The cranes are back in town!
Guess who just got back today?
Those big blue birds who had been away.
Hadn’t changed, hadn’t much to say,
But man, I still think them birds are great.
The cranes are back in town…
With a shout out
Yes, it’s silly. And I’m not even sure they just got back today. But when, on this glorious autumn afternoon, I took Emma for a walk in the Vineyard in Albuquerque’s North Valley by RGB, I did see them for the first time this season.
It’s my favorite time of year for a reason. It was calm, the sky clear but for a few subtle brush-strokes of cloud, warm enough I wished I’d worn shorts and a short-sleeved shirt, but by no means hot. The trees remain mostly green, but they’ve begun to show a lot of color. Down south by Montaño stood three small trees in a row: two gold, one red, the last gold. Pretty.
We didn’t exactly set a blistering pace. We haven’t been there in months - I know; it’s criminal - and Emma had to sniff everything. Which was fine. I walked briskly in between sniff stops.
At first I saw few birds of note, except for big flocks of Canada geese grazing and flying in vees off to the west toward the river, and some ducks in the ditch. The first leg of our walk ran along the west side of the Los Poblanos Fields Open Space (the Vineyard’s “official” name; I officially call it, “The Vineyard.”) About two thirds of the way down I noticed a suspiciously tall and bluish-grey bird standing out among the Canadas one or two hundred yards away in the stubble-field to my left. I hardly needed my ever-handy Simmons monocular to confirm my first impression: Sandhill cranes don’t look like much else. Except, of course, dinosaurs.
I counted five of them. I love the cranks. (I have pet names for everything. You may’ve noticed.) They’re striking birds, very imposing. Mostly I just like having them around. And seeing them for the first time after they’ve gone away for the Spring is always a treat.
They’ve got the Maize Maze up again. Emma was naturally suspicious of the largish number of people near it - a lot of folks at the Vineyard today in general, and small wonder. Of course, Emma is convinced that dacoits, or possibly ninjas, abound everywhere, looking to fall on us unawares and end us.
Anyway, I’ve long wanted to do the corn-maze tour. I was thinking of maybe going this year if I could get a date.
After the fit of only slightly hysterical laughter died down, I realized I could go with my Meetup group a week from today. I need to do more with those folks. They’re nice. And it’s why I joined.
So, um - birds. A kestrel flew low overhead, which was cool. Hadn’t seen one in a spell. I always love teh kesties, even if they are descended from penguins. Or rather, er, parrots. Whatevs.
I also saw a couple birds chasing each other in circles right above the shorn-off corn that I thought were meadowlarks. It’s usually a good guess in the area, and shortly thereafter I heard the distinct call of one. If it matters to you I think they were Western meads. What they were doing I’m none too sure, since this seems an impropitious season for starting a family.
Long story … slightly less long, Emma and I had fun. And we want to get out in the Vineyard a whole lot more in coming weeks.