Tag Archives: greater sandhill cranes

HuntingNet.com

Posted on December 14, 2011 | Leave a comment

Yes, writers to their forum (I’ve been denied access) have shot something they probably shouldn’t have shot, a Greater Sandhill Crane. They were looking at ducks and all of a sudden shot a 6′ tall migratory bird.

We watch these birds come up north and land every spring to mate, nest and raise their colts. Even though I have a cooking blog I do not specialize in Greater Sandhill Cranes because I’d rather see them on the Preserve we abut and watch them with their young, teaching them to find food, and to fly.

I’ve always said I’d rather shoot them with a camera instead of a gun.

This year they had two colts that learned to fly early, as last year they lost one to a fox. You can easily see all four looking for food.

All I can say is that I’m glad these and several other pairs, who mate for life, live and breed on protected lands. These hunting sites won’t let anyone in, even if they’ve tagged this blog. No, I don’t know the best way to cook illegally caught Sandhill Crane. Nor will I help you gut it, de-feather it or cook it.

Also, please try to look at the bird you’re aiming at before you pull the trigger, fellas. Maybe that pre-dawn six-pack is kicking in.

And hunters, before you swarm in on me, we got us some wild hogs. I draw the line at protected species, will not give you recipes for dodo bird, and don’t hunt. Keep up the poaching ’til you’re caught, guys. Have fun in HuntingNet-ness. Dee

Wings

Posted on July 27, 2011 | 2 comments

Cranes

I was worried about our little family, two adults, two colts, as they were gone nearly a week.

Turns out they must have tought the little ones to fly and they went on a trip. I missed the flying lessons, but saw one of the young ‘uns flap his wings every few minutes. Flying enables them to escape predators but also to intimidate them.

I wouldn’t get anywhere near these gorgeous birds as they kick and can beak a small animal to death in seconds, then quarter it and eat it in a few minutes.

So I think Junior wants to use his newfound wings (this is an old photo, from a month or so ago) and whenever a cricket chirps, he sounds the alarm. I say “he” because it’s got to be a guy. Show of strength and ability to protect his parents?

It’s interesting to know that these birds meet, mate and stay together for life. It is a joy to see them fly in to the snow, build a nest, cavort and dance, lay eggs and watch over them for thirty days then shepherd them through to adulthood.

For three years we’ve seen this and invited wildlife photographers in to get a “bird’s eye view.” We will always treasure this place for the natural world we have had the privilege of viewing.

Perhaps now the people who seek out this blog will no longer look for “cooking sandhill cranes.” At least that is my hope. Cheers, Dee

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Posted in Editorial

Tagged greater sandhill cranes

New Colts

Posted on June 22, 2011 | Leave a comment

To those who keep looking to this blog to provide you with recipes to cook greater sandhill cranes, desist! There are precious few on a nature preserve next door and I’ll see you if you kill one. If you drag it to my door I’ll have already called everyone with an interest in keeping these birds protected here on the preserve and you’ll be arrested.

That said, our dog has been getting us up at unreasonable hours for her personal needs, seems she ate too much grass, the grass along the Preserve. So the cranes usually show up early in the morning and I was ready but still didn’t get an audible.

This Year's Crop

Mama and Babies

That’s what was outside our window this morning. Green grass, snow in the mountains, ducks, swallows, robins, redwing blackbirds we’ve got everything. It’s the cranes who I love to watch. The colts are growing and in less danger from predators, so they’ve been coming closer to us to find food. Soon the little ones will learn to fly, always worth watching.

We spent years living downtown in a major city. While Jim and I both grew up in rural America this is still new for both of us and we love the West and all that nature gives us every day. Cheers! Dee

Learning to Fly

Posted on August 19, 2010 | Leave a comment

Literally. The Greater Sandhill Cranes here have one “colt” and were teaching it to fly at dusk this evening. One parent would flap its wings for 5-10 feet, then the other. I never saw the little one as they were moving away from us and into taller grasses.

The Sandhills do walk a lot, as exercising their wings seems to take a good deal of effort. And since we’re hand’s on, when we finally let go and let our kids ride the tryke, the bike with training wheels and the ultimate bicycle then car, heaven forbid, we feel a sense of pride and abandonment. I wonder what they feel. They do mate for life and come back to the same nesting grounds.

I wonder what my parents felt when I left home for college except perhaps a vague embarrassment that I’d be out there in the world perhaps casting a bad light on their parenting. I believe I did not do so, but that the strict upbringing led to outright rebellion by my sister closest in age, and a later rebellion that was politically motivated on my part later in life. I’m a better person and better wife because of my upbringing and because I got to do something politically interesting and challenging that changed my life for the better.

Everyone has a voice, too many people don’t find it or exercise it. Sometimes that’s because of culture or religion but I’m blessed to live and grow up in the USA and while college recruiters didn’t knock down my door I found my way. When I went to the career center in college I was told I didn’t have a chance in He”” to get a job. I sent a four-page letter in approved page formatting to the college president telling him that if he wants to run a liberal arts college, he can’t snub everyone in liberal arts in favor of computers and accounting. It was all COBOL and FORTRAN back then.

He wrote back asking me to be a career counselor for liberal arts. I got a better job, and flew solo the first time in my life. When I got that call to start Monday, at twice what my other offer was (both paltry, arts v. government) I took it, soaring not over other job competitors or graduates, but in the fact that I made it. First job, first real apartment. Now I know how that little colt will feel when it flies. Cheers, Dee

A Lovely Luncheon

Posted on July 24, 2010 | 1 comment

A girlfriend came over for lunch yesterday and enjoyed her meal.

We had a salad with ribbons of carrot and English cucumber with a splash of rice vinegar, salt and pepper.
The tilapia looked best at the fishmonger so that was our protein, dusted with flour, salt and pepper and sauteed at the last minute in butter with a little canola oil to keep the olive oil from burning. Before I cooked the fish I sauteed baby arugula with garlic slivers in olive oil. I placed a tablespoon or so of the garnish on top of the fish with a splash of lemon juice.

I used a soy glaze/marinade to which I added sesame oil to make cold sesame noodles, Soba noodles garnished with scallions and sesame seeds. We were both happy with it. After she left I put down the shades to keep it from getting too hot in here (it’s been extraordinarily warm this summer) and saw the sight below. Interesting because they’re rarely out during the day, a Greater Sandhill Crane parent and growing colt.

Mother and Colt

I don’t know whether this is half of our pair with two colts. The adult did call out once. Their prehistoric call is kind of like moms checking up to see where their kids are by cell phone, but these voices travel a mile without batteries, towers or phones.

The “balloon man” is off with the dog. This afternoon he learned to make a parrot sitting on a ring. We’re having cold dinner tonight with fruit, veggies, hard-cooked eggs, sliced Black Forest ham, extra-sharp Tillamook cheddar and two loaves of nice breads to choose from. Hope you’re having a great weekend. Happy Pioneer Day! Dee

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Posted in Editorial, Recipe Ideas

Tagged balloon man, greater sandhill cranes, ladies' lunch menu

This Year’s Cranes

Posted on June 21, 2010 | 2 comments

We’ve been quite worried about “our” Greater Sandhill Cranes this year, in this part of the Preserve. Last year, as the eggs became colts for 30 days or so, one crane came out to feed, then the other. Then when the colt hatched, that pattern continued as the colt became strong enough to walk around and feed.

The adults have been together but far apart. Perhaps there was a predator and the male was warning it off? I wouldn’t get near these guys as I’ve seen them dismember an animal in less than a minute and when they see a person or dog close by (50′, off the Preserve) they kick. I wouldn’t want to be kicked or beaked and I’m an adult human.

I worried that they had no egg or the one that hatched didn’t go well so they ate it (yes, they do that.)

Well, this evening I had to take out the binoculars as they were only several hundred yards away. They have not one, but two colts, nearly newborn, 1/3 the size of the one on the other end of the Preserve. In a few weeks we won’t be able to see anything because the grasses will grow so tall we may not even be able to make out the adults and they’re 6′ tall!

It’s good to know that they have their family. It’s a joy to see them because they’re very protective of their others and their young. The red-winged blackbirds have their say as they peck at them to keep them from raiding their nests in the rushes. Ah, that’s Spring in the west.

It’s supposed to be summer now but here it’s barely spring. Many trees don’t even have buds on them yet and it hailed last week, leaving ice in the grass and coming down in shards from the roof.

Let the coyotes and hawks beware. There are two feisty cranes protecting these colts. Attack them and beware their wrath. Here’s to nature, hold the oil, Dee

ps still can’t get a good photo but if I can I’ll post it.