Grain and Friends

I was out taking a cruise and I saw this Whitetail Deer in a field of barley. At first, I thought she was laying down. Not so. She was standing on her tip toes trying to get a look at the stranger pointing a camera. 

She looked around, at times almost disappearing.

When she went to alert and walked, her tail followed her over the grain. It looked weird to see a caboose following.

Finally, I was able to get a full deer shot just to prove she was upright.

There were also some Sandhill Cranes. I guess they were waiting for the grain to ripen. I feel sorry for the farmers this year. We have had so much rain it is impossible to get on the fields. What hay that has been cut has been rained on daily.

 Then there were a few Magpies doing their thing, mainly squawking at the intrusion.

Out in the Field Today.

The grass is starting to grow and hides this Sand Hill Crane's long legs.

An Hour With the Sandhill Cranes

For those of you that have never seen these birds, they are massive, with a wing span of 80 inches or 2 meters. The length is about 4 feet.

I think they are getting close to nesting time as there were quite a few squabbles going on.

Who started it is hard to say. One minute they are peaceful and the next the feathers are flying!

 And flying

And flying

Nobody seemed to get hurt, although a few feathers were ruffled (pun intended).

 All in all quite an elegant bird!

The Walk

Lots of ducks and critters in the swamp today!

Common Goldeneye

Buffleheads

Ring-Necked Ducks

Red Squirrel

Song Sparrow?

Sand Hill Crane

Tamarack (European Larch)

Tamarack ( Starting to flower) 

Daphne (forground) Brooklyn (in distance)

Up, Up, and Away!

Houston, we have lift off!

 Clean it up! Gear up, Flaps up, full Power

 Climb, gotta clear that hill!

 That's it. Keep power on and climb attitude!

 OK, Time for a fly past.

 Red 2, you are out of sync! Suck it in!

 That's better, now get into the rhythm!
!

 Cadets!  Some days it's tough being a flight leader!

 OK boys head it out for the barn.