Rondeau Ric

When we went looking for the Smith's Longspur three were a lot of sandhill cranes flying around. None came close for crisp photos so this is what you get today. Antigone canadensis The Sandhill Crane’s call is a loud, rolling, trumpeting sound whose unique tone is a product of anatomy: Sandhill Cranes have long tracheas (windpipes) that coil into the sternum and help the sound develop a lower pitch and harmonics that add richness.

Beach wader , a photo by ricmcarthur on Flickr. This is a sandhill crane that was at the edge of Rondeau Bay. He didn't move as we coasted by. Scientific stuff Grus canadensis Very large bird. Long neck. Long Legs. Gray body, may be stained reddish. Red forehead. White cheek. Tufted feathers over rump. It is about 48 inches tall with a wingspan over 7 feet in width.