No ugly duckling---A rare Sunday morning treat!
(click on the picture to increase the size)

This is our resident Sandhill crane walking in our yard on Sunday morning with a flock of turkeys. This crane has been spotted in the fields near our house for the past few years. We like to go out in the evening in hopes of catching a glimpse of our friend in a large field across the road from our house. This was the closest we have been to the crane, and the first time it has been ion our yard. He (or she?) is always alone, so we were happy to see that it has found some feathered friends.

This amazing bird is one of the largest of the cranes. It has an unusual and distinctive cry, which can be heard when it is feeling threatened. Watching this bird take off is a truly wonderful sight. It is so large that it seems as if take off may not be achieved, but once airborne it flies quite easily. On takeoff and in flight the beating of the crane's wings is very audible, and once in the air the wingspan is tremendous!

The coolest thing about our crane friend, though, is that Sandhill Cranes do not frequent New England. They tend to stick to the middle of the country, summering in the north and wintering in the southwest, although there are several types of Sandhill Cranes. We wonder where our crane spends the winter.

Fabulous!

Here is a link to information about Sandhill Cranes: http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/wildlife/guides/migration/sandhill.asp
I guess it has to be pasted in the browser since I don't know how to make it clickable, sorry!