It's Cranemania around here!

[Wild Skies]

Our nesting pair of Sandhills have successfully brought their two offspring through this year's nesting season despite all the challenges, trials and tribulations lurking in their world throughout the Spring and Summer. As we have witnessed through the years, if they're lucky, one or maybe two colts, have about a 50:50 chance of survival and the opportunity of migrating South with their parents for the Winter. We also know that about mid-September is typically when the birds are looking to leave for their staging grounds and join up with hundreds of other Sandhills before migrating on to their big journey South to their Wintering grounds. We look forward to the return of the adult mated pair in the Spring and also for the young birds to return to strike it out on their own.

As you can see, their coloration has changed over the summer. The 1st pic below taken in mid-June they were a brownish fawn color. While the last pics, taken in mid-September they are now grayish silver color.