Found it! I had to go on a hunt, but found the nest and papa was sitting on the eggs. He was sitting very proudly on his future family. His nest is nicely built up, but in very easy access to a boater. Luckily the water level is falling and the lily pads so abundant, I am hoping for the next 20+ days that no boaters come by to disturb the nest. My neighbor and I watched for a while as the Papa sat like Horton on those eggs. He was ever vigilant. Finally the mama crane came back to the nest
She walked up and the father crane stood up 
and
could see there were two distinct eggs which he moved
around a bit.
Finally mama crane switched places and sat down on the nest. She really blends in with that rusty coloration. It is always a pleasure to have these birds close by and watch the progress of the family. By my calculations we should see some hatching around the 25th-26th of March. So stay tuned….
3 responses so far ↓
anhinga // March 5, 2009 at 6:21 pm |
That’s wonderful. Hope they both hatch this year. Your shots are beautiful, ethereal, especially the second one down. I’m so excited. Are they adjacent to your property?
MaryElizabeth McIlvane // March 5, 2009 at 7:25 pm |
Abbe
I love the — yes the pictures are stunning .. can hardly wait. I sent the url to a friend who loves nature, grew up in Winter Park and now lives in Northern California .. I know she will enjoy this .. keep me in the loop as Mom and chicks hatch!
ryan // November 10, 2009 at 4:51 am |
Amazing.
I’m fascinated by the nesting ritual. Thanks for these pix.