Two of my Favorite Birds!!

If you have read my blog for a while, you know that my FAVORITE birds to see in the wild are sandhill cranes, swans, blue herons and pileated woodpeckers. I have hoped to catch more photos of them all this summer and have been hunting for them to get photos of them to no avail.

So, knowing one secret spot where we once spotted swans a month ago, we went out looking for them again in the same area, hoping I could catch some pictures. Last time, it was raining when we got photos of the swans, so I was hoping for a clearer day to shoot pictures of them. My husband said it was a miracle to have found them the first time, because in all the years he has hunted in the woods, he has never seen swans in the wild other than the time this summer that we happened across them.

But you know ME. I just had to go and look for them again. Because maybe. Just maybe.

Wouldn't you know.....as soon as we got near where we saw them the time that I got to take some photos of them in June, it started to POUR. And then the background got all misty and foggy. So much for clear pictures of anything, I thought!

But we forged ahead anyway.

Right before we got to the pond where the swans were last time, we rounded a corner and out in a field were THESE!!!!!:

Two BEAUTIFUL sandhill cranes. Aren't they gorgeous?:

But they hardly noticed me. They seemed intensely focused on looking for something. They began calling out high pitched sounds and looking about.

I thought maybe they had babies in the field, but we waited a long time and never saw any babies.

Here they are looking and looking about, as if they were searching for something:

The one on the right is calling a sharp, piercing sound and looking about:

It began to pour rain, and I was worried that if the sandhill cranes were searching for their babies that we would interrupt that and endanger the babies...so we rode on, soooooo happy that I was able to see these magnificent birds.

Then, we arrived at the pond where we saw swans in June.

Again, it began to POUR.

We searched and searched the pond to see if we saw swans.

Nothing.

I told my husband that at least we tried.....

and

after all, if we hadn't ventured out to try and see swans again, we would have never seen and been able to photograph the lovely sandhill cranes.

But, as we were pulling out to go, my husband put on the brakes of the truck.

He said he thought he saw white in a grassy area waaayyyyy back in the pond!!!

We got back outside and waited.

In. The. Rain.

It was cold.

It was wet.

But, it was worth it................

Because in a little while, out they swam!

A mama swan and her baby!!:

And then???

The daddy swan and ANOTHER baby!!:





Don't they make an adorable family?:

By now, I was soaked to the bone.

But, it was worth it.

Because who could see anything more beautiful

than

THIS????:

I was so happy!

To see TWO of my favorite rare birds out in the wild on the same day!!??=priceless.

Life is good!!!

The Unfairness of Beauty Bestowed.....

Nature is mysterious.

Nature is amazing.

Nature provides so many contrasts in the animal and bird world.

Nature, therefore can be very unfair.


Look at this eagle's nest on display at a nature museum:

Wowsa.

No small bird lives THERE!

It is a beautiful eagle's nest.

Here is a HUGE nest I saw last week in the middle of a pond. It may be an eagle's nest, I am not sure:

But the point is......it is from a huge, beautiful bird, no doubt.

Here is another beautiful bird on display at the same nature museum.

It is a beautiful pileated woodpecker.

Isnt' be gorgeous?

But, nature has a sense of humor.

Not all birds are created equal in size, .....or beauty.

Look what I saw two weeks ago in the trees!:

A turkey vulture!

He is not the most handsome bird in nature's choice of birds.....


There were actually SIX of these in the trees that day, but I could only capture 2 or 3 on camera.

Besides, I was getting scared. They really are mean looking birds.....

So, if I had the choice...............
and
nature asked me which bird I would want to be????




How about THESE?????:

Oh yes.

This is a mama swan with two little ones wayyyyy back in the pond in the woods.
It was in a wilderness area with no way to get closer to them....
but, aren't they beautiful????

Nature can be cruel.

Just ask those vultures..................................