A couple days ago we went for a walk and spotted some sandhill cranes. Luckily I had my camera just in case. Shortly after spotting the big birds, we noticed another couple approaching with what looked like bags of bread in their hands. My first thought was oh they're going to feed the ducks. They passed up the ducks and tossed some bread into the air, and lo and behold the sandhill cranes flew right up to them. Apparently those big beautiful birds love bread. Who knew!
The family of sandhill cranes we happened upon consisted of six birds. They will typically be found in pairs. You could tell that some were more aggressive than others. A couple of the birds came right up to our neighbors, pecking at the bags of bread they were holding. It was quite the sight.
this one had an itch
I have to admit. The sandhill cranes scared me a little. They are almost 4 feet tall with wingspans up to almost 7 feet. Crazy! I suppose if you bring bread you're probably safe. They seemed to like it quite a lot. I'm looking forward to seeing these birds at least until they migrate to another location.
Have you ever been this close to a big wild bird?
Oh wow, I had no idea they'd let you get so close. They really are big!
ReplyDeleteWe were enamored with them last month. For about a week, we had large flocks of them flying over our house on their way to sunny Florida. They are SO loud when they're together in a group, it's hard to miss them.
Those are great pictures. I hope you're getting cozy in your new place.
Oh my goodness, they are beautiful! I have to say I've never been that close to a wild bird, and I've never seen a crane like that in person.
ReplyDeleteLoving your blog!
Gorgeous photos! I posted some of a crane today, too... They're everywhere, which is kind of cool.
ReplyDeleteTo answer the question, yes. It's not that uncommon in central Fla. Most of the wild life located in the suburban areas (talk about an oxymoron) are used to us and we're used to them. In the Apopka/Wekiva area it's normal to have a bear in your tree (or garbage) or a gator in your yard. :)
Holy cow, those things are huge, but surprisingly really pretty. I really like their red heads. I've never seen these cranes before. Awesome pictures, Ash!
ReplyDeleteOMG. I must warn you.... BE CAREFUL! Especially when they have children.... my boss use to feed these birds. They have tried attacking me. It's actually illegal to feed them (I looked it up because I was horrified by the experience, lol). So....ya, just be very careful.
ReplyDeleteThey are pretty though :)
We have 7-8 that come up daily into our backyard. They know us quite well and tolerate us although normally they are very protective
ReplyDeleteWe hava a family of cranes that visit 3x a day.sure flower seeds and bread.
ReplyDeleteThey take the bread right from our hands. They have a little baby crane. What big feet he has.
ReplyDeleteThey take the bread right from our hands. They have a little baby crane. What big feet he has.
ReplyDeleteWe hava a family of cranes that visit 3x a day.sure flower seeds and bread.
ReplyDelete