February/March is Sandhill Crane nesting season in Central Florida, and every year I enjoy watching them. Here is a Crane on a nest at a local park, February 18th:
This year I noticed a nest in some wetlands in walking distance of my home, and was able to keep a closer eye on it and catch the chicks when they were still in the nest (March 7th). At one point a chick was tucking under the parents wing with only it's little face out. They were way out there so photos aren't great, but I watched them through my binoculars for a while and could hardly handle the cute!
I didn't get back to the nest from the first photo for a while, and when I did on March 16th I found the parents with one chick- already getting big:
This is a park where they are probably too used to people, and I fear used to being fed, because even with trying to keep distance they work their way towards you. It does makes for easy photos and wonderful observations. You can hear them making quiet little clicking sounds.
