A pair of sandhill cranes arrive for breakfast every morning, slowly striding across the green sweep of ground where we’ve fed the sheep flock the day before. They appear in the early dawn, and I step out the back door to quietly call out my wishes for a good morning. The cranes respond with their …
Tag: sandhill cranes
Dancing for the joy of spring
Had to haul our last load of hay from our friend’s ranch on Sunday. It was very overcast and the ranch is ancient and captivating. These sandhill cranes were in the fields, and I’m sure they were dancing for the sheer joy of spring, rather than simply practicing their mating dances they will soon be …
Babies with fuzzy heads
Didn’t actually get a clear, good shot, but this one explains it. Baby sandhill cranes have fuzzy heads. How perfectly endearing …
Sandhills
The sandhill cranes are nesting now. The arrival of these birds is a true indication of spring’s arrival. Usually we hear them before we see them, and the sound always brings a gladness to my heart. Crane fossils about 10 million years old have been discovered in Nebraska, indicating that cranes are our oldest surviving …
Hackee sack anyone?
I’ve been working hard all week, either on the computer or on the ranch, so this morning I played hooky and went for a three-hour photo excursion to some of my favorite places in our county. This sandhill crane was busy throwing a chunk of cow manure in the air, hitting it with his head …