FOAM
LAKE BIRDING
No. 183
The warm
summerlike weather has cooled and to the chagrin of many the rains have
come. We had a late spring and now it
looks like we are getting a late fall.
As of this writing we finally have had our first frosts but most of the
leaves are still on the trees. Moreover,
the skies around here seem to have a constant flow of waterfowl.
Although
most waterfowl breed locally Sandhill Cranes do not. They nest further north in bogs and
marshes. Prior to the arrival of
Europeans Sandhill Cranes and Whooping Cranes apparently nested throughout the
prairies. Perhaps they will do so
again. At present they are common here
only in the spring and fall during their migration to and from their wintering
grounds in the southern US and central Mexico.
Sand hill
Cranes were somewhat scarce until the 1950s when their numbers started to
expand. By the late 1960s a short
hunting season (from September 1 to the second Saturday in September) was
opened. Even with new hunting pressure
the population has continued to grow and presently the hunting season is open
from September 1 to December 31 annually.
In addition, Sandhill Cranes are hunted during the winter in places like
Arizona and New Mexico.
There are
all kinds of derogatory stories out there about the palatability of the
Sandhill Crane. Having eaten a variety
of species of goose, duck and grouse and even coots I found that the Sandhill
Cranes are the most palatable of the bunch.
However, perception is a powerful force and prejudices die hard.
The
Sandhill Crane is one of our tallest birds with a mature male standing over
four feet high. Colour varies from a
whitish-grey to a dark grey with juveniles being quite brown. Adults have white chin straps much like
Canada Geese and naked red foreheads which has resulted in them being
incorrectly called "wild turkeys"
by some people. In flight the neck is
stretched straight out like a goose or duck but much longer. When flying it flaps its wings with a quick
smart distinctive upstroke which could be described as flipped or snapped
upwards.
There are
two subspecies of Sandhill Cranes in Canada, the Lesser and
Greater. The Lesser nests on the Tundra
while the Greater nests in bogs and marshes south of the Boreal Forest. Except for size, the three foot Lesser and
four foot Greater are very similar in all respects. Both are territorial when breeding but band
together in large flocks for migration unlike their close relative the Whooping
Crane that is territorial all year round.
I took this
week's photo several weeks ago just north of Foam Lake. On the way home while driving on highway 310
we had to stop for a doe refusing to move off the road. While waiting for her to move we noticed some
movement in the ditch near the car and saw three fawns standing there looking
at us. Cute. I tried to get a picture but they were
skittish and bounded away into the bush on stiff legs the way only a Mule Deer
does. I tried to get a picture of the
doe but all I got was her behind as she disappeared into the bush after her
young. So, this week's photo also
includes a Mule Deer's backside. Enjoy.
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