Sandhill Crane Feeling good about the growth of its wings, the juvenile exercises every possible moment. |
Sandhill Crane Between preening and flapping, the wings receive all the attention they need. |
Sandhill Crane With short flights of ten or fifteen feet more common, it sometimes helps to use a sloping runway. |
Sandhill Crane It probably knows a parent is flapping along right behind as it gets off the ground briefly. |
Sandhill Crane And here comes the parent. |
Sandhill Crane Food and sharing, with the bill length difference very obvious between juvenile and parent. |
Sandhill Crane Though it suspects something, the juvenile doesn't know that a parent is on the way with a worm. |
Sandhill Crane Preening involves some serious contortions. |
Sandhill Crane Another element of maturing is the ability to take a nap while standing on one leg. Check that one off. |
Sandhill Crane Flap about some more and see who gets stirred up. |
Sandhill Crane So far just the juvenile is excited about its own flapping. |
Sandhill Crane The flight feathers are about ready for full use. |
Sandhill Crane Everything flying over deserves admiration and envy. |
Sandhill Crane The wings have been increasing in width as each feather grows out fully. |
Sandhill Crane Two feeding while one watches a dog on a leash passing by on a walkway. |
Sandhill Crane Flapping also involves a bit of strutting. |
Sandhill Crane Work on the take-off lean. |
Sandhill Crane Airborne with a run and a couple of flaps. |
Sandhill Crane And a landing fifteen or twenty feet away with the tail feathers flaring out nicely. |
Sandhill Crane This was one of those run and flap moments that looks more like hop scotch than true flight. |
Sandhill Crane But it took the juvenile across a hundred feet of space in no time, causing the alarmed parents to fly after it. |
Sandhill Crane Both parents are molting. The loose feathers are a puzzle to the juvenile. It picked one up and dropped it several times. |
Sandhill Crane Carefully grabbing the end for another toss. |
Sandhill Crane Way up in the tree is sometimes interesting. |
Sandhill Crane Learning how to sit just like an adult, knees bent just so. |
Sandhill Crane The juvenile flapping stirred up a parent who flapped back. |
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