Redwinged Blackbird Attack
Two Red-winged Blackbirds take exception to a Sandhill Crane being too close. The Sandhill did not seem too bothered by all the attention.
Until my spring migration trip to southern Ontario last month, I had very few images of Sandhill Cranes. They are not common in Ottawa, usually being seen most frequently in farm fields during spring and fall migration.
During my trip I saw Sandhills flying several times around Long Point and surrounding areas, particularly at Big Creek National Wildlife Area. I heard them calling even more frequently. On the last full day at Long Point, full access to Big Creek was given by Environment Canada. As I walked around the dyke system I spotted a pair of Sandhills walking several hundred meters ahead of me. They took off flying when another person approached them from the opposite direction but did not fly very far.
For the next hour I played hide and seek with the pair as the moved slowly through the vegetation. The tall and invasive Phragmites (European Common Reed) made getting a clear shot even more challenging
Image created on May 18, 2017 at Big Creek National Wildlife Area, southern Ontario. Image cropped for composition.
Redwinged Blackbird Attack
Two Red-winged Blackbirds take exception to a Sandhill Crane being too close. The Sandhill did not seem too bothered by all the attention.
Until my spring migration trip to southern Ontario last month, I had very few images of Sandhill Cranes. They are not common in Ottawa, usually being seen most frequently in farm fields during spring and fall migration.
During my trip I saw Sandhills flying several times around Long Point and surrounding areas, particularly at Big Creek National Wildlife Area. I heard them calling even more frequently. On the last full day at Long Point, full access to Big Creek was given by Environment Canada. As I walked around the dyke system I spotted a pair of Sandhills walking several hundred meters ahead of me. They took off flying when another person approached them from the opposite direction but did not fly very far.
For the next hour I played hide and seek with the pair as the moved slowly through the vegetation. The tall and invasive Phragmites (European Common Reed) made getting a clear shot even more challenging
Image created on May 18, 2017 at Big Creek National Wildlife Area, southern Ontario. Image cropped for composition.