they usually wander around our property and stay in the fields but saturday this family decided to tour my garden. the parents were very well behaved but the teenager was fascinated by the potted plants and even pulled out and repeatedly stabbed a small plumeria cutting. oh well, what's a girl to do? i let him/her have a little fun and then kindly asked them to leave the garden!
here are a few pictures of the sandhill cranes.
2
3 that's junior with his head in a pot!
4
heading off to the lake
Thats so cool! I can't imagine such a large bird being in the garden.Thanks for sharing it with us tracks!
I hope they don't do much garden damage. DH not an emotional guy broke down when he heard of the flock being destroyed in the hurricane last spring.
Wow, track, what an amazing experience. Fantastic shots.
you're all welcome. i wish the shots had been clearer but at least i got them! iris, you may be thinking of the whooping cranes. the sandhill cranes are very common and are not endangered. i don't mean that i don't feel bad when they are killed for whatever reason, but the whooping cranes are in short supply and when something happens to them, it is a real tragedy.
That is really neat, I would love to see some up close!
I probably was thinking of whoopers, I posted near midnight. I hope the sandhills aren't too much of a bother.
Wonderful shots! I'm sure I would have let them poke around for a while too!
cute. cute. cute.
they are hard to resist when they are so tame. they seem to have no fear of people and it's not just these three. all of them i've ever seen in our area act the same way. you often see them by the side of the road. only once in four years have i ever seen one hit by a car. it was a young one and it was very sad because the parents stood guard for many days over the poor little guy. they can often be seen out in fields walking along with the cattle/horses. their call is extremely harsh and loud and can be heard for miles. when my sister worked for the st.louis zoo (in the birdhouse), she would "dance" with them. you do have to be careful though, they could take an eye out in a heartbeat if they wanted to. they are not aggressive, but more curious than most birds and a glinting eye could be a temptation.
What a treat for you and us as well! I am so glad you posted these pics of this fabulous bird. I would be thrilled to have them visit my yard...not much chance of that happening though. You are so fortunate to have them...thanks for sharing!
They are so cool, yes I would enjoy them in my yard!
Thank you for the wonderful photos-you are so lucky to have this family visiting your garden! I had the opportunity to care for an injured Sandhill Crane years ago at a wildlife rehab center in AL. He was housed in a large outdoor enclosure, with areas to hide in whenever anyone entered his cage. He became very accepting of my presence within a short time.
He was given a large bowl of assorted foods twice a day. In addition, I brought him a separate bowl of "scum" (skinned, cut-up mice) twice a day. If I entered his cage without fresh mouse bits (to clean or replace landscaping foliage,) he would pick up his stainless-steel scum bowl and repeatedly drop it at my feet. Yes, these birds are bright, fearless, and fascinating to observe.
what a great experience that must have been. i did that with a young hawk one year. it sure leaves you with a new appreciation for our feathered friends.
What a great experience! And a beautiful garden. If I knew where Umatilla was you might find me there with my head in a pot ...lol
Thanks for sharing!
Shannon
lol! i'd take your picture.
