The Sandhill Cranes, Emily and Alfred Plus their Canada Goose Pair Buddies.

Sandhill Crane Emily, right, and Alfred, left, are foraging in the mud, in the same field in which we last saw them.  This may bode well for a possible nest in the area.

The pair continues to poke their beaks into the creek and the mud along the sides for seeds and other goodies.

Sandhills are omnivores though in some regions they are mainly herbaceous and may augment their native food diet with cultivated waste corn, sorghum, and wheat.

Northern Cranes and those hard on breeding tend toward a more varied diet which includes small mammals,  berries, insects, snails, reptiles, and amphibians.

 Alfred notices me.  Drat!

And the pair begins heading away while keeping an eye on me.

DRAT!

Vigilant stances.  Then cars come from both ways and both Cranes take to their wings while I'm attempting to get the car further off the road.

 They don't go far, just into the cornfield further down the road.

That's when I see the Canada Goose pair.   Ah, could these be the pair from yesterday who were crowding the Cranes?  Interesting.  The Gander gives me a look.

And off they go as well.   And that leaves an empty pasture.  Off I go to see if Arthur and Guinevere the Red-tailed Hawk pair are sitting their nest yet. They are the Red-tailed Hawks we found perched in the dead tree with the rodent with a short tail.

No sign of Arthur or Guinevere other then their somewhat bough obscured nest, left of center mid photo.

It is that expectant time of year after all.   The waiting time.  The time when all strain for the sound of pipping and the cracking of eggs.

Two posts today, so keep scrolling down if you haven't seen the post on the Teneke Bald Eagle Nest and that of the Gough Red-tailed Hawks.

Happy Hawking!
Donegal Browne