Friday, July 30, 2010

Sandhill Crane

Well! It seems I have another first! What you see in the pictures of today's post is a Sandhill Crane! I found this giant bird standing by the side of the road while I was driving to my real destination, which is another amazing tale!

Something made me think this Sandhill Crane wasn't real when I first saw it, but I was very happy that it was a wrong assumption. This bird is very real, and very big. I think this bird may be the biggest bird I have ever seen. A Sandhill Crane really is a giant among giants.

These birds stand about as high as a human, which is very accurate for this one because it seemed to be about as tall as me. These birds seem to have a similar diet to humans too. They like meat, but maybe not the same kind humans are capable of catching and eating. They only eat small animals. They like grains and berries just as much, so don't worry that they're coming for us all.

I zoomed in as much as I could to try to see it looking around, but the bird was just too big to get it all in the picture. So this was the best I could do. I guess I could have tried for a better closeup face shot, but I thought this was good. It looks like it was looking at me, but I think maybe it's one of those kinds of animas that looks from the sides of its face.


Just to let you know, and me too, that this bird isn't fake, I decided to bring you another episode of Rat TV. It obviously features this Sandhill Crane. Besides revealing the fact that this bird is indeed alive, the video shows this giant looking around and walking. I consider that a very amazing sight by itself.

This time maybe it really is looking at me. I wonder what it was thinking when it saw me. This time I was inside my truck to see this wild animal. Not because I wanted to, but because I was in the middle of the road with no place to park. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

Something I'm thinking about as I write this. Wouldn't it be fun to be able to ride one of these birds. I know a person would probably really be too heavy, but what if we weren't? To ride a big bird as it walked around, ran, or even flew. The Everyday Adventurer, soaring through the air on the back of a great bird...


Nature Center Magazine - An endless boarded walkway through a secluded world of nature. What would it be like to be able to explore the world inside of today's Free Wallpaper?

Go visit Jingle and give the site a read. You might like it. I promised to leave a link to this post here.

23 comments:

  1. Ratty what a great find, super photos and video. I have never seen one before.

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  2. Remember to fasten the seat belt while riding the bird.

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  3. Super shot! I've never seen one up close like that. They fly over regularly--sometimes quite high.

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  4. Cool pictures and video. Last night, I started reading Peter Dunne's book, "Prairie Spring." He writes about Sandhill Cranes early on. Amazing to see your video this morning. Thanks.

    Na

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  5. Wow! The number of times I've been as close to one as you were here is... 2. So you are at half of my lifetime total. What a treat! All the animals seem more tame where you live, or is it your magic?

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  6. What a neat bird. I didn't know they ate meat. I can picture you riding on one with your camera.:)

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  7. They are one of my favorite birds! (Along with blue herons!) We have been fortunate to have seen them in the wild about 5 times now and I am still thrilled everytime I see one. Congrats, Ratty...I am so glad you got to see one in person!

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  8. Wow..Ratty, this is such a treat to see! It's so big, and beautiful!

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  9. it definitely is not a fake, it is beautiful.

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  10. In all my adventures I have never seen a sandhill crane. What a fantastic bird! I've read about these amazing creatures and seen photos of them but never have experienced one up close and personal.

    Great find! And wonderful picture.


    Bill:www.wildramblings.com

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  11. What a fascinating sighting that was. I think it would be fun to soar through the air on the back of sandhill crane

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  12. In March you can view migration around Grand Island, NE. They have a asmall festival since they cover the fields like the corn grows.Their calls are really cool in mass.

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  13. Impressive bird! When it saw you photographing it, maybe it thought the same thing I do when a camera is pointed at me: "Darn paparazzi!"

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  14. Lucky you. I haven't seen one. Such a magnificent creature. Good capture, Ratty!

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  15. I have been viewing your blog for the past 1 month. All your posts are awesome. It is a treat for any nature lover like me to see such fantastic and rare animals and birds in full action. Thanks and keep it up.

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  16. I've never seen one on the ground, but they look different when they fly. I'm used to herons who keep their necks folded in in flight. These cranes keep their necks completely extended- makes them look even bigger!

    Great shots.

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  17. I guess this bird wanna be featured online, thats why she decided to show up in front of you :-) The bird looks very similar to a turkey, dont you think? only so much bigger and feather color is a different.

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  18. Amazing photos! Amazing Sandhill Crane! It looks like the color of this bird matches its habitat.

    Just blog hopping.. Have a great weekend. :)

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  19. Well done for capturing these great shots Ratty, do they do saddles in this size though?

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  20. Wonderful photos Ratty, it didn't seem to mind you and your camera too much. I have only seen them once at a wildlife preserve, I guess I kept picking the wrong part of the country to live in.

    Save you bird riding for the ostriches, they make sandhill cranes look like midgets.

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  21. Good grief, this is one huge bird!!! I'd like to see the size egg it lays and the little chicks must be huge at birth!

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  22. Wow.. that sure is a giant bird. A one that looks like a distant relative of ostriches.. and the Road Runner. =D

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