The distinctly ugly call of sand hill cranes caught my attention just now. They're beautiful, stately, elegant birds, but their call can only be described as ugly. Sands hill are protected by the state and when I see them, I remember how they would pace back and forth like a human while waiting for traffic to clear so they could cross the road. Or course they can fly, but for some reason, they seem to prefer strolling leisurely along, unconcerned about traffic tie ups they cause.
What's so unique about this morning is that there were 7 - yes 7 - in my front yard. We've never seen so many in one place at one time before. Come breeding time, I hope to see a bunch of downy little chicks between Mommys and Daddys. Generally, we see two, or three at one time. Occasionally, we'll see four, but 7 is unheard of.
They've often used Shiloh as nesting grounds. 56 acres of farmland on the edge of the city makes it wise for them to do so. However, the very busy road that runs along the property also makes it questionable. One was killed on that road several years ago and since then, there's not been too many around.
They mate for life and when you see one flying in circles, squawking, he's probably looking for his mate. It's so sad. When the babies are born, Momma is on one side of the baby (sometimes 2 babies) and Daddy is on the other. Very family oriented.
Now would be a good time to know how to put a picture on here to show you what I'm talking about. It's coming. Stay tuned.
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