What species are most effectively photographed in late March? Possibly furbearers? Also, what areas of Alaska are open to easy, convenient travel at this time of year? (remember, the OP doesn't have a lot of time for far-away travel, so his schedule will not allow for slower, more difficult travel due to winter conditions, especially if he goes 5,000 miles to Alaska......remember, he is hesitant to even go as far as Nebraska which is only 2,000 miles for him)

Tom Reichner wrote in post #17438165
I know what areas of Yellowstone are open, and which are closed, in late March.....but what about Alaska? What species are most effectively photographed in late March? Possibly furbearers? Also, what areas of Alaska are open to easy, convenient travel at this time of year? (remember, the OP doesn't have a lot of time for far-away travel, so his schedule will not allow for slower, more difficult travel due to winter conditions, especially if he goes 5,000 miles to Alaska......remember, he is hesitant to even go as far as Nebraska which is only 2,000 miles for him)

I understand, I can't really give him any choices in the Northeast as I have never done any photography there. I was listing the two places I would go in March if I had a week. In Alaska, I would head to Denali or possibly Lake Clarke if I had the money. Yellowstone doesn't have all its entrances open yet in late March, but you can still see the grizzlies out by then and they're hungry so they're active. Also, there are far fewer people there in late March so you could have your run of the park without a lot of traffic.

Interesting recommendations, Rik! How does one get around in Denali in March? Is it a snowshoe trip, or are there any road segments that are open? If it's a snowshoe trip, how do you get to the park? I always thought that all of the roads in that area are closed until June, but then thought that perhaps they go through a great effort to keep access to the park open. Have you had any experiences with Denali, or any other part of Alaska, in March? Is it prohibitively expensive to get anywhere (helicopters & snow coaches), or are there reasonable methods of getting around?

Tom Reichner wrote in post #17439158
Interesting recommendations, Rik! How does one get around in Denali in March? Is it a snowshoe trip, or are there any road segments that are open? If it's a snowshoe trip, how do you get to the park? I always thought that all of the roads in that area are closed until June, but then thought that perhaps they go through a great effort to keep access to the park open. Have you had any experiences with Denali, or any other part of Alaska, in March? Is it prohibitively expensive to get anywhere (helicopters & snow coaches), or are there reasonable methods of getting around?

Road plowing begins in March, and this has been a warm year so you should be able to drive around in March in that section of road that you're allowed to drive on. Last year, the road was open to mile 30 by mid April.

Wow - that's awesome!

Should be a good time of year for hares, as I would think they'd be completely white. And having the roads open in late March would give access to Spruce Grouse during their mating season. How awesome is that?!

The mountain roads in my area are never plowed - we just have to wait for the snow to melt, which means that we usually have no practical way to get up into the mountains while the hares are still white and the grouse are still displaying. It's usually June or even July before I can drive up into the mountains around me. Maybe one of these years I'll have to take a spring trip up to Denali!

Larry Johnson wrote in post #17434273
Have a contract on my house, set to close in late March. I'll have some time to take a trip within the US. after closing. Perfect timing to see the sandhill cranes in Nebraska, but that's an awefully long drive from the east coast. Could be worth it if there were other great photography oppotunities along the way. Regardless of NE, if you had a week in late March, where would you travel for excellent wildlife photography?

Heya,

The cranes are in Florida right now too and will continue to be here a while longer. It's already on the East Coast, so not that far for you really. Birding in Florida is big this time of year, because of the mating and nest building, etc. The east coast from Venice down to the Everglades have tons of opportunities for lots of wild birding.

Very best,

I was also going to mention that the Everglades or somewhere in Florida would probably be great in March - that'd make a really nice combo photography and beach trip.

If you wanted to stay more local - what about Chincoteague and Assateague Islands? Horses, Birds, and the weather would be just starting to warm up in early spring (hopefully thawed out from this winter blast!)

MalVeauX wrote in post #17445095
Heya,

The cranes are in Florida right now too and will continue to be here a while longer. It's already on the East Coast, so not that far for you really. Birding in Florida is big this time of year, because of the mating and nest building, etc. The east coast from Venice down to the Everglades have tons of opportunities for lots of wild birding.

Very best,

Know anything about the Tampa area? I'll be there in a few weeks and would like to spend a day shooting birds and wildlife. Any recommendation appreciated. Thank you.

dave

snyderman wrote in post #17447475
Know anything about the Tampa area? I'll be there in a few weeks and would like to spend a day shooting birds and wildlife. Any recommendation appreciated. Thank you.

dave

You could try Circle B in Lakeland. Not too far from Tampa. Has a lot of birds. If you're extremely lucky you might see a bobcat.

A good question, I think a picture is worth more than I can say so take a look these are taken in a 24hr period, If your into birding the same place has held the record since 1986 for the most bird species spotted in a 24hr period - 342
I know your focused on the US but If I had a week spare anytime from October to April and wasnt tied to any specific country - Mara would be my choice