Cranes!

One of the reasons I wanted to travel down to southern Ontario on the weekend, was to go to Long Point to see the Sandhill Cranes.  Literally, as soon as we arrived, we saw about a hundred out on the marsh. Sadly, they were quite a distance and it was snowing so not the best photos.  However, there were ones arriving and ones leaving so eventually a few flew directly overhead!  Bonus!  I should have taken a video as they are comical walking around and their honking was loud, distinctive and unique.  I can now strike that off my bucket list ;)

Secondly, I had seen photos of the bucks still with antlers on at my favourite cemetery in London.  See extras as they were out and about - about 40 to 50 head of deer. The first sight I saw, was the doe with her twins (I believe I blipped them when they were three days old).  We also saw a buck who was very interested in a little doe who must have come into a very late heat (he is pawing at her but she was not being very cooperative but he followed her around and kept trying to impress her).  I was able to spot the oldest buck who had already shed his antlers...they are massive so envious of whoever found them!  Sadly, you can see evidence of one buck who the groundskeepers believe was attacked by coyotes and has a large scar on his side.  I am impressed at how well it has healed already as I had seen it when it was fresh and I thought the coyotes would return to finish the job.  Even sadder, is the buck with an obvious broken leg - not sure how he has survived and it makes you almost ill to watch him walk and run on it as it is almost bent backwards.  However, he looks quite healthy, keeps up with the others (relatively) and is eating well.  Heart-wrenching though.... My guess is that he got hit by a car.  I included one buck who appeared to be praying by a headstone and a doe who was enjoying some new greens!

A fantastic day, spent with a wonderful friend!  Although, it was sunny in London, we went through snow squalls, snow, and high winds.  It was quite the adventure and we saw tons of hawks everywhere! No owls.... :(

D x