• Tuesday-What'sUP June 27 - 08:50 pm

When talking about bird feeders and the feathered friends that frequent them, the names you most often hear hear about the common visitors such as chickadees, bluejays, various woodpeckers and the likes. Not Bill Haller and his wife though, as they get plenty of the usual visitors at their Bete Gris feeder, but they also get the unusual, like this trio in today's shots. Eloise says they've named this visiting Sandhill Crane, Hans Solo (or perhaps Harriet Solo), since it comes alone. On this particular day it looked like Hans/Harriet was going to peacefully share the bounty of corn on the ground with a pair of Mallard Ducks, named Mr. & Mrs. M by the Hallers. But then he/she thought better of sharing and went into action to scare off those corn thieves! Check out the coloring on those flapping Mallard wings.

Love bird shots!

When I was a child (admittedly quite some
time ago!), I don't remember hearing about
sandhill cranes. The past few years though, I
have seen them standing on the roadside on
the Seney Stretch and heard them back in the
bush behind our camp.

Wonderful shots, and as always, Mary, I
appreciate your captions.

LOL...Thanks for the early morning smile! I love the shots! The squawcking sand hill crane startling the mallard is hilarious! How cool to have them come into the photographers yard! Thanks for sharing...

Mr. & Mrs. M., a big galloot like that would scare anyone!!!

birdwatch

I've seen many sandhill cranes, but never at a birdfeeder! Cool shot!

I like flamingos instead of Sandhill cranes.

Incredible. I thought sandhill cranes were endangered. I have never seen one. Turkey buzzards, cranes, what's next?

We have Sandhills in Idaho. Love that early morning chattering that takes place. Low overhead flights are incredible.

Just south of where I used to live in New Mexico we had a huge wildlife refuge and every year the cranes would fly in for the winter months. It was nothing to see literally thousands of cranes in the air and on the ground. Of course, New Mexico also has a hunting season on Sandhills.... never quite understood why, there can't be much meat and I can't imagine it tastes that good!!

Like any other bird I'm sure they are opportunists as well, so I'm not surprised by seeing a Sandhill at a feeder. Heck, if I were a crane, I'd be happy as can be to find good food that someone put out, even if it meant running off the M's for a nice quiet dinner with a view.....

Sandhill Cranes were once endangered or at least "Threatened" status in these parts. Now they have become so common that sad to say after all the work and trouble that was done to get them back, the same people who have been pushing to legalize Mourning Dove hunting in Michigan are talking also a Sandhill Crane season now!

There is a sandhill crane sanctuary in southeast Michigan. In the fall there are huge flocks that fly in each evening; it's really an experience to have them perhaps fly right overhead, sounding like pterodactyls...
http://www.haehnlesanctuary.org/cranefacts.htm

KathyL, Thank you so much for the link to the sandhill crane sanctuary. I can't wait to go! There is a heron rookery near me in West Bloomfield and they sound like pterodactyls too! ...(well it is how I think they must have sounded at any rate!) It is an amazing site when the nests are full and they are being fed. Kind of like going back to Jurassic park. I am glad you shared the info, thanks again! Peace...hyvää päivää

We were at a campground in the Tetons a couple of years ago (Gros Ventre, if memory serves). I was out for an early morning walk and two sandhills were flying down the river valley. Their wing span seemed enormous--it was a beautiful sight!

Has anyone ever seen a bird walk backwards?

very interesting thought Rowdy, about a bird walking backwards.Can't say i ever saw a bird going backwards.

Great photo of a great bird. This site http://www.birds.cornell.edu/bow/sancra/
has the audio of the sandhill crane's call which can be heard from over a mile away. You can usually hear them long before you see them. An incredible bird.

There is a sandhill crane sanctuary near Chatt. We went up there once to see them.It was amazing. I don't remember them being in the UP yrs ago either.

Bill, I knew that was your pic,recognized the feeder!

I've seen quite a few Sandhill cranes lately as well. It would be something to see a flamigo in the U.P. Didn't they have one in the Munising area last year for awhile?

Hei Rowdy, don't know if I ever saw a bird WALK backwards, but I have seen some FLY backwards. The hummingbirds go in reverse nicely and a few years ago it was a very windy day between the garage and the house, a sparrow was flying north and the wind was so strong it pushed the bird backwards 'til he/she gave up and went with it. I got a smile from watching it happen. :o)