ML612351622

Age

Not specified

Sex

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Observation details

Lifer!!! LETS GOOOO! Holy smokes what a MEGA lifer to find. Viewed from (34.5404997, -102.2568657), bird was to the north of 86 with a bunch of sandhills around (34.5472911, -102.2573190). I didn’t see it, but assuming it flew off to the northwest with all the other cranes around 1650 - most of the cranes left that direction I looked down at my phone for a second and when I looked back up it was gone. I had stopped to look for a shrike when I realized there was a large flock of Sandhills to the north, so I lazily started scanning thinking what the heck might as well try to find a Common Crane... I was looking at one within 20 seconds!! I couldn't believe my eyes at first I thought it was just a weird Sandhill with some black markings but I quickly realized that it was a Common Crane. Got great views for 2 minutes or so and was able to get good pics/videos until it flew farther away to the back of the field and stayed here for about an hour. Incredible bird. Seemed slightly paler gray than the SACR, with no brown at all in plumage, with black tail and wing feathers very noticeable in flight, when standing black tipping could be seen on some of the coverts as well as the black wing-tips, which was a helpful mark to recognize it when its head was down. The face pattern was the most distinctive field mark, with black crown extending down in front of eye to meet the black throat patch which goes down to stop squarely about half-way down the neck. Bright white cheek patches connect at the nape, making the back part of the neck all white. A small dark red patch is in the center of the crown, and it has a yellower bill. The iris seemed a lighter yellow as compared to the orange-yellow of the Sandhills. It was a little more aggressive, I saw it poke and bite at other birds once or twice. According to the TBRC this appears to be the 4th state record assuming it is accepted. First county record for Castro County. Realizing now I am prolly the first person in history to have seen a Common Crane and a Yellow-footed Gull in the same day lol.

Technical information

Dimensions

2039 pixels x 1170 pixels

Original file size

601.17 KB