We estimated 1500 Sandhill Cranes Antigone canadensis seen in several huge flocks yesterday in the Vancouver Lowlands area near the Oregon border and the lower Columbia River. It is a big wintering spot, and is worth a visit for me every winter.
Individually these are magnificent creatures.
Height is 1.0-1.2 m, wingspan 1.8-2.0 m. Males are larger than females. Males weight 3.75-5.4 kg, females 3.34-4.84 kg, but with this degree of overlap it is not apparent in the field, and the sexes appear essentially identical.
In flight they have a strange sagging-at-the-ends appearance that is distinctive.
Of course we saw lots of other species yesterday, including 5 First of the year birds for me. Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans is a species that barely reaches into south west Washington as a regular breeder, though it is seen occasionally in far-ranging parts of the state. I usually get my FOY bird on this trip.
This is the same bird captured just as it took flight for a wierd perspective.
Today I'm off to take some friends who are new to birding out to try to recruit them into becoming avid birders, and hopefully find a Short-eared Owl too!
Good birding. Good day!
