Leaving the Nest

Adult and Juvenile Brown Thrashers--"I know the food is right under my feet, but I'm HUNGRY!!! Feed me!"

For the past couple of weeks I have observed a steady increase in the amount of bird food necessary to keep our bird feeders full. We're going through 20 pound bags of seed in no time at all. Suet blocks disappear seemingly overnight (and it's not due to squirrels!). A batch of hummingbird nectar a few weeks ago would last for weeks, but now I need to make more every few days. There is a quadruple batch cooling on the counter as I type. So what's causing this feeding frenzy? As it turns out, we have a yard full of fledglings and juvenile birds that are still learning to take care of themselves and they are really hungry! When the baby birds first hatch they are helpless and featherless and their parents bring food to them in the nest. But when they grow some feathers and fledge from the nest, the parents hide them in the bushes and trees and bring food to them. Soon the adults bring them to the food and feed them while teaching them skills like how to forage for themselves and how to watch for predators. And eventually, the juveniles are on their own. The young birds and their parents know that our feeders are a quick and easy source of nourishment. In a perfect world, there would be plenty of naturally occurring seed, fruit, nectar and insects for the birds to eat. But as human activity such as building and pesticide use decreases the available natural habitats and food sources, backyard feeders and wildlife gardens provide an important supplement during this vulnerable period in their lives. The young birds need to eat as much as they can so they are strong enough to survive the cold winter and, in many cases, such as with the hummingbirds, migrate. The adults need to fatten up for winter, as well, while also gathering enough to feed their young. It all adds up to a lot of bird food.

Adult and juvenile American Goldfinches

You can't help but smile when you watch the young birds. They're kind of goofy looking and easy to spot. They are often unsteady flyers with scruffy, incomplete feather growth, big, bright (often light colored) eyes, and wide, sometimes yellow mouths, fluttering their wings and noisily calling for their parents feed them. They keep up the flapping and begging well after they know better. Many times I'll watch young birds that are completely able to fly and forage for themselves, flap and beg to no one in particular as they eat alone.

Fledgling Brown Thrasher--Young, scruffy and pretty helpless

Slightly older Brown Thrasher Juvenile, awkwardly teetering on the perch

Juvenile Red-bellied Woodpecker that hasn't quite grown its pretty red head feathers

Juvenile Northern Cardinal begging to be fed

Same Cardinal 30 seconds later--"oh yeah, I guess I get it"

This Juvenile Eastern Bluebird is easy to peg as a youngster, with its big eyes, wide yellow mouth and dotted chest feathers

It's a rough world out there. The young hummingbirds are constantly chased away from the feeder by the older and dominant birds, and later by their siblings. Sometimes I wonder how they can ever eat enough to supply all the calories they burn just in the chasing. Juvenile jays and towhees are chased out of the flat feeder by the pushy grackles and mourning doves. Wary Carolina wren and catbird parents make loud alarm calls to warn the young when predators (like me) are in the vicinity, but fluffs of feathers from the mockingbirds or cardinals that didn't see the hawk are a reminder that this adulting stuff is hard. But chances are good that the hawk is a juvenile working on its skills, too.

A Juvenile Barred Owl tried to fly away from me as I walked by, but screeched so much that I couldn't help but see it!

Juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk being buzzed by angry Blue-gray Gnatcatchers. The hawk was just perching when they got started to attack.

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds preparing a feeding truce. They're probably hungry after chasing each other around the yard.

Juvenile Blue Jay hides in the bushes after being chased off of the feeder by Mourning Doves

At this time of year, from the vantage of my yard that is literally across the street from the university, I can't help but make the comparison between the birds I am observing at home and the students next door who are preparing to embark on the college journey. Move-in day took place this past weekend and the street was buzzing with the new arrivals and their parents as they unloaded clothes, computers, lamps, bikes and other "necessities" from their cars and trailers. When the parents drove away, leaving their youngster to make their way, I'm sure they felt some anxiety, hoping their young adults would be ok. I remember those feelings, well, and I have family and friends who will be experiencing this soon. My hearts go out to you all, but it will be ok! This morning I watched groups of giddy young people walking to the bus stop, maps in hand, as they figured out their new surroundings. Like the young birds, the young students are easy to pick out and fun to watch. They are a little loud, a little unsure, eager to impress their friends, but so full of excitement and energy. They also have a big job ahead of them. Like the birds, they need to figure out how to take care of themselves in their new semi-independent life. They need to learn how to feed themselves but they also have to figure out how to budget their finances and time, find their classes, pick a major, make friends, learn where everything is, figure out the rules (yes, you DO need to stop for pedestrians at the flashing crosswalks), study, and hopefully come away from it all with a path to a good career. As with the birds, the students face dangers--driving, drinking, sexual assault, and stress, to name just a few. But they have been preparing to be independent adults their whole lives and with luck the lessons they have been given along the way will have sunk in when the crucial time comes.

Yes, it is time for the next batch of young ones to leave the nest and enter the world. Here's to a successful and happy year.

Juvenile Eastern Bluebird, just a little more experienced

Juvenile Northern Mockingbird--"I can do this!"

Young Male Ruby-throated Hummingbird resting on the Fennel after a busy day

Up to the Challenge

Acadian Flycatcher in the treetops

We're well into July and I think I'm finally getting back into my normal routine. But for the month of June, I was somewhat possessed, after immersing myself in this year's June Birding Challenge. Everything but the pursuit of my list of target birds took a back burner--family, garden, friends, laundry, bills, cleaning, eating, and even personal grooming! I became single minded, scarfing meals on the run while I tracked reports on ebird and mapped my daily excursions. Most nights I dropped off to sleep, completely exhausted after walking for hours in the heat, binoculars and camera around my neck. And I had a blast! Luckily my husband was out of town for a chunk of this, or he would have felt ignored. I know the dog did.

Walking the Trails through the Woods

For those who have not read about this in my previous posts, the June Challenge is a friendly birding competition put on by the Alachua County Florida Audubon chapter. The goal is to see (not just hear) as many wild bird species within the county limits as possible. Because it is a friendly competition, people share information when they find a special or rare bird and the more experienced birders lead several field trips to help everyone see as many as possible. It's a lot of fun and I looked forward to June when I lived in Florida. Since moving to Georgia, I have tried to keep participating on my own but have (so far) not been able to convince anyone to join me. Maybe one of these years I'll get some converts and this can become a thing in Athens, too.

American Kestrel

For the past few years I had assumed that I was at a disadvantage birding up here because Clarke County is so much smaller (about 1/10th the size) than Alachua County, so I allowed myself to expand the search territory. But this year I looked on ebird at the list of birds that might be found here in June and was delighted to see that the numbers were higher than I had thought. If I managed to see every bird on the list (extremely unlikely) my numbers could be pretty respectable. Of course, the folks in Gainesville will always be way ahead of me. They have a whole lot more birds available down there, especially the wading birds, and lots of expert birders, and I am no expert. But I decided to give it a try, sticking just to my county, and anyway, as I remind myself every year, the experience is so much more than just checking birds off my list.

Orb Weaver

As always with the June Challenge, I found new parks and natural areas to explore. This year I spent a lot of time on the North Oconee River Greenway and in Southeast Clarke Park and visited the Lake Herrick/Oconee Forest Park several times a week. And I finally bought an annual pass to Sandy Creek Park, one of our county nature parks. I am coming to appreciate that for a small county, we have a wonderful number of natural areas. I have more to explore in Junes to come.

Box Turtle peeks out of the English Ivy

We may not have all the fancy and abundant wading birds up here that Florida has, like the Spoonbills and Ibises, or water birds like Anhingas and Gallinules, but we have our own specialties. Grey Catbirds and Brown Headed Nuthatches take a little planning to find in Gainesville but I have them both in my backyard feeders. Canada Geese poop all over the fields near my house--not so common for the Alachua folks. Robins--we have Robins a-plenty, all year. People get excited when they find them down in Florida in June. And I see a Hairy Woodpecker just about every year, which I never did in Florida. But I think the only unique bird I had that they won't find down there at all is the White Breasted Nuthatch, another one that visits my yard feeders.

Canada Geese

Robin

White-breasted Nuthatch

On my excursions (BTW, I averaged about 10,000 steps daily for the month, even though there were days I did not go out birding) I encountered not only birds, but rabbits, deer, beavers, a groundhog, armadillos, squirrels, turtles, snakes, lizards, frogs, toads, a salamander, spiders, butterflies, bees, wasps, fungi and slime mold. I found living things and dead. I saw things that were funny and strange and sad. I saw beautiful wildflowers and fireflies and heard the sounds of the cicadas and baby owls. I was out in the sun and rain with walkers and runners, dogs and children. I birded in the morning and evening but mostly in the heat of the day because I can never get my act together for an early morning outing. But the most important thing was that I was outside enjoying nature just about every day. What a great diversion from all the bad news these days. It made me feel so alive and in love with the world.

A Turtle with a Drafonfly on its nose

Great Blue Heron photobombed by a Beaver

Just the Head of an Opossum. Nothing else. Probably from an owl or hawk meal.

This Juvenile Owl and its sibling hissed so much that I finally saw them. Otherwise, my June would have been Owl-less.

In all I counted 75 birds. I tried but never did see a Scarlet Tanager, even though there was one in my yard in May. I expected to find a Nighthawk, but never heard one. I know I see them flying around the football stadium during night games in the fall. And I tried to find Eastern Meadowlarks, but learned that their habitat in our county is disappearing and was unsuccessful. My big scores were the Prothonotary Warbler that I heard then saw on the Greenway and the American Kestrel (rare bird) that I tracked using reports from another birder. I'm pretty happy with my list. I think I am improving each year. A lot of the birding here in Athens in the summer is in thick forests and learning bird sounds is really helpful. I found lots of birds by tracking their sounds and looking for movement. Birds such as the Wood Thrush, Black and White Warbler, Yellow Billed Cuckoo, Northern Parula and Summer Tanager. Of course, when I saw the Alachua County results, I came in at the back of the pack, but I'm ok with that. It's the journey. I plan to take the challenge again next year. If you're in the area, feel free to join me! If you are interested in seeing an album of photos I took during the month, click here.

Sunset over the lake

Here's my list:

1) Northern Cardinal
2) Chimney Swift
3) American Robin
4) Common Grackle
5) House Finch
6) Downy Woodpecker
7) Brown Thrasher
8) Mourning Dove
9) Gray Catbird
10) Blue Jay
11) Ruby-throated Hummingbird
12) Carolina Wren
13) Eastern Towhee
14) Eastern Bluebird
15) Northern Mockingbird
16) Tree Swallow
17) Tufted Titmouse
18) Fish Crow
19) Carolina Chickadee
20) Brown-headed Cowbird
21) Chipping Sparrow
22) White-eyed Vireo
23) Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
24) Red-eyed Vireo
25) Barn Swallow
26) Brown-headed Nuthatch
27) Pine Warbler
28) Wood Thrush
29) American Goldfinch
30) Turkey Vulture
31) American Crow
32) House Wren
33) Acadian Flycatcher
34) Red-bellied Woodpecker
35) Hairy Woodpecker
36) Louisiana Waterthrush
37) Common Yellowthroat
38) Indigo Bunting
39) White-breasted Nuthatch
40) Summer Tanager
41) Red-shouldered Hawk
42) Yellow-throated Vireo
43) Coopers Hawk
44) Great-crested Flycatcher
45) Black Vulture
46) Killdeer
47) European Starling
48) Great Blue Heron
49) Green Heron
50) Eastern Phoebe
51) Red-headed Woodpecker
52) House Sparrow
53) Eastern Kingbird
54) Red-tailed Hawk
55) Yellow-billed Cuckoo
56) Eastern Wood Pewee
57) Rock Pigeon
58) Mississippi Kite
59) Canada Goose
60) Mallard
61) Northern Rough-winged Swallow
62) Pileated Woodpecker
63) American Kestrel
64) Broad-winged Hawk
65) Hooded Warbler
66) Belted Kingfisher
67) Blue Grosbeak
68) Barred Owl
69) Osprey
70) Prothonotary Warbler
71) Great White Egret
72) Northern Parula
73) Black and White Warbler
74) Cliff Swallow
75) Bank Swallow

Itchy Scratchy

Poison Ivy climbing a Hornbeam or Musclewood Tree in Florida

This is a public service message brought to you by a representative of the sensitive skin club. Me. It's that time of year again when the birds and bugs are active and the new summer flowers are blooming on the roadsides. It's also the time that the skeeters are biting, the ticks and chiggers are lurking in the grass, and the Poison Ivy is sprouting. And when I go out in pursuit of nature adventures and good photos, I keep finding myself face to face (or ankle to leaf) with the whole lot of them. Today I would like to familiarize you with Eastern Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans). Perhaps some other day I will have something nice to share about ticks and chiggers. I have a hard time seeing any redeeming points in those pests, so I have (so far) no photos. But Poison Ivy, on the other hand, is actually a pretty plant. And it is also bigger than a pinhead (unlike chiggers and ticks), so I have lots of photos to share. But I digress.

This all came to me a month or so ago when I was traveling in Northern California at the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve and came across a huge patch of Pacific Poison Oak. I'm not so familiar with Poison Oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum), but I was able to recognize it because of some helpful signage, and therefore kept my parents and myself from accidentally brushing against it. It did look somewhat similar to the good ol' itchy stuff from back home, but as a lush and bushy plant, it had a different habit and I might have accidentally blundered into it without the signs.

When I got back home it was time to lead school groups on trail walks at the nature center, and the beginning of Poison Ivy season, and I always try to help the kids learn to identify the plant so they can enjoy the outdoors without the itch. My experience in California got me thinking that I wasn't sure I knew the difference between Poison Oak and Poison Ivy. I have often heard people equate the two, so I did some research and learned some interesting facts about these plants. I have never come across Poison Sumac which also grows in the South, though I am familiar with other types of Sumac.

Poison Ivy is not actually ivy, and Poison Oak is not an oak. Both plants, and Poison Sumac are all in the same plant family, Anacardiaceae--the Sumac or Cashew family. The family also includes Mangoes and now Pistachios. These plants are not poisonous in the sense that they will kill you (unless you have a severe allergic reaction). But they have sap that contains Urushiol, a compound that causes (sometimes severe) contact dermatitis. I recently learned that the people who process cashew nuts can get a similar reaction from handling the sap and so it is important to buy cashews from ethical sellers who protect the health of their workers.

All parts of a Poison Ivy plant can cause the skin reaction. The leaves, the berries, the vine, and even the dead leaves and vines. Urushiol can become airborn if the plants are burned, or ground fine with a mower, so care must be taken when handling the plants at all times. I believe that Poison Oak and Poison Sumac are similar, but I am not sure because I don't have direct experience with either one. But as I read more I learned that though Eastern Poison Oak does occur in the Southeast, it is not as common and looks a lot like Poison Ivy and it is hard to distinguish between the two. Poison Sumac is also present in the Southeast, though it is even less common, and this may explain why I don't know those plants well. Poison Ivy, on the other hand, is widespread across the eastern half of the US. Pacific Poison Oak is extremely common along the entire West Coast.

Most people are allergic to these plants, though not all. About 85% of people react. The other 15% can consider themselves fortunate, but they still need to be careful because the oils from the plants can be tracked into the house on shoes, tools, clothing and even pets, and when that happens, the reactive people in the household will become very angry. Animals do not seem to be bothered by the irritating oils, maybe because of fur or feathers, or they're just born lucky.

If you do come in contact with one of the itch-causing plants, wash and scrub immediately and vigorously with cold, soapy water, or with special soap such as Technu. Simple handwashing won't work. And warm or hot water is not good because it opens your pores and lets the oils sink in deeper. If you can find some Jewelweed, which conveniently grows in the same habitat as Poison Ivy, it is supposed to help. If you get the rash, I pity you, but calamine lotion does help. But the best thing is to just avoid it. I have had Poison Ivy rashes twice. Once when I didn't know the plant and got into it in my Florida yard. It took 3 weeks for the rash to stop itching and oozing. The other time I just got careless and brushed my cheek against a vine, even though I had been told to watch out. Another 3 weeks of itching and oozing later, and I was a crusader for Poison Ivy avoidance.

If you have Poison Ivy in your yard, my experience is that you can remove it if you are cautious. Use disposable gloves and clean your cutting and digging tools very carefully and you should be ok. Be careful not to let it get on your clothes or you can spread it to other items in the washing machine. As I mentioned, if you mow or burn, be careful not to breath the airborn sap, or you may find yourself in the hospital or taking steroids.

Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) is a traditional remedy for Poison Ivy rash

So how do you avoid this stuff? Get to know it and stay away from it! And wear closed toed shoes and long pants in the woods. That's how you keep the ticks and chiggers away, too, so I'm always ready.

I don't know anything about Poison Sumac, so I won't try to help you with ID. You're on your own there. Photos I find online resemble other Sumacs I've seen. And I'm not an expert with Poison Oak, either, which appears to be a shape shifter that can grow into a big bush that looks like an oak tree. Descriptions say they can have 3 or 6 or 9 leaves. Here is my one photo from California. You can see that this one does resemble Poison Ivy.

Pacific Poison Oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum)

But for Poison Ivy remember these:

"Leaves of three, leave it be" or "Leaves of three, don't touch me"

Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), 3 leaflets. I think that on young plants, the outer two leaves look like mittens.

Poison Ivy leaves grow with three leaflets on a stem. The edges can be smooth, or lobed, but the leaflets will grow in clusters of three. Often the young leaves have a shiny, waxy look. I think the young outer leaflets resemble mittens.

Poison Ivy can be a trailing vine, a climbing vine or a small shrub. It will not have thorns. If it has thorns, you may get poked, but you're safe from Poison Ivy! (Unless they're growing on the same tree, which happens a lot). Many plants are mistaken for Poison Ivy. Here are a few.

This one looks like Poison Ivy but it is a Boxelder sapling. Look for toothed leaf edge, and opposite pairs of leaf stems from the main stalk.

Not Poison Ivy. This is a Blackberry. The leaves are toothed and the stem has small thorns.

Also not Poison Ivy. This plant is in the Legume (pea) family. It has 3 leaves, but they are a more teardrop shape and the leaves are hairy.

This is Virginia Creeper and is often mistaken for Poison Ivy, but it is not. Notice the 5 leaflets rather than 3.

Oak Leaves. Not Poison Ivy or Poison Oak

Poison Ivy plants sprout on the ground and the vine grows, often climbing a tree. An older vine can be deceptive because it can grow branches and the leaves can be huge. But they will still adhere to the "leaves of three" rule. If you have climbing vine a you can use the next mnemonic,

"Hairy is Scary"

Poison Ivy vines have root hairs to attach to the tree trunk and the older vines can almost look like a furry beast climbing a tree. In the winter when the vines have dropped their leaves (they are deciduous), the hairy vine can be your only clue that there is Poison Ivy nearby. Don't hug trees with hairy vines. And speaking of deciduous vines, be cautious when collecting spear-shaped red and orange leaves if you don't know what tree they came from. They could be Poison Ivy.

Big and hairy vine. To me it looks like a monkey tail.

Poison Ivy vine that climbed a Tulip Poplar and grew branches. Most of the branches you see are the Poison Ivy. 

Poison Ivy in fall colors. It is beautiful!

So if these plants are to be avoided at all cost, why don't we just eradicate them? The kids always ask me that. But I tell them to consider this: the leaves are pretty, lush and green. In the fall they are a gorgeous red, orange and yellow. They provide cool shade and oxygen in the forest and contribute to the biomass. They give shelter to birds, insects and squirrels, and their berries are food. Poison Ivy is just another part of the forest. Just because something annoys people doesn't mean that it shouldn't exist. We just need to find a way to live around our annoying neighbors because they are the spice of life.

Poison Ivy berries (they are white--this is an identification tool) provide important food for wildlife

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker climbing a tree with hairy Poison Ivy vines

Question Mark Butterfly amid the Poison Ivy leaflets

Friendly Reminder

Family of Florida Sandhill Cranes at Barr Hammock near Gainesville

Yesterday I was digging through my t-shirt drawer, weeding out the ones I never wear anymore, and uncovered a sock that was tucked inside the neck of a shirt. I just about shouted for joy! It was my long lost sandhill crane sock that had disappeared sometime after a trip to Florida at Thanksgiving. I was really sad that I had lost it and finding it made me so happy that I was smiling and in a good mood for the rest of the day. It's a little hard to explain, but I have a strange emotional attachment to some of my socks and earrings. They each give me comfort in some way. The sandhill cranes were one of the things I missed most about moving away from Florida (besides family and friends, of course!) and these silly socks were a friendly reminder of the birds I had grown to love during our time living there.

Headline News: Beloved sock, found again!

Gainesville might be famous for the Gators, but it should also be known for the cranes. Sandhill cranes are a huge part of the natural history of Florida and of Gainesville. According to the All About Birds website run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, "the earliest Sandhill Crane fossil, estimated to be 2.5 million years old, was unearthed at the Macasphalt Shell Pit in Florida." The cranes that come to Florida spend their summers in the Great Lakes region and fly south roughly along the I-75 corridor, arriving in November and December. They are a separate subpopulation from the cranes that migrate and gather in the spring to refuel in famously huge numbers (500,000 plus) at the Platte River in Nebraska. (There is also a threatened sub-species called the Florida Sandhill Crane that lives in Florida year round and raises young there. They are somewhat smaller than the migratory cranes.)

USGS Map of Crane Migration. Note that the scientific name for the Sandhill Crane has recently changed from
Grus canadensis to Antigone canadensis

Sandhill cranes are beautiful and large birds (3-4 feet tall) with long legs, a huge wingspan, long bills and a striking red patch on the forehead. They live in families or pairs, but during migration and winter gather together in large flocks. They prefer marshes and fields where they can feed on seeds, roots, bugs and small critters. The marshes give them protection from predators. Over the years, Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, just outside of Gainesville, with its wet prairie and wide open spaces, has been a preferred wintering ground. Their breeding ground is far to the north where they spend the summer. For the cranes that migrate to Florida, this means Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin and up further into Canada. When the cold and snowy weather arrives in the fall, like all good snowbirds, they head down south. 

A Beautiful Bird

Red Splash

That big bill is good for probing the soil

The cranes arrive in bunches, usually flying in at night. I read that they can fly 170-450 miles per day, probably depending on a good tail wind and whether they find good resting and feeding spots along the way. More cranes keep arriving all month and the flocks grow bigger. After a few weeks it will be common to see large V's of cranes taking off together around mid-morning from their nighttime resting spots to the marshes and farm fields where they pick through the muck and animal feed.

Searching hard for food. Got to get every last bit!

Coming in for a landing

They stick around in sunny Florida, fattening up until February or March, then start the trip back north to breed. They usually lift off mid-morning, maybe because the thermals are better for flying. They circle overhead, waiting as the groups gather, and then they leave in waves, like squadrons of fighter planes moving out. As with arrival, leaving goes on for a few weeks.

Squadrons heading out

Heading north again

Both our homes in Gainesville were under the flyway and I'm not sure if I can count the number of times I was outside working in the yard or out running errands or walking and heard the unforgettable sound of cranes calling. I would stop whatever I was doing and just stand watching them as they flew overhead, calling and answering in their familiar trumpeting voices. I felt a thrill but also felt sadness as I said goodbye for the season, wishing them well on their journey. Until next fall, friends.

Sometimes endangered Whooping Cranes will join Sandhills, as this one did on the UF campus one year. The Whooping Crane is the tall all white bird in the center

In 2008-9 an exceptionally large number of cranes wintered at Paynes Prairie. People estimated that there were 8000 cranes in Gainesville that year. It was an amazing sight. You should see the mess left when a big flock of cranes has spent the winter. The ground was all turned up and every green sprout and seed and slug had been pull out in their furious search for nutritious food. It looked like it had been rototilled. But the plants grew back again, though the cranes really had changed the landscape that year. When the huge flocks headed back north that spring, the sound as they flew and honked overhead was like a roar from a stadium. I remember being so excited that I grabbed the phone and called my mom and dad in California so they could hear it, too, forgetting that there was a time difference. I'm pretty sure I woke them up, but it was for a good reason. Click here for to see a short video and hear just 2 cranes calling to each other. Multiply that sound by several thousand and you can get the idea.

Flying in

Feeding. See how they have turned the soil?

More landing

Over the last several years, fewer cranes have been wintering in Gainesville. Whether this is due to flooding from hurricanes, loss of habitat along the way, climate change, better food elsewhere, is not clear. It is also not clear if they will return to the area in large numbers again. I don't believe that the population is suffering, but they might just be relocating. This year I heard that more were reported at Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia. Thousands of cranes still make the trip down to points south and to Florida, and the non migratory population will stay as long as they can find good habitat. Overall, the success story of the sandhill crane is heartening. At one time there were fewer than 1000 left. But due to conservation efforts they have thrived. They still face threats from habitat loss, pollution, hunting and climate change, but their numbers are currently strong. My friends in Gainesville say that the cranes are gathering and heading north again and people around Kennesaw, north of Atlanta are seeing them now, too. Unfortunately here in Athens, we are far enough away from their flyways that we don't often get to experience the huge flocks flying overhead. I saw one lone crane flying over Athens last fall but never heard the rattling call that thrills my heart. For that experience I still need to head closer to I-75. Even better, maybe one day I can visit the Platte River in Nebraska in the spring. I can only imagine how wonderful it would be to hear the sound of 500,000 plus cranes calling. Meanwhile, my socks are mementos of the cranes I love. But I worry that they will wear out one day. Maybe I need to find something a bit more permanent to hold onto. Like a tattoo? Hmmm.

A Florida Sandhill Crane family I saw at Circle B Bar Reserve last spring