[Note: If you’ve been following my blog entries, you know that I’ve been watching a family of Sandhill Cranes in our neighborhood. I first mentioned them about a month ago (5/11), and then gave an update a couple weeks ago (5/25). Since they’re still around I thought I would give another update. Remember that I’m not a bird watcher, I’m just an amateur photographer fascinated by a family of big beautiful birds that let me get close enough to take some interesting photos.]
I hadn’t seen the cranes in a while when my wife told me one day (6/1) that while out walking she’d seen them crossing the road and walking down the sidewalk. They were heading away from the pond where they’d been nesting. Traffic stopped to let them cross and the birds seemed unfazed by the people and cars. I walked over to where she’d seen the cranes and headed toward another pond about 0.4 mile from where we’d first seen them. The cranes were feeding in the grass by the new pond. I wasn’t sure if they’d moved there or had just walked over there to eat and would return to their nesting site.
About a week later (6/8) I couldn’t find them by the new pond, the old pond, or the neighborhood where they’d fed in the past. Yesterday (6/11) I went to look again and, after not seeing them in any of the usual places, I started to head back home. Much to my surprise I ran into them walking down the path from the neighborhood and heading toward their original nesting location. I took a few pictures and they just stood there. Then I realized I was in their way so I moved from the path. They quietly made their way down the path. Just a family of four out for an afternoon walk.