The Family is Complete

For those of you who have enjoyed following the birth of the colt sandhill cranes, I thought I'd give you a more complete picture.

This family has really been a blessing. It is amazing to watch how diligent they are at watching over the eggs and then the babies. We were nervous when only one babe was born, but two days later, his sibling showed up. The parents trade off shifts in looking over the chicks; in the morning, sometime between 6:45 and 7:30, the shift change is announced with a full-throated cry. (I wonder how the chicks felt about that call, the first time they heard it!) Now that the babies are here, the parents appear to be wandering the area with the chicks in tow. But so far, they return late in the afternoon to rest in the nest. It will be interesting to see how long that will continue.

This morning on the way back from my walk, I looked at the pond, and saw that the family had walked around the pond and was on our side! Yikes! I raced home and approached them. They were near the water, so I had to walk down the bank to try to get closer. Amazingly, they ignored me; I was probably only 15 feet away. (The other day I saw Papa chase off a yard worker.) I think because the babies are bigger, he was less concerned, although I did hear a growl or two.

In these difficult times, it's a blessing to see new life emerge, wherever we can find it. I will enjoy the cranes' presence for as long as they are willing to stay...