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HOME FOR THE WINTER © Dee Ann Pederson All Rights Reserved. |
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For several million years, whooping cranes (Grus americana) have made the 2700-mile migration each fall from northern Alberta to the shallow waters along the intracoastal waterway of south Texas. Wintering in Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, these tall and magnificent birds feast on a rather eclectic diet of mollusks, insects, aquatic plants and their favorite, blue crabs. In early April, they return north, rearing chicks in Wood Buffalo National Park of northern Albert. Nesting pairs (who mate for life) share parenting duties for one or two chicks, ensuring they are ready for the long flight south in September, thus completing another of nature's great rhythms. Once at home in the tallgrass prairies of the Midwest and wooded parklands of central Canada, these majestic birds declined nearly to extinction in the 1940s, endangered by human settlement, pollution and loss of habitat. Thanks to the inspired efforts of a number of forward-looking and nature-loving individuals, the whooping crane is on its way back, now finding safe haven at both ends of its annual journey. Despite preservation of habitat, they will always be at risk, finding that delicate balance on which all of nature depends. Largely territorial and a fierce defender of its space, the whooping crane is very skittish around humans, rarely tolerating the close approach you see in the accompanying images. Windows of Nature by Dee Ann offers wildlife and scenic images from unique locations around the world, images that help restore our belief in the connectedness and creative expression of all life. See Dee Ann's story on the patterns of India at www.loupemedia.com/online/pederson See Dee Ann's story on Tanzanian rains at www.loupemedia.com/online/pederson2 |
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Windows of Nature by Dee Ann Dee Ann Pederson 2224 Portsmouth St., Houston, TX 77098-4024 | phone: 281.804.5932 | fax: 713.521.4546 email: deeann@windowsofnature.com | web: www.windowsofnature.com |
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