Birds of feather, flock together... today we have birds of different feathers all flocked together. You know it's definitely springtime when the Sandhill Cranes return here UP North. Joseph Hurley spotted this trio in a field back in 2005. These birds look big when you spot them in the field like this, but they're mostly all neck and legs, only weighing about 9½ to 12 pounds.

Five years later in 2010, Joyce Tormala captured a female Mallard duck that looks like she's washing her hair. I love how the water is just cascading right over her head like that. What a fantastic close-up shot!

Another bird that signals spring has sprung here in the U.P., is the Canada goose. Sharon Bodenus of Upper Peninsula Photography, snapped a great shot of two geese across the street from her Little Lake house. It was evening and you can see the glow of the setting sun in the water. Sharon said the male goose was flapping his wings, almost pushing the female to go into the water, as she drew nearer the pair.

If you've never heard the prehistoric sounding call the Sandhill Cranes make, then today's video from Ike Austin will be a treat for you. And if you have heard them before, maybe you'll learn something new as I did from Ike, that "the male will lead off with his one beat loud trumpet, with the female immediately following with her two beat of lower trumpet. These crane calls will echo for at least a quarter mile or more." Check it out.

Maaarvoulous pix and video!

It's April 15th, do you know where your 1040 is?
Not to worry...you have until the 18th. It has something to do with a legal holiday, I believe it's called Inebriation Day.

Nice pictures of the birds that return to the North each spring. The melodious sound of the calling geese announcing their arrival is one of my favorite sounds. I would like to hear the cacophonous sound of a flock of cranes but haven't been lucky enough. I wondered why I have never heard them or seen them in the sky. I did a quick search and discovered that they fly so high that we can neither hear them or see them. Would have to catch them in their descent and that probably is something I'll not see.

It is so wonderful to see bird pictures
and even better to go outside and listen
to them chirping.

I checked Alex.
April 17th is actually...

Bat Appreciation Day
Blah, Blah, Blah Day (??)
Boston Marathon Day
Dyngus Day (??)
Easter Monday
Ellis Island Family History Day
International Ford Mustang Day
International Haiku Poetry Day
National Kickball Day
Malbec World Day (??)
National Cheeseball Day (I could get behind this one)
Nothing Like a Dame Day (Yea)
World Hemophilia Day
Patriots' Day
White House Easter Egg Roll

What Day Is It?

Duane P. (Islandman43),

They are making such a great comeback you might see them some day! We happened upon a flock calling like this in the eastern UP years ago ~ it was amazing! They were on the ground, feeding i guess.

Alex, i think Inebriation Day is the 19th this year!

Little dinosaurs, all of them......

Last Summer I ran across a flock of 6 or 8 of them
in a field next to M-38 just outside of Ontonagon.
I wonder if they remixed their calls for the
Jurassic Park movies?

Wonderful bird pictures, especially the Canada Geese.