Sandhill Crane Colt

All the photographs in this story were taken by my good friend Fred Thorne. He found two adult Sandhill Cranes on the edge of a marsh...their preferred habitat.  Fred returned several times afterward to record their progress in raising their new colt (young Sandhill Cranes are called colts). He told me their location and I checked them out, too, but my pictures weren't nearly as good as his, so that's why I'm using these with his permission.

It's early July and this young Sandhill Crane is making his debut into the sunlight.  Still protected by watchful parents, he is getting his first taste of a greater world.  Food is of utmost importance.
What to eat and where to find it is the lesson today.

This may be good...try it!

The colt investigates.
A parent points out a seed or maybe a snail. Sandhill Cranes eat from a big table of larva, lizards, insects, grains, berries and tubers. Introducing the colt to what is edible and what is not will continue for the next 8-9 months. There is a lot to learn if s/he is to reach adulthood. Their favorite foods exist mainly in marshes. Sandhill Cranes need these areas to breed and raise their young.

Sandhill Cranes typically lay two eggs, but it's uncommon for more than one to survive to adulthood. Colts are capable of walking within eight hours of hatching, unlike nesting birds which require a period of time in the nest to grow and fledge. The adults keep their colt hidden in six-foot tall grass for protection. Raccoons, foxes and coyotes are an ever present danger, so it's risky to venture far from deep cover.

Adult Sandhill Cranes are not defenseless when it comes to protecting their flightless young. With a six and a half foot wingspan, a sharp bill and the ability to deliver a kick with powerful legs, land predators are given good reasons to be cautious when taking on cranes.

Ariel predators, such as eagles, are met with an ariel jump and a swift kick.

Growing up quickly on the good diet provided by mindful parents, this colt presents a muscleman pose to impress them.

Sandhill Crane populations are stable, despite only one chick surviving per year. Sandhill Cranes mate for life and the oldest on record lived 36 years and 7 months.

New feathers are replacing the downy warm fuzz he has worn since hatching.

The family will migrate again this fall, along well traveled routes to New Mexico and Texas. You may be fortunate enough to see a Sandhill Crane while it's still small...even get a good picture if you're very lucky.

I wasn't so lucky...Fred was!

Or maybe it's Fred's perseverance and skill that provides the magic in his photographs.

Allan

Credit: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds
Credit: All photographs, Fred Thorne

Sandhill Crane

Hiding in plain sight is possible!

Only thigh-high grass and one box elder tree kept this Sandhill Crane from discovering me and taking off. I had no time to hide and nowhere to go when he suddenly appeared from behind the only tree at the river’s edge.  The sun was just breaking over the trees on this calm, blue-sky day. He was looking for something to eat and the Milwaukee River's, Blue Heron Wildlife Sanctuary in Saukville was his breakfast choice.

With no way of blending into my surroundings, I just froze.  My only hope was to hide in plain sight.  My camera and tripod may have broken up my silhouette from the sun rising behind me, but I was sure he would discover me.  He was so close I could hear him walking. 

 For 45-minutes he patrolled the waters back and forth in front of me, turning over water plants looking for invertebrates.  He seemed comfortable and confident alone with his mate and offspring, so I felt like an intruder, but not enough to leave.  What he didn’t know wasn’t going to hurt him. 

She joined him and they patrolled together finding undistinguishable tidbits in the water as they walked side by side.    

Sandhill Cranes can live to be 20 years old.  They mate for life and migrate yearly with their offspring, mainly to Florida, Texas and New Mexico.  

The two adults turned upstream, and were joined by a younger one.  I suspect they were on their migration journey already.

I was lucky to have shared this spot on the river with them, hidden in plain sight. 

Allan