Comments on: Changing of the Birds http://quichemoraine.com/2009/03/changing-of-the-birds/ We don't need no stinking subtitle Wed, 08 Jun 2011 05:44:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: karin rethlefsen http://quichemoraine.com/2009/03/changing-of-the-birds/#comment-3640 karin rethlefsen Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:59:48 +0000 http://quichemoraine.com/?p=520#comment-3640 On May 29, 2009 we saw a whooping crane flying in the Whitewater wildlife area for the first time. We did not know what it was at the time but we had been driving this road for 10 years to spot egrets, eagles, herons, ducks, and numerous other birds. This bird was huge and had black tips on the wings. We joked and said we had just seen a mutant egret. It wasn't until much later that we reconized the bird we had seen in a bird book as the whooping crane. Totally cool! On May 29, 2009 we saw a whooping crane flying in the Whitewater wildlife area for the first time. We did not know what it was at the time but we had been driving this road for 10 years to spot egrets, eagles, herons, ducks, and numerous other birds. This bird was huge and had black tips on the wings. We joked and said we had just seen a mutant egret. It wasn’t until much later that we reconized the bird we had seen in a bird book as the whooping crane. Totally cool!

]]> By: Monica http://quichemoraine.com/2009/03/changing-of-the-birds/#comment-256 Monica Fri, 27 Mar 2009 18:34:15 +0000 http://quichemoraine.com/?p=520#comment-256 Well, it's been a long while since I saw what I saw, but I bet my bottom dollar that it was either an egret or a whooping crane. Whatever it was, it was impressive. And, there was no conservation officer guiding it to flight :) It was white white white, and I was so surprised to come across it on our little walk that I didn't really look at it's head. Whatever it was it got me hooked. Well, it’s been a long while since I saw what I saw, but I bet my bottom dollar that it was either an egret or a whooping crane. Whatever it was, it was impressive. And, there was no conservation officer guiding it to flight :) It was white white white, and I was so surprised to come across it on our little walk that I didn’t really look at it’s head. Whatever it was it got me hooked.

]]> By: Greg Laden http://quichemoraine.com/2009/03/changing-of-the-birds/#comment-255 Greg Laden Fri, 27 Mar 2009 14:47:09 +0000 http://quichemoraine.com/?p=520#comment-255 Monica, Your choices are probably Great Blue Heron, Snowy Egret (or some very similar egret) Sandhill and Whooping Crane. Blue Herons are all "dark" (but not too dark) while the others are lighter If you rule out the Heron, snowy egrets and whooping cranes are whiter than sandhill crane. All are big and all flap their wing in a similar way, and you can't tell the relative size when you see only one in many cases. The two cranes have distinct coloration on the wings and head. If there was distinct coloration on the wings and head, it was not an egret. If there was distinct coloration on only the head, that could be an egret because egret's have coloration on their beak and that can get confused with head coloration at a distance. So if we've ruled out everything but cranes, then I'm not the best person to ask because I don't see many cranes, but here are two clues: Sandhill cranes have red on their heads if their males and mature, but they don't all have it and you can' always see it. So if there is read, = sandhill, no red, can't tell. And, the coloration on the whooping cran'es wings are the distal (towards the tip) half or less and as you say, the whites are whiter and the brights are brighter. Also, there may be a conservation officer in a an ultralight following or leading the bird. That's a whooping crane. Monica,

Your choices are probably Great Blue Heron, Snowy Egret (or some very similar egret) Sandhill and Whooping Crane.

Blue Herons are all “dark” (but not too dark) while the others are lighter

If you rule out the Heron, snowy egrets and whooping cranes are whiter than sandhill crane. All are big and all flap their wing in a similar way, and you can’t tell the relative size when you see only one in many cases.

The two cranes have distinct coloration on the wings and head. If there was distinct coloration on the wings and head, it was not an egret. If there was distinct coloration on only the head, that could be an egret because egret’s have coloration on their beak and that can get confused with head coloration at a distance.

So if we’ve ruled out everything but cranes, then I’m not the best person to ask because I don’t see many cranes, but here are two clues: Sandhill cranes have red on their heads if their males and mature, but they don’t all have it and you can’ always see it. So if there is read, = sandhill, no red, can’t tell. And, the coloration on the whooping cran’es wings are the distal (towards the tip) half or less and as you say, the whites are whiter and the brights are brighter.

Also, there may be a conservation officer in a an ultralight following or leading the bird. That’s a whooping crane.

]]> By: doug l http://quichemoraine.com/2009/03/changing-of-the-birds/#comment-253 doug l Thu, 26 Mar 2009 20:47:55 +0000 http://quichemoraine.com/?p=520#comment-253 Very interesting, though the recent revelations about the snowy owls, that they spend a far larger part of their lives over arctic sea-ice than ever suspected, is even more surprising. http://www.physorg.com/news148141200.html Very interesting, though the recent revelations about the snowy owls, that they spend a far larger part of their lives over arctic sea-ice than ever suspected, is even more surprising.

http://www.physorg.com/news148141200.html

]]> By: Monica http://quichemoraine.com/2009/03/changing-of-the-birds/#comment-252 Monica Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:31:55 +0000 http://quichemoraine.com/?p=520#comment-252 Oh, also, we had robins in January poking around under our feeders--fyi. Oh, also, we had robins in January poking around under our feeders–fyi.

]]> By: Monica http://quichemoraine.com/2009/03/changing-of-the-birds/#comment-251 Monica Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:30:55 +0000 http://quichemoraine.com/?p=520#comment-251 Birds. I have discovered my inner geek and my love of bird watching-which is perfect activity to do with the kid, except that being in nature makes him (and me) totally squirrelly and not at all quiet. I bought a guide to bird watching with young people, but promptly packed it in a box when I moved and it hasn't resurfaced yet. On the topics of whooping cranes: I swear, The Kid and I saw one flying low over the Willow River in Willow River State Park, just east of here in Wisconsin last spring. I was told by a more experienced birder that it was probably a sandhill crane, but from the pics I have seen, it wasn't. I wasn't crazy then? I mean, the wing span, the head shape, the whiteness... what bird could I have mistaken it for? Birds. I have discovered my inner geek and my love of bird watching-which is perfect activity to do with the kid, except that being in nature makes him (and me) totally squirrelly and not at all quiet. I bought a guide to bird watching with young people, but promptly packed it in a box when I moved and it hasn’t resurfaced yet. On the topics of whooping cranes: I swear, The Kid and I saw one flying low over the Willow River in Willow River State Park, just east of here in Wisconsin last spring. I was told by a more experienced birder that it was probably a sandhill crane, but from the pics I have seen, it wasn’t. I wasn’t crazy then? I mean, the wing span, the head shape, the whiteness… what bird could I have mistaken it for?

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