"One of our Sand Hill Crane couples recently had an exciting addition to their family. When they built their nest near the water's edge it immediately drew attention of passers by. Soon there were two eggs sitting on top of the nest and the mother on top of them.
Those of us who were really curious passed by the site every morning and we would stop our cars to get out and see if there were any new cranes yet. Many brought cameras of all shapes and sizes and would stand near the water for long periods of time hoping to catch a photo of the hatching.
Robert Grover, a dentist, didn't actually catch the birth but, he sure did capture some fabulous shots of the Momma, Papa and baby (the second egg never hatched). Then he put together a slide show with music that is just too good to not share it.
Click on the link below and then "start slide show"; enjoy!! Nice music too!
http://groverphoto.phanfare.com/album/304621#imageID=18463143"
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I just saw the slideshow for the first time and was absolutely enchanted. Then I did a little background research and was absolutely shocked to find the following I am cutting and pasting.....
Florida Today Article....May 30, 2007
"Robert Grover's heart sank Wednesday as he drove past one of the sandhill cranes that he and dozens of others had been photographing and observing for weeks.
The adult crane lay dead near its nest on Interlachen Road in Suntree.
"It looks pretty obvious it was hit by a car, it was right by the roadside," Grover said.
He spotted the dead crane's mate near the nest. The pair's chick has been missing for two weeks. People along Interlachen and nearby roads had treated the crane couple and their hatchling like celebrities, ever since the birds built their nest in a high-traffic area over the shallow, mucky edge of the pond more than a month ago.
Some days, as many as 30 people gathered to admire and photograph the cranes as the female sat on the eggs and the male stood guard. Cranes generally lay two eggs, but usually only one chick survives. The cranes seemed to revel in all the attention. The birds waltzed by houses surrounding the pond, foraged for roots and insects and made dogs bark. Usually, the fuzzy, brown chick could be seen hobbling close behind.
Grover suspects a predator may have gotten the Suntree chick. "It was doing great and the parents were so doting," he said. "Everybody's been talking about what happened to the chick."
It's against the law to feed, molest, capture, sell, hurt, kill or steal their eggs or nests, because sandhill cranes are a threatened species protected by state law.
About 5,000 cranes live statewide"
It makes me so upset that my stomach hurts.
-darin
OMG, Darin, that's so sad! I'm shaken.
I feel awful too. I had sent the link out to all of my friends because it was just so beautiful, then when I found out... I really did feel sick to my stomach.
But, looking back, knowing what happens makes the pictures that much more poigniant(sp?). I wrote a followup email (a depressed one, certainly) that was entitled, "Life is beautiful and short." And I told them that while my heart hurts for these poor creatures, I cannot help but be reminded that we have to savor our lives and love each other as deeply as we possibly can.
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