My first moo-vie

OK, here it is.  My very first moo-vie with the new camera.   Get the popcorn.  Grab a hanky.  Definitely Oscar material!

They’re ba-aack!

Our nesting pair of Sandhill Cranes have returned for the third year in a row.  These stately birds stand four feet tall and  nest in our marsh valley close to the water. The female will lay two eggs on a mound of vegetation, but it is rare that both chicks hatch and grow to independence. Cranes mate for life; both parents feed the young, called “colts”, who are soon able to feed themselves. The colts are taught to fly over many weeks when they run and dance with their parents. Dancing is a significant component in the education of young cranes. The Sandhill Crane does not breed until it is two to seven years old, and the average generation time is 12.5 years.It can live up to 25 years in the wild; in captivity it has been known to live more than twice that span. Mated pairs stay together year-round and migrate south as a group with their offspring.