Big Bird

I'm reminded of the tune composed, recorded and produced by John Fogerty fifty years ago.  However, there are no tambourines and elephants nor any wond'rous apparitions provided by magicians.  I've got wildlife.  And when you're retired - you always keep a binoculars handy and monitor your trap line of trail cameras to monitor whatever walks, runs, flies,  hops, crawls or slithers by.  

Meet Antigone canadensis - the Sandhill Crane.   

A very large, tall, stork-like bird characterized by a long neck, long legs, and very broad wings. The body tapers into short tail and is covered by drooping feathers that form a bustle.  The head is small and the bill is straight and longer than the head.   

Sandhills prefer to live in open habitats.  For years we’ve had a nesting pair that arrives in early spring while the snow is still on the ground and before ice-out. 

They hang-out in the grassland behind the house by the big pond a couple of hundred yards away.  If you are a lucky observer their courtship dance is a hoot to see.  They’ll raise one or two young - called colts - and by autumn to late fall they begin to congregate in very large flocks before flying-off to their wintering grounds in Texas, New Mexico, Florida and Mexico.  They raise a racket and their bugling calls can be heard from miles away.  

I've been observing them daily as now that I live here full-time.  It really is sort of cool to have cranes living in your own backyard.  I should add that we've also a pair of mallards that have taken-up residence in the same pond.

That's better than cool.  

We're going to be grandparents again.....

Ducks

It's not at all unusual to observes ducks in our ponds - particularly mallards in the spring and multiple migrating species in the fall.

On May 4th we flushed a hen mallard while on our walk and upon further investigation found this.

click on images for a closer look



A nest situated in the tall grassland surrounding the large pond.  Mallard nests are situated on the ground and concealed by grasses and other cover.  Mama will pluck down from her breast to further insulate the eggs during the period of incubation - 30 days, give-or-take.

After hatch the ducklings pretty much vacate the nest and head for water.  There was no way to know how long the nest was here and as a consequence no way to guess when the eggs would hatch.  So we left it alone.  My fear was that a marauding skunk or raccoon would predate the nest before the ducklings hatched and made a break for freedom.

On Friday, May 17 we made a most cautious of inspections and found this.

By all outward appearances the nest appeared undisturbed and was filled with shell fragments and duck down.  No ducks.  At first blush it looks like a successful hatch.  Nevertheless, we haven't been observing any ducklings paddling about the pond.

So maybe it was a successful raid that left little evidence of disturbance?  Fortunately, if the nest was hit by a predator mama will lay a replacement clutch of eggs in an alternate location.

Fingers-crossed...

Lookin' Out My Back Door

I'm reminded of the tune composed, recorded and produced by John Fogerty almost fifty years ago.  However, there are no tambourines and elephants nor any wond'rous apparitions provided by magicians.  I've got wildlife.  And when you're retired - between unpacking and organizing your stuff - you keep the binoculars handy for whatever walks, flies, crawls or slithers by.

Meet Antigone canadensis - the Sandhill Crane. 

A very large, tall, stork-like bird characterized by a long neck, long legs, and very broad wings. The body tapers into short tail and is covered by drooping feathers that form a bustle.  The head is small and the bill is straight and longer than the head.   

Sandhills prefer to live in open habitats.  For years we’ve had a nesting pair that arrives in early spring while the snow is still on the ground and before ice-out. 

They hang-out in the grassland behind the house by the big pond a couple of hundred yards away.  If you are a lucky observer their courtship dance is a hoot to observe.  They’ll raise one or two young - called colts - and by autumn to late fall they begin to congregate in very large flocks before flying-off to their wintering grounds in Texas, New Mexico, Florida and Mexico.  They raise a racket and their bugling calls can be heard from miles away.  

I've been observing them daily as I'm living here at The Platz full-time.  It really is sort of cool to have cranes living in your own backyard.  I should add that we've also a pair of mallards that have taken-up residence in the same pond.

That's better than cool.  I feel blessed.....

Quack

Less than fifty feet from the back porch at the edge of the yard is a homemade, makeshift rain garden feature that filters water from the gutters on the north side of the house gradually across the prairie planting and in the general direction of the large pond and Silver Creek. 

And you thought I didn't know anything about managing stormwater.  Humpf!

In any event it is seasonally full at the moment so it has a tendency to be ephemeral in nature.  It is presently home to Mr. and Mrs. Mallard.

Apologies for the crappy composition...