HI Charlotte, 

They were still there on my drive home this evening around 6 pm, essentially the same place I saw them in the morning. Pretty cool. 


Dorothy J. Allard
1331 Waterville Mt. Rd.
Bakersfield, VT 05441

802-827-0225 Google Voice--this number will ring on both home and cell phone!
802-827-9779 (home and Analytical Resources)
802-279-4249 (cell phone; 
no service at home and in some other areas;
work number for UVM)





-----Original Message-----
From: Charlotte Bill <[log in to unmask]>
To: VTBIRD <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thu, Aug 2, 2012 1:40 pm
Subject: [VTBIRD] Update Re: [VTBIRD] Sandhill cranes fairfield


A pleasure to meet you Roy and am glad you saw all three cranes!!!



A pleasure to meet you Roy and am glad you saw all three cranes!!!

Here's a Fairfield Sandhill Crane update for all:


Thanks to Dorothy Allard's post, as well as an email from Franklin County 
Forester, Nancy Patch (who narrowed down the location a bit more), I was able to 
get over to Fairfield by 8:45 and watch the cranes until 9:51 today. My husband, 
Hal,  joined me about 9:35 from an appointment in St. Albans.


After I made my initial post to VTBird, I saw that while the youngster was 
definitely feeding on its own, its parents were also giving it tidbits of food - 
very delicately offered at the tip of the long beak and equally delicately 
accepted.


Five crows were feeding on the ground nearby - fun to watch the young bird chase 
them away - also to watch the young bird stretch and flap its wings, though it 
did not take flight.

Prior to Hal's arrival. I alternately watched from the ground and from my 
vehicle (using both it and the big red hay wagon as a blind). The cranes were 
first feeding along the far edge of the hay field and moving west, but then they 
moved more into the center of the field and moved steadily east. At one point, 
they were within 100 feet of my car, so I had incredible views. They continued 
east, moving down the slope. Then Hal arrived, and we watched them move 
gradually out of sight over the edge of the downward slope. Hal left going east 
to home, and I headed west to see the Osprey at Fairfield Swamp WMA, then drove 
back east.

Saw two locals in a pick-up truck marveling at the cranes in the field near the 
little marshy area Roy mentions, so I stopped and we all looked. Then I realized 
I might as well turn around and go into St. Albans for an errand.

Driving back from St. Albans, I saw a car that looked like a birder's car, so I 
stopped and met Roy. We both had spotted the immature crane in the reeds of the 
little marshy area, but I left him to it and headed home.

Soooo, as Roy mentions the cranes were last seen in little marshy area on the 
north side of Route 36 0.5-0.6 miles east of Hill Road (Another marker for you: 
I first saw them 1.2 miles east of and last saw them 1.4 miles east the the sign 
at the Fairfield Swamp Wildlife Management Area.)

Cheers,

Charlotte Bill
Enosburgh



________________________________
 From: Roy Zartarian <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] 
Sent: Thursday, August 2, 2012 11:39 AM
Subject: Re: [VTBIRD] Sandhills cranes fairfield
 
All three birds were just now seen in a little marshy area .5-.6 miles east
of Hill Rd.

And thanks to Charlotte Bill for being on site and pointing me in the right
direction.

Roy Zartarian
visiting Connecticut birder

On Thursday, August 2, 2012, Charlotte Bill wrote:

> Than you Dorothy!!!
>
> The cranes are 0.4 miles east of Hill Road on Rte 36 in Fairfield. They
> are working along far edge of newly mown field. Appear to be 2 adults in
> typical summer plumage and one immature bird, though whether this year's or
> last year's colt I do not have enough experience to say.
>
> Not a safe place to stop on Rte 36 but there is a place to get well off
> the traveled lanes near the big red empty hay wagon in the field.
>
> Charlotte Bill
> Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From:         Dorothy J Allard <[log in to unmask] <javascript:;>>
> Sender:       Vermont Birds <[log in to unmask] <javascript:;>>
> Date:         Thu, 2 Aug 2012 07:52:48
> To: <[log in to unmask] <javascript:;>>
> Reply-To:     Vermont Birds <[log in to unmask] <javascript:;>>
> Subject: [VTBIRD] Sandhills cranes fairfield
>
> Three cranes this morning in a newly mown hayfield in Fairfield on Rt 36
> east of Fairfield swamp.
>
> Dorothy A.
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>