As I stepped outside for my morning run today, I saw and heard a huge flock of Sandhill Cranes flying overhead, no doubt headed for the nearby UF Beef Teaching Unit (a grassy pasture in which beef cattle are no doubt being taught to do any number of nefarious things). And I considered how lucky I was to be able to count Sandhill Cranes among my backyard birds.
The Beef Teaching Unit is only about 100 yards from my place, and as I jogged toward it, I saw two large white birds mingling with the Sandhills. Definitely too tall to be White Ibises, which also frequent the pasture. And WAY too big to be Cattle Egrets. Too tall and heavy-bodied to be Great Egrets, which don't hang out there anyhow. Which meant they had to be...
WHOOPING CRANES!
Awesome! I sprinted home, grabbed my bins and camera, and headed back out, hoping they would stay for me. And they did, just long enough for me to get a few blurry shots. As they flew off with their Sandhill Crane companions, I could see their black wing tips and the other sure field mark of a Whooping Crane, several colored bands on their legs.
Now I can rightfully claim not only Sandhill Cranes, but Whooping Cranes, as (practically) backyard birds. How lucky is that?
8 comments:
That was a wonderful early Christmas present!!! Is there anyone you can notify about the Whooping Cranes? I hope they are headed to FL.
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Hi Carol,
Yes, it was a great early Christmas gift from the cosmos! I've contacted the local birding gurus, and will post this on eBird as well. I'm not sure if these are part of the resident Florida colony of whoopers or migrants--but I'll keep my eye out for them and see if I can get those numbers off their bands.
What a great find. I've seen that same pasture loaded to the gunnels with sandhills, but never a whoopher!
It was a great sight--sometimes, that pasture is full of surprises!
Great find! I hope to see my lifer Sandhill in FL! Maybe a Whooping, too :-)
Hey Ali,
Hard to believe you haven't gotten a Sandhill yet! You'll have a great time birding down here; can't wait to hear about it.
That is pretty awesome!
It was--Happy New Year to you!
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