Sandhill Crane Week 9

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.

© 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 End Week 8

Sandhill Crane Despite a very wet couple of days at the end of the week, the juvenile felt full of energy.

Sandhill Crane Feathers ruffled more from excitement than anything else. Always something to be excited about.

Sandhill Crane Wing flapping while running takes up more and more of the time.

Sandhill Crane Being wet excites the parents much less.

Sandhill Crane Droopy wings seem to express the mood.

Sandhill Crane For the juvenile the sky is more interesting by the hour. Something up there calls.

Sandhill Crane And this is what it is. Another run with an impressive display of the fine wings.

Sandhill Crane The wings have taken on a life of their own, not wanting to be tucked back in. They need to be used.

Sandhill Crane With all the rain, foraging has become more difficult since the mud sticks readily to the probing bills.

Sandhill Crane Despite the juvenile being almost as large as the parents, the parents continue to offer food. Fuel.

Sandhill Crane Side by side for comparison. Almost there. The tail feathers have not quite kept up yet.

Sandhill Crane Being the center of the universe for its entire life of barely two months might make socializing outside the family difficult.

Sandhill Crane The ability to stand on one leg is coming along nicely too.

Sandhill Crane Things stick to the bill with all the mud glue, requiring a careful cleaning with the foot.

Sandhill Crane Sharing worm parts.

Sandhill Crane Enough of eating, time for more flapping practice.

Sandhill Crane After a run ahead of the parents, the juvenile pauses and stares for the longest time at the pond and beckoning sky.

Sandhill Crane And off again, full of steam and enthusiasm and need.

Sandhill Crane A near collison with the flowers and weeds as an excited parent follows along with the almost flight.

Sandhill Crane Flapping, flapping, standing tall. Are the parents aware of how close the juvenile is to making it up into the air?

Sandhill Crane More food, but the offer seems as reluctant as the demand is strong.

Sandhill Crane Emerging from the vegetation into the open, the juvenile does a couple of good, strong flaps.

Sandhill Crane And a little lift-off, across the walkway, but not a lot of elevation.

Sandhill Crane Still airborne, another flap or two, another few feet.

Sandhill Crane Mid-flight, in the air, coasting.

Sandhill Crane And touch-down, a huge flight of ten or twelve feet. The neck feathers start to ruffle from the excitement of it all.

Sandhill Crane Finishing up and a full ruffling of the feathers. A good start.

Sandhill Crane That calls for one thing to express the vast thrill of it all. A quick squat and poop. Something had to give.

Sandhill Crane Back to business as usual. The juvenile's wings will not stay put. One parent echoes some of the excitement.

© 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.