On Sat, 03 Dec 2016 18:58:03 -0500, wrote:

On Sat, 03 Dec 2016 14:16:07 -0800, Oren wrote:

On Sat, 03 Dec 2016 15:33:26 -0600, "cowabunga dude"
wrote:


When I went out to get the mail a sandhill crane flew away from on top of the storage building, overlooking the stock tank.

They've been around before and never been a problem. I like seeing them around when they drink from the stock tank.

When I poured in some fish food I watched for the fish to swarm around and eat, there wasn't any fish. There had been four large eight inch, two large four inch, and the rest were around three inches, but skinny. There were seventeen, now there are none.

I poked around with a stick, and still no fish.

Never before have fish been missing after I've seen sandhill cranes.

As you might be able to tell, I'm disappointed.

They are omnivorous, "They feed in shallow water, sometimes probing
with their bills, or walking through short growth and fields. Their
diet includes insects, both aquatic plants and animals, seeds, grains,
berries, tubers, fruit, nuts, small mammals, lizards, snakes, frogs,
rodents, and even small birds. "

Beautiful birds, almost became endangered in Florida. Now they have
returned and flourish.

https://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/education/interactive/springscoast/sandhillcranes.shtml

I agree with that. Cranes, egrets, herons and ibis will eat just about
anything they can get in their mouth.
A big blue heron will eat a fish a pelican can't get down.
That red/brown cap on their head is the best way to identify a
sandhill. They may be rare but most golf courses are full of them
around here.

You may know when birds in the Everglades where shot by hunters. Their
feathers sold in the North for ladies hats. The birds were nearly
decimated during the time, shot out of their roost.

Ft. Myers, it was rare to see a Sandhill Crane. My last visit they
were foraging at the new international airport entry road. Beautiful
site.

I've read they and other large birds are tasty, particularly the big
breast meat. A little wild flavor. Saw a food show where they can
be harvested in limited numbers around grain fields in some states.
(Andrew Zimmerman show?)

A favorite bird of mine in Florida (as a kid) was the Belted
Kingfisher.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belted_kingfisher

They could eat some fish. Drop from above and scoop them up. Never
land in the water.