Every now and then, I get to experience the great thrill of stepping outside to encounter endangered species having breakfast in my yard.
Sandhill Cranes are among one of my favorite birds, and it always nice to see them doing well. I have counted as many as 11 individuals together at one time within my community… awesome!!!
Just thought I would share is all. 
Nice pics. Why is it endangered - hunting? - loss of habitat? - poor shopping habits?
djm
Look like good eatin’ to me.
You are one lucky dude. 
… I know it’s bad wine pairing, but try 'em with a nice Chianti… 
A little of all of the above, and toss in bored teenagers for good measure.
Those are beutiful birds, JES! You’re one lucky guy…do they come there often?
In the late summer/early fall, there are many that hang out and feast on the abundance of Anoles:
and insects. It is a good idea not too get too close as they will tear you apart. When I took these photos they were approaching me and trilling their objection to my closeness, so I hid behind my palm trees.
One of the veterinary clinics which I was employed at in the past, had one brought in that had broken it’s leg and become trapped in somebody’s porch. It was NOT a happy camper, and I have more scars to confirm that fact.
All we did, was give a once over for any possible other injuries, watered it and waited for the wild life folk to come and transport it to their facility. Amazing animals!
Whoo! Joseph! Those guys look like they’re doing great! We never see them over here. Lucky you!
You’re fortunate to still have green anoles, too. We have only the brown variety now. I haven’t seen a green one for years.
Yes, we do have a few greenies left around here. What is encouraging to me is there are a good number of babie greens. But they are far out numbered by the browns… most of which are not indigenous to Florida, and are slowly competing out the green variety for territory and food. Sad, really.
Lovely birds, ain’t they? There’s just something about cranes . . .
We have a large wintering population in central CA – they should start arriving just about now, in fact, and remain through winter – that are wonderful to see. At the Cosumnes River Preserve, you can sometimes see several thousand wheeling around in the sky at dusk, trumpeting their loud calls (they sound like horns, really), or performing their elaborate courtship dances on the shore. Awesome animals.
I think the sandhill crane is the only crane species that’s not universally endangered (it’s listed as endangered in some individual states, but its numbers are quite strong nationally: you can see over 500,000 of them at once on the Platte River in Nebraska!). Many of the other cranes are in dire trouble, sadly.
Peter Matthiessen wrote a book on his life as a “craniac” recently, called The Birds of Heaven: Travels with Cranes, which is a worthy read for anyone interested in birds, ecology, and good writing.
(JES: I used to volunteer each weekend at a rehab center that specialized in waterbird rescue and oil-spill response: I can sympathize with your experience; an angry crane is not to be trifled with! They look slight and graceful, but those long legs are strong, and those claws are sharp! Not fun to handle . . .)
Sorry; I go all rhapsodic about birds…
Not to mention their beaks… if you don’t secure them! 
I hadn’t ealized that Sandhills were off the list of endangered species.
I want one! Can I keep it in a canary cage and feed it old biscuits?
That book by Peter Matthiessen (was there ever a last name harder to spell?) was good. I would like to go to Nebraska sometime and see those cranes. I’ve never seen a crane at all.
Yeah, pointy beaks are dangerous, too (though cormorants and pelicans, with those hooked beaks, are scarier).
The Florida sandhill is listed as “Threatened” by the state. Of the six subspecies of sandhill, two are actually listed by CITES as endangered.
You’re lucky; the Florida Sandhill is one of the non-migratory subspecies, so you have 'em all year long. I only get to see them in the winter, and then they all head up north for the rest of the year. No fair.
Those are some beautiful birds, JES. It reminded me of what we would see when we vacationed in Florida. Then I saw in your profile that you live in Florida. AH-HA It’s nice that you can get such a close up view of them, although I’m sure picking up the little “presents” that they leave on your lawn is no fun.
Will O’Ban
Not a problem, the dog eats em… of course, I am just kidding.
Really, they just sink into the St. Augustine grass, and dissolve or are carried away by fire ants to their mounds.
Sure, ya are, and who cleans up after the dog?
What do you think I eat? 
…all right…
Are you the top of the food chain? It does end somewhere, doesn’t it! 