Sandhill Crane colts have arrived

I was fortunate to see the newest Sandhill Crane colts at the Orlando Wetlands on Sunday.

The pair of crane babies are just a few days old but they are already drawing a lot of attention from photographers and other visitors to the wetlands.(Yes, I was among those there for a sunrise visit – though I was using my long lens and keeping a respectable distance from the cranes.)

This is the third year in a row that I’ve been able to see and photograph colts at the park. The first year one of the siblings chased off the other, which disappeared and presumably died. Last year, fortunately, both colts got along better and both reached adulthood.

This year … well, there are already some signs that these siblings may not get along well.

Sandhill Cranes mate for life, and the colts’ mom and dad have parenting experience. Hopefully they can successfully raise these two little ones and they will go on to have long and healthy lives.