This gallery contains 2 photos.
Each February Leonard and I anxiously await the return of the sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis). Their arrival signals that despite cold temperatures, howling North winds and even snow, spring IS not too far away. We love to listen to their … Continue reading
This gallery contains 2 photos.
Except for three subspecies resident to Mississippi, Florida and Cuba, sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) migrate between southern United States and northern Mexico in the winter and northern North America in the summer. Sandhill cranes usually live in pairs or small … Continue reading
Each spring Leonard and I anxiously await the return of sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) to Big Valley, our home. Snow may remain on the ground, yet the loud calls of sandhill cranes remind us that spring is at last on … Continue reading
Sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) mate for life. They prefer nesting sites in isolated wetlands, preferably with standing vegetation. One to three pale yellow to olive eggs with irregular brownish markings are laid in the nest formed from dried vegetation and … Continue reading
Although Leonard and I note the return of the sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) each February, we never bother to record when they depart for their winter grounds. It is more difficult to determine when one heard or saw the “last” … Continue reading
This gallery contains 2 photos.
During the past week several birds have returned to Big Valley from their winter grounds – turkey vultures, red-winged blackbirds and tree swallows, among others. Saturday my definitive harbingers of spring finally arrived. February 16th is this year’s “official” date … Continue reading
In Big Valley (Modoc County CA), where Leonard and I live, winters are milder. Twenty years ago snow covered the ground several months of the year. One December the snow was so deep we were concerned our horses would simply … Continue reading
