Mutual admiration? Sandhill Colt is welcomed to The Barkhausen neighborhood by a new growth of Oxeye Daisies.

I was in my car when I first spotted the two adults as they slowly walked and fed at a considerable distance from the road I was on. Sandhill Cranes mate for life and I surmised this was one such breeding pair. A look through my binoculars confirmed this as I spotted two little fuzz balls moving at their feet.

Sandhill Crane Colts are born covered in down and usually leave the nest as early as the second day to join their parents on feeding expeditions. Their Summer days from that point on are incredibly busy. By late August they will be nearly fully grown, differentiated from the adults only by a lack of red coloration on their head. By late Fall or early Winter they will be fully prepared to accompany their parents as they migrate hundreds of miles south. Meanwhile, their growth will be encouraged by almost non-stop feeding while they also master flying lessons and learn all the other skills required to keep them safe from predators and, ultimately, become successful breeders themselves someday.

In watching these two young birds foraging along the shoreline I reasoned they were perhaps two or three weeks old given the present date (June 8) and their size relative to hatchling-sized Cranes I’ve seen previously. I also knew the stakes are high for these young birds. Indeed, whereas Sandhill Cranes commonly hatch two eggs in Spring, they often depart on their Fall migration with only one surviving colt in tow.

I was excited to see these Cranes in the wild even as they were too far away to capture a good image of them with my camera. I noticed, however, that they were steadily moving in my direction on a line that would bring them right past the shoreline alongside my vehicle if they continued without being disturbed. On the chance they would continue coming I decided to use the car as my blind and to wait these birds out in hopes of getting some close-up looks without frightening or otherwise putting any stress on this foursome.

It was a long wait – perhaps an hour or so – before I was rewarded with a close look at these magnificent birds. The time went quickly. It was a pleasure observing just how diligent the parents were in keeping their offspring safe while still allowing the colts to wander and explore. They fed alongside their babies and appeared very comfortable and relaxed and confident in their duties as protectors and teachers of their two active charges.

As for the colts, it quickly became apparent there were significant differences between the two. One was noticeably larger than the other, and this larger colt seemed more adventurous and even more flamboyant than the other. The smaller bird stayed quite close to its parents, often almost directly underfoot and otherwise flanked by the adults.

The larger colt was far more adventurous than its sibling, sometimes wandering off a bit from feeding to explore and investigate its surroundings. At one point, it seemingly became enamored of a new growth of Oxeye Daisies and stood mesmerized until one of the adults doubled back and gently encouraged him to get moving again. And as the group made its way onto the pavement after walking past me where I sat in my car, it was this colt that spread its wings and jumped awkwardly skyward as if to fly.

Back on the ground, the colt looked toward the other three as they continued strolling. He appeared to be expressing hope that the others had witnessed his successful attempt to get airborne with both feet off the ground. They showed no signs of acknowledgment whatsoever and the bird scurried to catch up.

I had witnessed it all, however, and was thrilled by it. And it was my turn to hope. I said a kind of prayer wishing them all a successful summer and ultimately hope for the return of these Sandhill Crane colts in future years to stroll with their own offspring and show them the ways of the world.

- Jeff Pieterick (06/13/23)

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