I wanted to make one more trip before they leave us for the Spring Migration in just a short month!! It was another dark, misty, morning when I took off to the northeast of town and drove about 50 miles over Nueces Bay through Rockport, Texas - over Copano Bay and turned off the main highway to Lamar, Texas. Taking the park road to the end and turning to drive parallel with the shoreline of the bay, I searched the open fields on the opposite side, looking for any sign of the wintering whooping cranes, I spotted two. Through the wet windshield of my car there wasn't that much of a chance of getting any good photo, I slowed down...no other traffic at this early hour, so I stopped in the middle of the road, rolled down my side window and snapped some pictures. ....
...this post is devoted to only the Gentle Giants, the Whooping Crane:
FROM TEXAS WILDLIFE:
At nearly 5 feet (1.5 m) tall, whooping cranes are the tallest birds in North America. They have a wingspan of 7.5 feet (2.3 m). Whooping cranes are white with rust-colored patches on top and back of head, lack feathers on both sides of the head, yellow eyes, and long, black legs and bills. Their primary wing feathers are black but are visible only in flight. Whooping cranes migrate more than 2,400 miles a year. As many as 1,400 whooping cranes migrated across North America in the mid-1800s. By the late 1930s, the Texas population was down to just 18 birds. Conservation and protection has increased the population and continue to increase [2018]...the count for 2019 Spring hasn't been recorded.{Anni} Whooping cranes mate for life, but will accept a new mate if one dies. These long-lived birds cranes can live up to 24 years in the wild. The mated pair shares brooding duties; either the male or the female is always on the nest. Generally, one chick survives. It can leave the nest while quite young, but is still protected and fed by its parents. Chicks are rust-colored when they hatch; at about four months, chicks' feathers begin turning white. By the end of their first migration, they are brown and white, and as they enter their first spring, their plumage is white with black wing tips. Whooping cranes are one of the rarest bird species in North America. Whooping cranes are protected in Canada, the United States and Mexico. The hatchlings will stay with their parents throughout their first winter, and separate when the spring migration begins. Migration path follows:
map source
FROM TEXAS WILDLIFE:
At nearly 5 feet (1.5 m) tall, whooping cranes are the tallest birds in North America. They have a wingspan of 7.5 feet (2.3 m). Whooping cranes are white with rust-colored patches on top and back of head, lack feathers on both sides of the head, yellow eyes, and long, black legs and bills. Their primary wing feathers are black but are visible only in flight. Whooping cranes migrate more than 2,400 miles a year. As many as 1,400 whooping cranes migrated across North America in the mid-1800s. By the late 1930s, the Texas population was down to just 18 birds. Conservation and protection has increased the population and continue to increase [2018]...the count for 2019 Spring hasn't been recorded.{Anni} Whooping cranes mate for life, but will accept a new mate if one dies. These long-lived birds cranes can live up to 24 years in the wild. The mated pair shares brooding duties; either the male or the female is always on the nest. Generally, one chick survives. It can leave the nest while quite young, but is still protected and fed by its parents. Chicks are rust-colored when they hatch; at about four months, chicks' feathers begin turning white. By the end of their first migration, they are brown and white, and as they enter their first spring, their plumage is white with black wing tips. Whooping cranes are one of the rarest bird species in North America. Whooping cranes are protected in Canada, the United States and Mexico. The hatchlings will stay with their parents throughout their first winter, and separate when the spring migration begins. Migration path follows:
map source
WHOOPING CRANE
photos taken: Lamar Texas [Copano Bay]
habitat map: Crane
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This is a very beautiful crane. Thanks a lot for sharing them :)
ReplyDeleteOurs are already on the way to us I heard yesterday. :)
they are so majestic. We had the pleasure of having two land in our neighborhood a couple of years ago. They were released from Wisconsin and were supposed to fly with the Sandhill Cranes down to northern Florida, but they overshot and ended up at the south tip in Everglades national Park. Then they flew north to our local wetlands and even walked on the front lawn of a home only four doors away from ours! One injured its foot and then the other became emaciated and it too was captured and after rehab at Disney World were released on a ranch in Central Florida. The winter was very harsh and both perished there. Sad story!
ReplyDeleteWow !! Beautiful birds !!
ReplyDeleteHappy weekend !
Beautiful Cranes, I love 'em.
ReplyDeleteIt was worth driving even more than 50 miles! My favorites are #3, and the last collage of two. Considering the conditions, the pictures are wonderful! And I enjoyed reading about them!
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful photos! I love the effects and they are such graceful birds. I wanted to email you today but couldn't find your email address. Would you please write to me so that I can tell you what's happened to Lavender Dreams! I miss being part of the party today! I've been devastated to have my blog removed by blogger! Hugs, Diane
ReplyDeleteYou have an email from me (if you don't see it in inbox...check spam)
DeleteThank you for sharing these incredible birds. When I was in about sixth grade, I wrote a report on whooping cranes. We don't have them in Virginia, but For some reason I chose that as a topicI. I remember my mother was very amused when I tried to vocalize their call. Kerlew, kerlew!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful!
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting!
An informative post and those Cranes are so graceful Anni.
ReplyDeleteHello Anni,
ReplyDeleteWonderful series of these cranes.
All perfectly photographed, my compliments.
Do you want to add my link, I do not succeed.
Best regards Irma
I don't think I have ever seen one, but they look a lot like sandhill cranes, so maybe I did and did not know it..
ReplyDeleteWow, awesome captures of the Whooping Cranes. They are beautiful. I would link up but my post is not all birds this week. Happy Sunday, enjoy your day. Wishing you a happy new week ahead.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realise Whooping Cranes are so tall. A magnificent sight indeed Anni. No wonder you wanted that last look. Shame about the rain.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link-up today. Have a great week.
Hi Anni, I’m back again to answer your comment on mine...you had my latest post, that was the one I meant to link yesterday. I’m so slow in my old age, all I can do is post once a week and Sunday seems to work best for me. Sadly, that means my posts for yours are almost a week old by the time I link. .... thank you so much for all you do!
ReplyDeleteNice captures! I am glad to see you got to see some...I keep hoping they will appear at the strip pits. But I think when they stop there, it is only for a day and they are gone and it is pure luck if I see them.
ReplyDeleteswoon ♥♥♥
ReplyDeleteThey are just lovely!
ReplyDeletebeautiful captures of this gorgeous bird!! interesting information, i have never seen one!!!
ReplyDeleteAnni, fantastic collection of birds. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteStunning photos of a beautiful bird. Thanks for sharing with us all. Happy March, Diane
ReplyDelete