Isolde Feeds at the Cathedral Nest, Franny the Sandhill Crane Bugs Out, as Have the Black-chinned Hummingbirds

Photo courtesy of Rob Schmunk at
http://morningsidehawks.blogspot.com/

Isolde, of the St. John the Divine Cathedral nest, feeds one of the two eyasses which have been sighted so far.  There is still a possibility that a third eyass, who would be the smallest,  may still be in the depths of the nest.  Time will tell.

 I was under the weather for several days and so did not check on Franny the Sandhill Crane, who was on the nest we've been watching.  Well when I went to look yesterday, Franny and her colts had strode off while I wasn't looking.  

Sandhill Crane colts are ready to leave the nest after only a few days at which time they take off walking after their parents, learning about which foods to eat.

If you take a few steps east and turn round, this is what you see.
 

 A blue sky and fluffy clouds float in a stream...

                   Swallows feast on insects overhead.

Now wouldn't flying be grand fun on a summer's day?

                      Yellow Warblers hunt in the thicket.

And a little further down the road, is the wet meadow where we'd originally seen a second crane nest but the grass became to long to observe it.  But there are some interesting things going on here...let's crop this down a little.

 The pond is in the left half of the photo.  Now look just to the right of pond.  There is a goose who has popped her head up, likely on a nest though a few Geese today had goslings.

Now look at the warm brown spot in the grass on the far right.

I think that might be a crane lying in the grass with colts. There is the larger center brown splotch, and up right and up left are two smaller warm brown splotchs.

And then there is the very odd thing that I cannot identify at all in the photograph.  Perhaps you can?

 What are those white things in the center of the photo...my apologies for the blur.  Whatever it is, it is far away and very odd.  Any suggestions?

I then began the drive back to town and just as I passed the place where I had seen the two Red-tailed Hawks with faint belly bands perched a Red-tail flew above the car.

Not much of a belly band.  She's taunting me.  I never could find their nest.

Even this close, not much of a belly band at all.

Happy Hawking!
Donegal Browne