{"id":214,"date":"2012-03-19T09:09:03","date_gmt":"2012-03-19T09:09:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nature-photography.daystarbooks.com\/wp_blog\/?p=214"},"modified":"2012-03-19T09:09:03","modified_gmt":"2012-03-19T09:09:03","slug":"sandhill-crane-all-about-michigan-birds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nature-photography.daystarbooks.com\/wp_blog\/2012\/03\/19\/sandhill-crane-all-about-michigan-birds\/","title":{"rendered":"Sandhill Crane Michigan"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sandhill Crane Michigan<\/strong><\/h1>\n

All about the Sandhill Crane Michigan Bird. \u00a0What a rather strange and peculiar looking bird. The SandHill Crane looks more like a giant Big-Bird television character than a natural bird of Michigan.<\/p>\n

Grus Canadensis<\/em><\/p>\n

My first exposure to the rather large Sandhill Crane Michigan Bird took place several years ago. One day, my wife and I were cruising\u00a0through Kensington Park in Michigan, when all of a sudden our attention was drawn to a rather loud trumpeting sound that echoed like it was being played through an amplifier. I stopped the car and we both starred in amazement at two nearly five feet tall giant prehistoric\u00a0pterodactyl winged creatures on the golf course. It was these two birds that were responsible for the bellowing echo of a noise that could be heard for at least one mile I’m sure. \u00a0Each of the SandHill Crane’s heads bobbed up and down\u00a0alternately\u00a0as each took turns being lead noise maker. I had to quickly regroup my thoughts just to make sure I had not been transported into a Jurassic Park movie.<\/p>\n

Sandhill Crane Michigan <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Big, Brown, Beautiful Michigan Bird<\/strong>
\nEvery Michigander will be shocked at their first sight of the SandHill Crane. \u00a0Observing the birds flight activity is therapeutic to watch. \u00a0Firstly, the the large grain smoothly glides through the sky.\u00a0With hypnotic graceful flaps of its large wings, the over sized Crane is one that will bring excitement to the young and old alike.<\/p>\n

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\"Sandhill<\/a><\/p>\n

Michigan – Blue Waters, Blue Birds – The Great Blue State<\/em><\/p>\n

Michigan’s Big Brown Beautiful Bird<\/p>\n

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Sanshill Cranes – Michigan Bird by ike austin<\/p><\/div>\n

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The Michigan Sandhill Crane Surprise<\/strong><\/p>\n

You must understand that as growing up, all we city folks saw in our neighborhood were pigeons, sparrows and seagulls.<\/p>\n

The sight of this SandHill Michigsn Big Bird was a total surprise because both my wife and I \u00a0had frequented Kensington Park \u00a0on \u00a0regular basis over the past thirty years and we have never encountered anything like the Michigan \u00a0Sandhill Crane, a huge noisy cackling bird that is hard to miss.<\/p>\n

I have created a series of Sandhill Crane Michigan Bird photos for you to enjoy. \u00a0Learn More Here… Go to; Nature Photography \u00a0– Michigan Birds SandHill Crane<\/a><\/p>\n

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Michigan Sandhill Crane<\/p><\/div>\n

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SandHill Crane Ancient Feet<\/strong><\/p>\n

Even the feet of this giant SandHill Crane Michigan Bir<\/a>d has a rather mechanical, prehistorical look that can quickly conjure up stories from one with a wild imagination. \u00a0The SandHill is a very astute parental bird. Both parents equally share in the responsibility to rear their young. These birds are often seen taking a strolls through with their young juveniles following closely behind mimicking the actions of the parent SandHills; pecking at small gravel, twigs or blades of grass.<\/p>\n

On another occasion, we spotted a pair the the giant SandHill Michigan birds cackling up a storm; their was a German Shepard coming up the path. \u00a0What was so funny to my wife and myself, was that the dog was looking back and forth, first at the SandHill Michigan Cranes then at us, he did this several times. It was as though you could read his mind… the dog looking at us was thinking… “what the what is that”! Do you see what I see? \u00a0I’ve been visiting this park all my life, but I have never seen nothing like this be-fo!<\/p>\n

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SandHill Crane Michigan<\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0Michigan SandHill Crane <\/a>– Photo by Ike Austin<\/p>\n

Sandhill Crane Michigan – Kensington Metro Park<\/strong><\/h3>\n

An early arrival to Kensington Park provided a rare sighting of a rather large Red-tailed Hawk sitting on a fence post, this post was only about three feet high. \u00a0This was indeed a strange sight being that this bird is normally seen perched high atop telephone poles twenty-fifty feet tall. \u00a0I slowly grabbed my camera and started to snap a stream of pictures thinking that the bird would take off as soon as it detected our presents. \u00a0But it did not fly off, the hawk stood on the post for hours looking all around at everything and everyone; as by this time a group of curious spectators had congregated on the spot. The SandHill Crane Michigan Giant was the point man on this one.<\/p>\n

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Michigan Sandhill Crane Bird<\/p><\/div>\n

Sandhill Crane Michigan the Curious Bird<\/strong><\/p>\n

Those curious hawk spectators included humans and other birds of all kinds; Blue Jays, Red Cardinals, Chickadees, Titmouse, and of course, the giant, tall lanky SandHill Crane soon arrived. \u00a0 \u00a0The smaller birds darted in and out from branch to branch quickly just to get a close up look at this hawk. \u00a0Then the Michigan SandHill spots this hawk and just like everyone else, it decided it was a strange sight indeed and just like all good humans, it had to get a closer look. \u00a0The SandHill took several quick long strides toward the hawks location, and then slowed as he got closer. After getting within a couple of feet of the hawk, the SandHill slightly tilted it’s head and blinked it’s eye’s. \u00a0You could now hear the Michigan SandHill Big Brown thinking the same thing all of the forest inhabitants were thinking… “what the what” is a hawk doing down this low and why is he not afraid of and of us, is he sick, or confused, disoriented perhaps?<\/p>\n

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Sandhill Michigan Bird by ike austin<\/p><\/div>\n

Sandhill Crane Michigan – Erie Metro Park<\/h3>\n

For a few seconds we all braced ourselves for it looked as though the SandHill was actually about to strike out at the hawk. \u00a0But it did not… that was close! \u00a0 I too was thinking that maybe the hawk was ill, but; that thought was soon abandoned because after about thirty minutes of so, the hawk decided he had seen enough of the underworld and suddenly hopped to another post, took one last look around, then flew off. \u00a0Big Brown Rustic SandHill Crane Michigan along with the rest of us watched in amazement.<\/p>\n

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Michigan SandHill Crane Early Morning Glide<\/p><\/div>\n

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Sandhill Crane Michigan – Wetland Overlord<\/strong><\/p>\n

The \u00a0Michigan SandHIll Crane – What a splendid bird of Michigan – One early morning just after sunrise, a giant air creature called a SandHill Crane Michigan Big Brown swooped past my position, passing me by without making a sound. Just then, after traveling a few hundred yards, Grus Canadensis started making a wide u-turn heading back toward me. The whole event took only a few seconds, I aimed my camera, focused, and snapped a couple of shots before the SandHill Crane was out of view–blocked by obstructions in the landscape. This is one large Michigan Bird to get such a close in flight shot of. The lighting, shadows and almost metallic looking plumage–how eloquent, how smooth to the eye-sight this bird look.<\/p>\n

Lessons From Nature \u00a0– Michigan SandHill Crane Parenting Tips?<\/strong><\/p>\n

SandHill Crane – Parenting Tip of the Week
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Lessons From Nature may present itself in a most peculiar looking bird, the SandHill Crane Michigan Bird.\u00a0One of nature’s most interesting birds reside in Michigan, the Michigan SandHill Crane is picturesque bird, tall, slim, colorful, graceful in it’s walk and extended stride. The SandHill Crane is a relative new arrival here in Michigan(cranes Michigan) ). For most first time observers, the Michigan Crane size alone comes as a total surprise at first site.<\/p>\n

A pair of \u00a0Michigan SandHill Cranes will echo alternate crane calls in synchronized sequence in unison as each Michigan Crane bobs his\/her head up and down in opposite directions. The loud verbose trumpeting echo will travel for at least a mile. Everyone with’in this parameter know the going and coming of the infamous Sandhill Crane Michigan Big Brown Rustic also known as Sand Cranes.<\/p>\n

Sand Cranes in Michigan are quickly populating farmlands, wetlands and Michigan Parks all over the State. They are often seen in singulary flight as well as mass migrations to New Mexico that could include thousands of Cranes heading for warmer weather. Those Michigan SandHill Cranes that remain will transform their summer rustic colored plummage for a more silver gray-ish color. This winter color will allow the Sandhill Crane Michigan bird to better blend against the winter background.<\/p>\n

Sandhill Crane Michigan \u00a0 Winged Giants<\/strong>
\nThe Sand Hill Cranes sport’s a trademarked red baseball cap on top of their heads located just behind the beak. With a wing span that extends five to six feet, the average Sandhill Crane Michigan \u00a0bird stands about four to five feet tall and average ten to fifteen year life spans!\u00a0Michigan Sand Hill Crane in Flight<\/a><\/p>\n

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Michigan Sand Hill Crane – Great Parenting<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n

What we can Learn – Mating for Life, Great Parenting Skills<\/strong>
\nIn my observation of the Michigan Sand Hill Crane can teach us many lessons from nature, one in particular, I am impressed by the parental attention given to the young cranes. From the time they are born from the early colt stage, until they reach juvenile status (about ten months old), the young cranes are pampered and nurtured with great care; never leaving the parents eyesight. They are gently and plenty fed, walked, tucked and cuddled by both parents–yes the male SandHill Crane participates in raising the young and just like some rare morally correct humans, SandHill Crane Michigan birds mate for life; something we can learn from one of the largest birds in Michigan.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Michigan Sand Hill Crane<\/a>\u00a0can make for some of the most interesting picturesque of crane birds and nature photography in Michigan. It is another one of those large birds that with the proper background can present themselves as creatures right out of a jarassic park prehistoric scene. ( See Sandhill Crane Michigan photo of three birds in flight above)<\/p>\n

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Sandhill Crane Michigan<\/h1>\n

Michigan Bird Details<\/h2>\n

Nature Photography – Michigan Bird Identification
\nPhoto Taken: Kensignton MetroPark, Lake Erie MetroPark<\/p>\n

Rails and Cranes<\/strong>
\nName: SandHill Crane
\nGrus Canadensis<\/em><\/p>\n

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About the SandHill Crane Michigan<\/h3>\n

Appearance<\/strong>: The Sandhill Crane is a tall 4′-6′ tall grayish, brownish plumage, long skinny legs, and long bills.<\/p>\n

Adult<\/strong>: Color is grey<\/p>\n

Juvenile<\/strong>: Brownish red<\/p>\n

Flight Characteristics<\/strong>: Extended necks in flight and typically ride thermal drafts similar to large raptors. SandHill Cranes will glide on a series of thermal rises until they reach their intended destination.<\/p>\n

Habitat<\/strong>: The SandHill crane prefers open grasslands and wetlands.<\/p>\n

Nesting<\/strong>: SandHills will construct a rather large mounded nests made of grass and leaves. Incubates 2 eggs for appx 29-32 days. Younglings go in flight in about 50 days from days of birth.<\/p>\n

Mating<\/strong> Habits<\/strong>: The SandHill Crane mates for life.<\/p>\n

Off Spring<\/strong>: (Chick or Colt)<\/p>\n

Feeding<\/strong>: Insects, invertebrates, grain<\/p>\n

Call<\/strong>: Very loud gobbly trumpeting sound and distinct sound the echoes for a great distance.<\/p>\n

Listen-Video Here: \u00a0SandHill Crane Crane Call<\/a><\/p>\n

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Sandhill Crane Michigan <\/strong><\/h1>\n

Resources:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Migration and Wintering<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Michigan Department of Natural Resources\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Check the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for SandCrane Hill Michigan migrations, Learn More… DNR Michigan.gov SandHill Crane<\/a><\/p>\n

University of Michigan Zoology;\u00a0Sandhill Crane Nesting Pairs and Breeding Population Learn More… U of M Zoology<\/a><\/p>\n

Population, Numbers and Trends… Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

MSU Distribution, Breeding Biology, Conservation Learn More… Michigan Bird Atlas<\/a><\/p>\n

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Sandhill Crane Michigan – Places of Interest<\/h2>\n

Michigan Huron-Clinton MetroParks<\/h3>\n

Check out the Michigan Lake Erie official website for park details. Learn More … Lake Erie Metropark<\/a><\/p>\n

Check out the Michigan Kensington official website for park details. Learn More … Kensington Metropark<\/a><\/p>\n

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ThirdSon and the River\u2019s Sky<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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