Sandhill Crane End Week Four

Sandhill Crane I can fly (almost). The juvenile is doing a lot more wing exercises, running and flapping.

Sandhill Crane While the juvenile waves its wings around, the parent watchfully walks alongside.

Sandhill Crane The juvenile is becoming much more alert to everything, including every bird that flies overhead.

Sandhill Crane More often than not, the juvenile goes into the lead, with the parents attentively following along.

Sandhill Crane Showing enthusiasm for everything.

Sandhill Crane It wanders off into the tall grass as the parents continue walking on, until they realize the detour.

Sandhill Crane One immediately returns to stand guard while the juvenile busies itself in the search for food.

Sandhill Crane As the parent forces its way through the flowers and grass, one stalk pushes the juvenile lower and lower until it steps free.

Sandhill Crane That threat past, the juvenile needs to study the surroundings in case there are more threats.

Sandhill Crane The parents still offer small morsels to eat.

Sandhill Crane And the juvenile gladly accepts the food.

Sandhill Crane The visible flight feathers are developing at an amazing rate. Lift off in very few weeks.

Sandhill Crane Unknown thoughts shuffle about its head as it learns the strange world.

Sandhill Crane With their similar poses, the rapid growth of the juvenile is clear to see when right next to an adult.

Sandhill Crane The juvenile has learned the fine art of spearing the muddy ground for hidden food.

Sandhill Crane And off for another pre-flight check out.

Sandhill Crane All gyrations are good in developing the flight muscles, and balance.

Sandhill Crane Running is part of it since that can be part of gaining speed for the take-off.

Sandhill Crane The family wanders on together, wary of passing dogs attached to passing people.

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Great Horned Owl

Great Horned Owl Ear tufts not fully developed might mean this is a juvenile. It was very awake and hunting, looking every which way, and down at the trail briefly.

Great Horned Owl Scanning one way, ignoring the many nervous birds nearby.

Great Horned Owl Serious-looking talons on desplay while scanning the other way.

Great Blue Heron Three juveniles perched together. They might even have come from the same nest.

Great Blue Heron Another of the three juveniles.

Great Blue Heron The second and third juveniles together on the same downed Cottonwood.

Great Blue Heron Together they all flew off over Lake Wingra.

Great Crested Flycatcher Though its head isn't as large as it looks, it still is impressive from the right angle.

Great Crested Flycatcher A more normal profile. Still a pretty big head.

Red-bellied Woodpecker A bit of food in its bill, so probably on the way to feed a youngster.

American Robin So numerous and talkative, they often just blend into the background, overlooked. Hidden in plain sight.

© Michael Bailey All Rights Reserved; Not for reproduction.
No photograph from this blog may be reproduced or used
in any form or by any means whatsover.

Belted Kingfisher

Belted Kingfisher Small feet, very large head, the Belted Kingfisher stands out. How it came by the name is easy to see.

Belted Kingfisher It is also aggressive and frequently chatters loudly, audible from a long way off.

Belted Kingfisher In flight, the Belted Kingfisher looks much different.

Belted Kingfisher A graceful flair of the wings as it moves over the pond in search of food.

Great Blue Heron The Great Blue Heron fishing in shallow water.

Great Blue Heron Like most herons, it looks like it belongs about sixty-five million years ago.

Green Heron The Green Heron launches from a perch with a squawk.

Green Heron From all the feather tufts on the top of the head, this marks this Green Heron as a first year youngster.

Green Heron From the back, the juvenile Green Heron appears downright spiky.

Green Heron Another shape as it squats down, showing its colors.

Green Heron Graceful in flight, with short, strong strokes.

Green Heron Perfect alignment.

Wood Duck A young Wood Duck with a drop of water on the end of its bill.

American Robin The ever present and talkative American Robin.

© Michael Bailey All Rights Reserved; Not for reproduction.
No photograph from this blog may be reproduced or used
in any form or by any means whatsover.

Sandhill Crane Early Week Four

Sandhill Crane Strolling together in search of every kind of food.

Sandhill Crane Red berries. The parent has already shown how.

Sandhill Crane So, the parent eats one.

Sandhill Crane While below, the youngster also digs in.

Sandhill Crane At one point the other parent ran and flapped its wings. Seeing this, the youngster chased after, doing exactly the same.

Sandhill Crane Catch of the day.  A mouse or a vole. Dead with one stab from the parent.

Sandhill Crane However, time to learn about something else that can be eaten.

Sandhill Crane The parent did a long job of tenderizing the kill while someone looked on intently.

Sandhill Crane A bit puzzled by this new food.

Sandhill Crane More tenderizing and demonstrations on how to do it.

Sandhill Crane Several times the parent offered the mouse to the youngster.

Sandhill Crane Now and then a piece of food from it was fed to the youngster. All are studying it in the grass here.

Sandhill Crane Eating some of the catch, but still uncertain. Berries and worms might be better.

Sandhill Crane Finally, a tentative stab and shake.

Sandhill Crane Another piece of the catch offered and accepted.

Sandhill Crane Enough of that, the youngster walked off while the parent swallowed the mouse whole.

Sandhill Crane Back to bugs and berries.

Sandhill Crane One good leg stretch while picking bugs off a bush.

Sandhill Crane Continuing with the search for bugs in the bush.

© Michael Bailey All Rights Reserved; Not for reproduction.
No photograph from this blog may be reproduced or used
in any form or by any means whatsover.