For Forestweather

[johnridley]

These three cranes have been hanging out in our back yard for a few days now. The dog is pretty much to the point where she just ignores them.
In this photo they've retreated to the neighbor's front yard. They're wary when there are people outside. I followed them down a few houses trying to get a better photo for you, but I didn't want to go tromping all over everyone's yards uninvited and they were pretty cagy. It's a bit surprising how much they can move in a minute even though it seems they're moving so slowly.

Comments

[forestweather.livejournal.com]

Oh John, they're gorgeous! Here they look like ostriches, which is as close as this continent can get, I suppose! Tomorrow afternoon we're going to CraneFest http://cranefest.org/2010/08/19/sixteenth-annual-cranefest/

[johnridley.livejournal.com]

BTW, around here you pretty much always see groups of 3 or 4. Earlier in the year there are obvious adolescents, but by now they're grown and it's hard to tell the youngsters.

Sometimes there are larger groups, I've seen as many as 20 or so gathered in fields while riding around. Luckily for them they have NO interest in roads whatsoever. I have only seen them on roads once, and that was crossing a residential road from one side to the other. Pretty much they land in fields, walk around there for a few hours (presumably looking for nice things to eat) then take off.

[isherempress.livejournal.com]

Wowie zowie! You are so lucky, John. I found a field about a mile south of us where a pond, an apple orchard, and a corn field intersect -- and several large birds seem to regularly hang out, including a GBH, a pair of sandhill cranes, a great egret, and a flock or two of Canada geese.

I lust after the houses right across the road from that field... one even has outbuildings appropriate for an artist!