Monday, June 8, 2015

June 8,2015 Common Crane at Churchill, Manitoba

Hi Everyone 

 Man, traveling can be tiring and birding can be slow, but every once in a while there are great surprises. After spending 11 days birding Alberta and Saskatchewan, I flew to Winnipeg on route to my 16th consecutive June trip to Churchill. While still in Winnipeg, I  checked Manitoba Birds - just to see whether much was being seen in Churchill. To my incredible surprise there was a report of a COMMON CRANE (!#$%^) at the Granary Ponds, seen on June 7th by Bonnie Chartier. My heart began beating faster; this is an incredible record and would be a lifer. But would it still be there when I arrived in Churchill the next day?  I had a restless night.  I arrived at the Winnipeg Airport for my 6:50 a.m. flight only to find out that it was delayed till 8:30!!  A potentially disastrous delay?  My guess was no, because the delay was because of inclement weather in Churchill. The crane won't leave in bad weather!

I arrived in Churchill around 11:00a.m. It was cold and drizzling.  I picked up the rental truck and drove straight to the Granary Ponds. No bird!!  Hard to overlook a crane. I check the gravel point off the port property near the Grain Elevator. Nothing much there except for a flock of breeding-plumaged Ruddy Turnstones floating by on an ice flow. Nice, but no Common Crane.
I decided to go back to the Granary Ponds for another shot. As I drove up, a flock of Sandhill Cranes flew in and landed.  Eureka!  There it was; the Common Crane. A lifer.

I stayed and enjoyed this bird for a good while.  Took lots of photos and studied the bird.  This was special.  But I also had to pick up my friend Ross at the airport - he had been delayed until the next flight.  Long story short ... Ross got to see the bird too, along with 18 just-arrived people on a Massachusetts Audubon tour.  We followed the crane to a pile of grain closer to the grain elevators for some even better views.  Just tremendous!!  Its been a good day.


Common Crane coming in for a landing.


Common Crane
 


Common Crane 


Common Crane 


Common Crane 

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