Tale of the Bluebird Tree

Mountain Bluebird, male, May 2019. Source: Anita Mae Draper

One day, a man and woman were driving along and saw a flash of blue in a field of stubble. Oh, how pretty to see a bluebird. Another bird flew past with only a touch of blue on the wings and landed on a nearby tree branch.

Mountain Bluebird, female, May 2019. Source: Anita Mae Draper

The man and woman didn't think the tree looked pretty at all. It had no green leaves like all the other trees were getting, and the branches were wiggly and sharp. 

The Bluebird tree, May 2019. Source: Anita Mae Draper

The man and woman drove away, but later at home, they looked in their bird book and saw that the bright blue bird was a Mountain Bluebird male, and the one with only a bit of blue was the female.

A week later, the man and woman went back to see the pretty bluebirds. They were surprised to find the male poking his head in a big hole in the dead tree.

Mountain Bluebird, male, May 2019. Source: Anita Mae Draper

As the people stopped to look, the male pulled his head out and flew away. The people were sad they had scared him away, but happy when the female came out of the hole to take a look.

Mountain Bluebird, female, May 2019. Source: Anita Mae Draper

And the people knew that the bluebirds had built a nest in a hole of the dead tree. Soon, baby bluebirds would hatch from eggs laid by the female. 

The woman took a picture of all the trees near the bluebird tree so they would remember where it was, and then they drove quietly away. 

Before the storm, Jun 2019. Source: Anita Mae Draper

One week later, a terrible wind blew across the prairie and many trees were damaged near the man and woman's home. They drove out to check the dead tree that held the bluebird nest. 

But where was it? The people knew they were at the same place because they had a picture of it. But where was the bluebird tree?

After the Storm, Jun 2019. Source: Anita Mae Draper

The bluebird tree was gone! Everything in the picture was the same, but the tree wasn't there.

The man walked over to take a look.

Looking for fallen Bluebird Tree, Jun 2019. Source: Anita Mae Draper

He pointed to something that the woman couldn't see, and then he took a picture of something laying on the ground. 

Taking photo of fallen tree, Jun 2019. Source: Anita Mae Draper

The man showed the woman a picture of a tree on the ground with a big hole in it, and they knew the mighty prairie wind had pushed over the bluebird tree.

Hole in Fallen Bluebird Tree, Jun 2019. Source: Nelson Draper

Then the man showed a picture of inside the hole. It was empty. Only bits of old grass and small twigs lay at the bottom. The nest was gone. 

Empty hole in fallen tree, Jun 2019. Source: Nelson Draper

The man and woman were heartbroken. The pretty bluebirds were gone and they didn't know if they had even survived the storm. For several days, the man and woman stayed away. It was too sad to drive by the fallen tree. They prayed that God had taken care of the birds that He had created. 

One day when they couldn't wait any longer, the man and woman drove to the fallen tree. From a distance, they saw that nothing had changed.

But then they saw a flash of bright blue zip past their car. Right behind it flew a bird with a bit of blue on its wings. The bluebirds! Yes! As the man and woman watched, the bluebirds flew past the fallen tree and deeper back into the trees behind it. Somewhere in that bush, they had built another nest, sheltered from the prairie wind. So deep, that the man and woman couldn't see it from the road.

Mountain Bluebird, male, on stubble, Jun 2019. Source: Anita Mae Draper

It was the last time the man and woman drove that way, but one day, they'll be back looking for new bluebirds. Meanwhile, they look at the pictures and imagine the male bluebird out on the stubble and new crop, watching out for insects to bring back to his family.

Tale of the Bluebird Tree video shows the bluebird pair at the tree.

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This is a true story, but if you like fiction, you can check out my other stories at www.anitamaedraper.com

The Story Behind the Header

This post is about a blessing - an inspiring Fall blessing that amazed me in its complex simplicity. By the way, these are very brief videos, so if you only have a couple minutes, skip the text and relax as you watch nature in motion.

I was out driving one afternoon and although I saw a few things I would have liked to photograph, my mission was to get my son to work on time. As I dropped him off, I headed home with my camera ready for whatever blessing God had in store for me. It wasn't long before I started noticing magpies, meadowlarks and starlings, both adult and juvenile. Three killdeer and a snipe were the only shorebirds in the diminishing sloughs. And finally, two small flocks of swans that I could hear from across the lake, and are proof that I saw them, but  they were too far away for decent shots.

As I headed west, I saw a huge flock of geese about to cross the gravel road in front on me. I pulled over to the side, angled my car a bit, rolled down my window, and then started filming. (If the video doesn't appear, you can see it at https://youtu.be/jRFnoYzfb6k)

The geese went on and on, too numerous too count. Days later, I counted the geese with the help of a marking aid on 17 different screenshots. I came up with approximately 5,600 geese, but evened it out to 5,000 to give or take a few.

Back to that day, I drove until the next intersection before turning south toward home. I was alone on the gravel road, farms dotted the landscape in the distance, and ahead of me the geese were landing over a small ridge. I slowed my car to a crawl, not wanting to scare them as I knew they needed their rest. As I drove closer, I could see they were Snow geese. I could hear their cacophony, higher pitched than the Canada geese, and still they kept circling and landing. With no other vehicles for miles ahead or behind me, I shut off my engine and watched them land, their feet dangling down as if itching to touch the ground. Aware of the setting sun, I pointed my camera at one bunch, then another, and another...trying for the perfect shot with hectic movements.

Without warning, thousands of wings rustled through the air and a wall of geese arose in front of me.

En mass, they flew across the road toward the setting sun. Sated, I started the car and crept forward, yet couldn't drag my eyes from the flock. And then, as if God hadn't blessed me enough, the flock turned and crossed in front of the setting sun. Engine off, facing west, I started filming once again. https://youtu.be/8YD-AOuyBPs

Oh my.

With the sun going down, I started on my way again, yet had only moved a few yards when I caught sight of a moose emerging from a bushy stand of trees. I hadn't even had time to roll up my window. With the engine off, I slowly raised my camera, not wanting to scare her away. Surely she was aware of my presence, yet she didn't appear threatened by me. https://youtu.be/7L32zvYAZ0o

After browsing awhile, she headed back into the brush. After I'd lost sight of her, I started my car and continued south as slowly as I could for several minutes. By the time I drove into our farmyard, the sun was kissing the horizon.

Oh, what a wonderful world our God has blessed us with. Of course, the hard part is trying to describe his blessings in my writing in a way that others can see the beauty no matter what hardships they're going through. But as long as He's showing me what to share, I'll keep passing it along.

Your turn... share an unexpected blessing that took your breath away. Your experience just might be be a blessing to someone else.

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Anita Mae Draper's romances are written under the western skies of the Saskatchewan prairie where her love of research and genealogy yield fascinating truths that layer her stories with rich historical details.  Anita's short story, Here We Come A-Wassailing, was a finalist for the Word Guild's 2015 Word Awards. Her novellas are included in Austen in Austin Volume 1, The American Heiress Brides Collection, and The Secret Admirer Romance Collection. Readers can check out Anita's Pinterest boards for a visual idea of her stories to enrich their reading experience.  Discover more at:

Website - www.anitamaedraper.com

Pinterest - www.pinterest.com/anitamaedraper/

Cheesy Bird Videos

Let me say that these are cheesy videos of bird antics. No agenda other than to clear your mind for a few brief minutes.

Common Redpoll and Black-capped Chickadee, March 2018, Montmartre, SK

This winter I've been catching up on organizing the thousands of images I've collected over the past few years and using them as proof to report what species live on the prairies in our part of the province of Saskatchewan. As you can imagine, I've hesitated doing this because it takes a huge chunk out of my reading and writing time. But there is a real need for accurate information about the flora and fauna that share our natural environment and since I'm somewhat handy with a camera, this is a productive way to help different levels of my government and natural communities.

Interspersed through my image files are dozens of video footage which show nature in action, whether it's a bird in flight, animal on the run, or the wind blowing across the prairie like a rolling wave. The videos aren't sale-worthy quality, but they allow me to take stop-action screenshots for things that move too fast for my eye and shutter to catch, such as the image at the top of this post where I took a screenshot of a video I'm showing on this page.

Some of these videos made me laugh out loud while watching the interactions of the birds. It's like slap-stick comedy where no one gets hurt, such as this first one where the redpoll is more of a nuisance than a threat to the chickadee. The redpoll doesn't seem to know what to do with the peanut wreath, but if the chickadee is interested, then it must be good. The video will show in normal speed first, and then slow motion so you don't miss anything. (https://youtu.be/_tZK6KW6Gm0)

For the first time, the redpolls and chickadees were both residents on our farm all winter, yet it's taken until March for them to build a relationship where they share the same feeder - somewhat. They act as if they didn't know the other was there, but I highly doubt that. By the way, this is the view I see from my office window and it's filmed through the glass.  (https://youtu.be/vW1SblH03Ok)



These days, dozens of  Horned Larks are flying off the roads in front on the vehicles. Sometimes they land further up the road, and other times the flock will land in a nearby field. They must have found a patch of spilled grain in this next video because they all but ignored me, which left me able to see their social interaction. Again it will be normal speed first, then slowed down. (https://youtu.be/I03sKWHk0tg)



This last one has been on YouTube for a couple years, but I've re-edited and shortened it for here. I've labelled it as a Tree Swallow Bully, but if you start at the very earliest, you'll see these two sparrows exchanging their version of words which may explain the later action. If you like AFV, then you'll know what I mean. This one was also filmed through a window, which is why you can hear the camera, but not the sound of being outdoors. (https://youtu.be/cEna9DfiZDI)



I have mixed feelings about that last one. I know that the swallow who fell wasn't injured in the exchange, but it reminds me of a penguin video I saw on AFV a few years back, where one slaps another on the head and knocks it down, then keeps walking as if nothing happened. I laugh because of the nonchalant way it plays out. It's funny when we see it in the animal kingdom, but thankfully, we're outraged when we see or hear of it where humans are concerned.

I can attest to the fact that no birds were harmed in these videos.

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Anita Mae Draper's historical romances are written under the western skies of the Saskatchewan prairie where her love of research and genealogy yield fascinating truths that layer her stories with rich historical details.  Anita's short story, Here We Come A-Wassailing, was a finalist for the Word Guild's 2015 Word Awards. Her novellas are included in Austen in Austin Volume 1, The American Heiress Brides Collection, and The Secret Admirer Romance Collection. Readers can check out Anita's Pinterest boards for a visual idea of her stories to enrich their reading experience.  Discover more at:

Website - www.anitamaedraper.com

Pinterest - www.pinterest.com/anitamaedraper/

Who's Watching Whom

A few days ago, I walked into my office and was halfway to my desk when I spotted a Great Horned Owl looking in my window. I deked to the right to hide behind the drapes. A few seconds later, I leaned to the left and peered out to see if it was still there...it was leaning to the right peering back at me.

I snapped back from view and reached for my camera...but I'd left it in the living room!

Since I didn't want to yell, I whipped out my phone and texted Nelson who was also in the house…

Moments later I heard him padding down the hall. I motioned him to stop before he reached the door and jabbed my finger in the owl's direction. Nelson peered around the corner and his eyes widened. I stepped into view, took the camera, and clicked away at the owl. Behind me, I heard Nelson retreat, and then he returned and I heard him taking pics, too. 

Great Horned Owl, Front View. Source: Nelson Draper

Great Horned Owl, Looking to side. Source: Anita Mae Draper

Great Horned Owl, Looking Back. Source: Nelson Draper

The owl checked out the place for a minute or so, and then turned and hopped away to another branch. This last photo of the owl looking back at us reminds me of a 1950's chenille bedspread due to the unique feather placement. However, when I look at its extended back and down to its feathered legs and sharp talons, I'm reminded more of a wary cat than a comfy bed. As usual, I'm amazed at God's creativity when I see something as special as a Great Horned Owl. By the way, the use of the word, horned, refers to its ear tufts.

Here's a short clip of the owl before and after it had hopped to another branch. If the video doesn't work, you can find it at: https://youtu.be/8Mn1gjMma-s 

i

Of course, this owl encounter has given me ideas about including the scene in a story, similar to how I included the cranes in my novella, Sweet Love Grows. I enjoy adding wildlife to my stories and hope the readers can see that.

Do you have a favorite owl, whether real, virtual, or fiction? Have you had an encounter with one? Care to share? 

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Anita Mae Draper's historical romances are woven under the western skies of the Saskatchewan prairie where her love of research and genealogy yield fascinating truths that layer her stories with rich historical details.  Anita's short story, Here We Come A-Wassailing, was a finalist for the Word Guild's 2015 Word Awards. Her novellas are included in Austen in Austin Volume 1, The American Heiress Brides Collection, and The Secret Admirer Romance Collection. Readers can check out Anita's Pinterest boards for a visual idea of her stories to enrich their reading experience.  Discover more at:

Website - www.anitamaedraper.com

Pinterest - www.pinterest.com/anitamaedraper/

Travel Log: Monterey California

by Anita Mae Draper

It's hard to believe that yesterday I awoke in beautiful Monterey, California, and today I'm back on the prairies and haven't seen a sailboat, sea otter, or a flash of brilliant blue water all day. I was down in Monterey for the Books & Such Literary Management Retreat and this time, my husband, Nelson joined me on my wonderful working vacation based in the Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa overlooking Monterey Bay, California.

View of Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa from kayak on kelp bed. Photo credit: Nelson Draper, Oct 2016

The view from our room was breathtaking and we spent many minutes taking photos of the plethora of boats, sunrises, and wildlife. Nelson was especially thrilled with the binoculars left in our room for our viewing pleasure. 

View from our room in the Monterey Plaza Hotel. Photo credit: Anita Mae Draper

The Monterey Plaza Hotel is on Cannery Row which used to be lined with canneries. Some of these canneries are still standing and contain shops and boutiques. Next door to the hotel is one of these old canneries. It appears in many of my photos where it is adorned with gulls, pigeons, and cormorants. This next photo shows the hotel and next-door cannery with the Coast Guard Pier in the background. This beach was below our window and we could hear the surf pounding against the beach and brick throughout the day and night.

Beach below the Monterey Plaza Hotel and next door cannery, Monterey, CA. Photo credit: Anita Mae Draper

From our window, we watched the incredible sun rise while gulls and cormorants greeted the day and seals "porpoised" in Monterey Bay. Here's a video showing seals and birds minutes before the sun appeared with its golden glow. My camera recorded it fine when the seals were slicing through the water, but went out of focus when they dived under water. I couldn't be annoyed however, when the sounds of gulls and barking sea lions carried on throughout this short video I've entitled, Monterey Bay Wildlife at Dawn.

And then the sun rose, washing the bay in light and exposing a thick layer of dew on every standing surface. 

Sunrise over Monterey Bay, California. Photo credit: Anita Mae Draper

While I was busy with the agency sessions on the first day, Nelson spent his time exploring the area around the Monterey Plaza Hotel which included the infamous Cannery Row. On the second day, I was in session when I received a text message from Nelson which said, "Out here in kayak." Gawk! I slipped out with my camera and this is what greeted me. My camera proved its worth as I zeroed in on Nelson in a red kayak way out there, in the centre of this pic.

Nelson Draper (middle of image) kayaking in Monterey Bay, Oct 2016. Photo credit: Anita Mae Draper

Here's a close up of one of the dozen or so I took of him through my Nikon P520 CoolPix camera...

Nelson Draper and friend, Monterey Bay, California, Oct 2016. Photo credit: Anita Mae Draper

Nelson said he'd often heard wings flapping and water splashing while he was out there, but whatever had made the noise was gone by the time he turned around. This photo was a fun surprise for him, however, as he hadn't realized anything was there until I showed him the evidence. 

He took some astounding photos from the kayak including the one at the top of this post showing the kelp and hotel, and this one of the wildlife taking advantage of the sunny rocks on Coast Guard Pier which forms part of the Monterey Harbour.

Coast Guard Pier, Monterey, California, Oct 2016. Photo credit: Nelson Draper

And after three full days in California, it was time to depart. I'll give you one last photo Nelson took while getting up close and personal with the wildlife while kayaking in the bay.

Goodbye from Monterey Bay, October 2016. Photo credit: Nelson Draper

I really enjoyed this second trip to Monterey, and a big part of that was that I was able to share the trip with Nelson and can now share the memory of it with him. Between the photos we took this year, and those I took of my 2014 Books & Such Monterey Retreat, we have many images of birds and animals which we'll be showing on Pinterest, Facebook, and our Draper's Acres blog in weeks to come. I hope you'll keep in touch as we share our journey.

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Anita Mae Draper's historical romances are woven under the western skies of the Saskatchewan prairie where her love of research and genealogy yield fascinating truths that layer her stories with rich historical details. Her Christian faith is reflected in her stories of forgiveness and redemption as her characters struggle to find their way to that place in their heart we call home. Anita loves to correspond with readers through her contact page, or any of the social media links found at www.anitamaedraper.com.

Readers can enrich their reading experience by checking out Anita's Pinterest boards for a visual idea of her stories at www.pinterest.com/anitamaedraper.

Epic Bird Battle

by Anita Mae Draper

One of the constants on my grandparents' farm was a tree under which we would park, play, and picnic. It always seemed to be large and so when I saw photographs before it was planted the farmyard seemed stark. It's fun to look back at the photos and see how we grew along with the tree.

When we moved to our own farm in October 1999 the first thing we did was plant an 18" spruce tree that we'd brought all the way from Alberta 5 yrs before and had grown in a container while we lived in town.

Once planted in the ground, the spruce grew slowly for 10 years. So slowly that we didn't realize it was growing until 4 yrs ago when it shot up 2 feet in one season. Just as parents measure their children against a door jamb, we take family photos standing in front of "the tree" because it's fun to look back and see how we all changed.

A month ago our youngest child graduated from high school. We needed some images of his journey to adulthood to show during the graduation ceremony and the following image is one of the ones I created for this event:

I have a great view of the tree from my kitchen window and this year I've noticed a variety of birds nesting in it, such as:
- American robins
- Chipping sparrows
- Eastern kingbirds

There is one problem however, the kingbird and robin built their nests within a couple feet of each other and have been at war. This montage shows the tree with nest locations as well as one epic battle that took place on July 7th. There weren't any injuries as far as I could tell and life went on.

The kingbird babies hatched first and were practicing their flying by the time the robins hatched. One day momma robin was sitting on her eggs and the next day bobble heads stretched up for food.

Both robin parents worked tirelessly to feed the 3 babies with momma doing the babysitting and poppa getting the food. She was rounder than him with lots of fluffy down feathers that blew in the wind like dandelion fluff whereas he was much more slim from running around.

The babies grew feathers and looked cute with their ear tufts.

And then one morning I looked out the window while making my coffee and saw that the robins' nest was totally wrecked.

I checked around and under the tree but didn't see any babies, and the parents haven't been back. I don't know if it was the kingbird, a marauding cat, or some wild animal. It's all destroyed.

The kingbirds are still taking flying lessons but the juveniles are now hunting on their own.

The thing is, this reminded me of neighboring countries who could live in peace if they want to protect their families, but choose to fight because they feel their territory is threatened. Such a waste.


Have you noticed any nesting going around in your yard or area?


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Anita Mae Draper's historical romances are woven under the western skies of the Saskatchewan prairie where her love of research and genealogy yields fascinating truths that layer her stories with rich historical details.  Anita's short story, Here We Come A-Wassailing, was a finalist for the Word Guild's 2015 Word Awards. Her novellas are included in Austen in Austin Volume 1, and The American Heiress Brides Collection. Readers can check out Anita's Pinterest boards for a visual idea of her stories to enrich their reading experience.  Discover more at:

Website - www.anitamaedraper.com

Pinterest - www.pinterest.com/anitamaedraper/

Wildlife Watch: Fox and Grouse

by Anita Mae Draper

A few weeks ago my husband mentioned that he'd like to have a camera with a zoom lens like mine in case he saw something interesting while he was out and about. Since I'd upgraded to a Nikon CoolPix P520, I gave him my P500 to try out. It's a great camera, but not quite the same zoom length.

I really like the images he's bringing back. So between the two of us we're cataloging quite an array of Saskatchewan wildlife. We've even started a little photo competition where we post what we consider our best shots of the day. (They're posted on my Draper's Acres blog as well as Facebook.)

Along with our photos, we made some videos and that's what I'd like to show you today... like the morning I looked out my living room window and saw a Red Fox on my lawn. If you don't see it below, check it out on YouTube. (Squeamish? Note: Fox eats small animal)

Red Fox Visit Apr 18, 2016:



Now that I'm having my morning coffee on my front patio, I'm seeing all kinds of birds that I recognize, and many tweets, chirps, and tunes that I don't.

This next video was a real surprise however, because I'd never see anything like it. The farmer who rents our undulating land had only planted the field yesterday and while I was sitting there enjoying the sun this morning, I saw 3 white spots come barreling over one of the hills. I zoomed in and saw a Sharp-Tailed Grouse trio with the two females being chasing a male if full display mode, ie with his head down, wings out, and his yellow eye patches and purple neck sac flaring. You see, he's courting the ladies and when he beats his feet on the ground and runs after them he reminds me of a crab. You can see it below or on YouTube.

Sharp-tailed Grouse Stalking Sequence

The male in my video looks like the one in this photo that I found on Wikipedia. Can you see the flared yellow eye patches and the purple neck sac? His pointed tail confirms he's a Sharp-Tailed Grouse.

Sharp-Tailed Grouse. Photo Credit: Rick Bohn. Courtesy of Wikipedia

On May 3rd Nelson managed to capture this great shot of a male Sharp-Tailed Grouse who wasn't displaying...



















Grouse are territorial and along with the males displaying to attract females, they also do it to scare/fight off challengers.

This next video of 3 males facing off was taken by Nelson on a windy day. The grouse are kind of hard to see, but it's a great example of them challenging for the top grouse position. If you can't see it below, check YouTube.

Sharp-Tailed Grouse Males Displaying



When I first watched the completed videos of these grouse, I was very disappointed because of the blocky quality. However, my teenager showed me that my YouTube setting was on Auto and that I could change the quality. When I put it on 480p I had to wait longer for it to load, but the video was much better. So very glad he told me that because I've since found out that I can see so much better on websites that have birdcams and animalcams when I change the quality setting.

I wish the videos were better, but if we tried to get closer to the grouse they would have flown, so we're thankful for what we did get. This year is the first time I've witnessed these birds in action and I think they're very fun to watch.

Do you have any memories or thoughts on the Sharp-Trailed Grouse and it's display? What about an encounter with a fox or other wildlife?

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Anita Mae Draper's stories are written under the western skies where she lives on the prairie of southeast Saskatchewan with her hubby of 30 plus years and the youngest of their four kids. When she's not writing, Anita enjoys photography, research, and travel, and is especially happy when she can combine the three in one trip. Anita's current release is Romantic Refinements, a novella in Austen in Austin Volume 1, WhiteFire Publishing, January 2016.  Anita is represented by Mary Keeley of Books & Such Literary Management. You can find Anita Mae at  www.anitamaedraper.com

Crane Spotting

by Anita Mae Draper

This week after uploading a new header to my Facebook page, I waited for comments of recognition, or at the very least questions of the bird species, without displaying the information in the image like I've done below.

I received some comments and likes, but I'm not sure anyone recognized my image of whooping cranes, an endangered species.

Identify a Crane. Courtesy of the International Crane Foundation

Actually, when we first saw them on our evening walk, we weren't even sure if they were whooping cranes. We had just passed the shelterbelt and our farm sign and were faced with a wide open eastern view of the prairie when movement across the road in a marshy area caught our eyes. We spotted the 3 cranes and I was ecstatic. And then, in our excitement, we moved too close and they took flight.

Whooping Cranes Taking Flight, April 2015. Photo by Anita Mae Draper

Seeing them fly was beautiful, but I felt guilty that I chased away these beautiful creatures who had stopped to rest on their 2,500 mile migration from Aransas, Texas to Wood Buffalo National Park which straddles the border between Alberta and the Northwest Territories.

You can understand how special we felt when you realize whooping cranes were placed on the endangered species list back in the mid 1940's when biologists placed their population at 21, although National Geographic puts the number as low as 16. And no, there are no zeroes behind that number.

Whooping Crane Migration Path. Courtesy of the International Crane Foundation

I've marked the location of our Montmartre, SK farm on the above map (Map courtesy of the International Crane Foundation). The cranes in my images are among the last of the naturally occurring whooping crane stock. Biologists suspect there were over one thousand whooping cranes in the 1800's, but their demise is believed to be due to hunting and egg collection as well as the influx of settlers who plowed the native prairie after draining the wetlands to make them arable.

Labeling the whooping crane as an Endangered Species instigated captive breeding programs over the years, in several states. Chicks are raised by humans wearing costumes that imitate their natural mothers, as shown in the following video:




Once they are old enough, they are trained to fly by following an ultra light plane, much like Canada geese did in the movie, Fly Away Home.

Whooping cranes don't begin to breed until they are 3-4 years old, and then it is only to a mate whom they've bonded with which can take another 3-4 years. Like humans, cranes like or disllike other cranes on sight and the female won't breed unless she feels an affinity to and has bonded with a certain male. Once bonded, they mate for life which can be 22-28 years.

Whooping cranes have 3 different sounds depending on their activity and you can listen to them all at the savingcranes.org site, or you can play my video and hear what sends me running outside with my camera. I can hear cranes coming from about half a mile away if the wind is right, and although they are usually the smaller sandhill cranes, they make the same sound as the whooping cranes. Sometimes they come in a V formation and I have to zoom in close to be sure they're not geese, but once they start circling, I know they're cranes. They go around and around many times and I lose sight of them, but then their pre-historic crawking sound draws my eye once again.

This video shows about 3 dozen sandhill cranes circling which I suspect is their way of conserving energy. They certainly cover a lot of ground doing it..




In this next video if you ignore the wind and the blurry flock, you can hear the sound they make while flying. My camera refused to focus on the fast cranes.




Whooping cranes remain on the endangered species list although their population is slowly increasing through these breeding programs.

2015 Whooping Crane World Population. Courtesy of the International Crane Foundation

You can help make a difference. This Saturday, on April 16th, is Crane Spotting Day of Sandhill and Whooping Cranes in over 90 counties in six states of the upper Midwest (Wisconsin and portions of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and Minnesota).

If you'd like to help out with this Crane Spotting survey, here's what the International Crane Foundation advises... New volunteers interested in taking part in the survey should first contact their local County Coordinator for instructions. Click here for a listing of 2016 County Coordinators, or contact Sara Gavney Moore, Communications Specialist, 608-356-9462, x155.

Whooping Crane or Sandhill Crane? Photo by Anita Mae Draper

Even though there isn't a Crane Spotting Day up here in Canada, you can be sure I'll be sitting at my bistro table on my south-facing patio all day Saturday to join in the count. My only problem is being able to identify a whooping crane from a sandhill crane while they're flying!

Did you hear about the whooping crane pair that was shot recently? The pair had bonded and would begin breeding in the next year or two. Such a heart-wrenching waste.

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Anita Mae Draper's stories are written under the western skies where she lives on the prairie of southeast Saskatchewan with her hubby of 30 plus years and the youngest of their four kids. When she's not writing, Anita enjoys photography, research, and travel, and is especially happy when she can combine the three in one trip. Anita's current release is Romantic Refinements, a novella in Austen in Austin Volume 1, WhiteFire Publishing, January 2016.  Anita is represented by Mary Keeley of Books & Such Literary Management. You can find Anita Mae at  www.anitamaedraper.com