So I've never seen a crane on a tree, but this morning my world (and my sense of this world) was shaken up once again by good old mutha nature. I was passing the tourist info bureau on the way onto Mount Desert Island when a large crane (heron) flew in front of me, and as I watched it settled in at the top of the tallest tree in the area. Now this really tells me one of two things; I haven't been that observant through my life or the crane in the tree is not a common sight. I thought of webbed feet and the difficulty of hanging on among numerous other things, but managed to grab a number of shots, the best of which I am posting here. I wish I had been able to get a few pictures of it as it started to fly away, but that's almost a complete other story. I would love to know if anyone has seen this sight before, so feel free to comment below. My mantra for this school year is "collaboration" so it all fits!
Hey Charlie,
ReplyDeleteHerons actually nest in trees. In medium size groups called rookeries. Weird isn't it! Get a hold of Sarah Orne Jewetts book 'The White Heron' and read the short story for a nice description of a rookery in Maine (and a good story). The birds are loud and usually end up killing the trees because of the guano.
Herons/egrets et al do not have webbed feet. :-)