Sandhill Crane Week 7

Sandhill Crane Into the seventh week in the life of the juvenile, the female adult relaxes after being up for several hours already in the day.

Sandhill Crane The juvenile, just up from another nap, adopts an unusual sitting posture while preening.

Sandhill Crane Meanwhile, the larger adult, the male, scans about as the usual pedestrians stroll by, some with enemy dogs.

Sandhill Crane While preening, the juvenile frequently stretches its now impressive wings.

Sandhill Crane Much of the preening concentrates on all parts of the wings.

Sandhill Crane Though not for long, the adult male takes a very short nap, looking even larger when sprawled on the ground.

Sandhill Crane A full stretch of the juvenile wing shows off the flight feathers filling in impressively.

Sandhill Crane This was a complicated stretch that started with a bend of the wings above the head and back and then a forward lean.

Sandhill Crane A bit of an itch on the face. One of the toenails is white, compared to the black of the others.

Sandhill Crane The female adult can do preening while standing on one leg.

Sandhill Crane The juvenile can't yet, but it is very flexible as it twists neck and head around to rub the tops of its wings.

Sandhill Crane Another wing stretch starting with the overhead bending contortions.

Sandhill Crane And a straight-out flare, head to the ground. These wings will be in full use in no time now.

Sandhill Crane When a parent does a similar stretch, the juvenile looks at the wing right in front of it and does a quick peck or two.

Sandhill Crane The female adult didn't care. Here she has just fed the juvenile a worm with a bit of left-over grass in her bill.

Sandhill Crane With both bent over and scanning the ground for food, their relative sizes are becoming closer and closer.

Sandhill Crane Hunt and probe. The bill of the juvenile is about two-thirds as large as an adult's now, and a potent tool.

Sandhill Crane Some kind of grub, a very desirable food.

Sandhill Crane Everyone in action. Together, but not for long.

Sandhill Crane Silently, without warning, the male adult ran and took flight. Rather than a few flaps, it headed straight out over the pond.

Sandhill Crane A few hundred yards out, over Tiedeman's Pond, it turned and came back overhead, over the rooftops, towards Stricker's Pond.

Sandhill Crane Looking surprised, both the juvenile and female adult stared for a long time in the direction the male vanished. With the juvenile in the lead, both walked between the house and up to the street in that direction. The juvenile started a low, alarmed keening call, sounding very disturbed.

Sandhill Crane After five or ten minutes, the male flew back overhead. Here the female, neck ruffled, saw him coasting in for a landing.

Sandhill Crane And so did the still keening juvenile.

Sandhill Crane Together they hurried back down the hill and between the houses to find the long-absent, restless male. Someone has to learn how to fly very soon.

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