New backyard visitors

[Dotch]

Driving up to the ranch after work I spied a couple creatures about four feet tall walking around our backyard. When I got closer I knew what the feathered friends were. My question was what were they doing there? I decided I'd quick sneak around the house and pop out of the nannyberries and see if I could get a quick pic of them with the phone while still on the ground. Had milk in the truck so I had to make it speedy. I'm sure the mourning doves that suddenly took flight probably put them on full alert and by the time I could get a decent quick photo, they were already airborne. However, I was able to determine why they were likely there. I'm guessing they may have nested around the area and Jr. who couldn't fly had perhaps bumbled through the pasture fence and into the yard. Which he did again if you look in the lower left corner of the first picture. That's a young sandhill crane doing a face-plant on the fence. It got up and dusted itself off, then walked across the pasture where I managed to herd it over the neighbor's fence. Once there, it had a straight shot to the hayfield where the adults were calling it across the road. The second pic is Jr. along my fence. If you look closely in the first pic, you can make out the images of 3 more cranes behind the chopper box. We've had turkeys, pheasants, ducks, geese and Huns in our yard but this is the first time we've seen sandhill cranes.

 

 

[RebelSS]

Great pics, Dotch!!!  Any more maybe hiding back in the bush? Like Ozzie ended..."in the bush....in the bush''....

[Jim Almquist]

What a nice surprise !!

Always cool to have different wildlife hanging around close to home.

[eyeguy 54]

always fun having them fly over and squawk 

[Dotch]

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sandhill_Crane/sounds

[Sturg]

Great encounter on the cranes! Another bird that is becoming more common in MN.