Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Greater Sandhill Crane Score for Cookie - 3 pics

Cookie's been keeping an eye on a Greater Sandhill nest for weeks hoping to score a shot on some chicks. I was figuring "no way" as our flood meadow vegetation is usually too tall to even see a nest. She headed out this AM while I was doing yard work, and I subsequently got a call to race out with her big gun as she had some chicks in sight.

Parents were both huddled in the reeds covering the youngsters and refused to stand for about 45 minutes. Finally, one of the kids poked its head out and eventually both stood.



Hatch must have been quite recent as the parents were still breaking up and consuming eggshells.





They have some serious growing to do before their fall migration, as the parents are about 6 ft tall.

Taken with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II and Canon 500 mm prime.

That's good stuff there. Always great pictures from Cookie. Thanks for sharing...Joe

That is really cool footage, wow!

Great pics.

Overall, according to Cornell Lab of Ornithology the chances of those guys making it to grown are about 35%. OTOH once they have made it adult annual survival is way high, around 90%. Lowest reproductive rate of any of our game birds, might not even breed until age five but a long life gives multiple opportunities for any individual to breed. Mate for life, most don’t make it to age ten but the oldest ones ever shot were 37 and 40 yo.

Keep em coming Cookie

BirdWatcher:

Yes. If a couple's goal is simply to replace themselves, then chances of survival for chicks from such long-lived birds must be quite low. Deemed a success if one clutch out of 15 or so makes it.

Those specific chicks will have to wander through some deep water to gain solid ground. Once mobile, the families seem to be death on the march consuming any and all that will slide down the gullet. Insects, frogs, worms, mice, and other baby birds and ducks get tossed in the air and swallowed. Songbirds mob them continuously as they wander about.

Lots of skunks, weasels, coyotes, raccoons, hawks, and ravens around too looking for opportunity. Once they've hatched, however, one always sees both birds in attendance, and given their stature, they might prove a challenge for predators.

An aside - we are really low on songbirds this year. Typically have tree swallows, blue birds, flycatchers, house wrens, and or house sparrows in our boxes with full occupancy. So far this summer = seven empty boxes.

Very cool!

Great capture!

Mmmm. Ribeye in the sky. If you haven’t, you should.

Tell Cookie thanks!

She always provides great pics, these are exceptional.

This shows what a bunch of talent, and superior equipment will yield. I have attempted similar with my Nikon D5500 with a Nikor 100-300 mm lens. My lens is far too slow to yield results like this. If I did have the talent. Nor is the camera comparable.

So cool!

For sure patience is wrapped up in the talent. I struggle with patience but sometimes hang in there long enough and get rewarded with a good look or photo.

Today I was at the Delaware shore and saw and photographed my 1st Seaside Sparrow. Luck was involved but I will take that.

Well rufous..........................where's the sparrow picture

Cool pics from Cookie. Thanks for posting them, as always.

Seems I might have to get a 500mm lens.

Thanks for posting these!

Nice pics.
Thanks for posting!

We have a pair that hang out along one of the state highways in the grassy shoulders and median. There was a traffic holdup one day while they crossed the highway. Wish they would head out in the swamps before someone runs over them. And yes, they are tall! Probably 5 feet, maybe more.

Great pics... Thanks

When I was a kid, Dad brought home a blue heron tangled in fish line. The beak was a real hazard.

Dad eventually got the line cut off the bird. I think Mom had to hold its head. But it about beat them to death with its wings. I bet the sandhills would be a lot tougher.

Many thanks, great.