(Judy went on a study trip with other students and teacher, Katie Noonan, from the ESA at Oakland HS in late October to see the Sandhill Cranes).

How does it feel to stand next to a bird that is five feet tall and weighing only from eight to twelve pounds? It would feel great and scary at the same time! In the Central Valley of California, three of the seven subspecies of Sandhill cranes spend their wintertime there. The Sandhill crane has a red forehead, white cheeks, and a long dark pointed bill. In flight, their long dark legs stand out and their long neck stretches out straight. It is a good experience to see this species of bird.

Sandhill cranes live in river valleys and marshes across North America. The population is over 500,000 worldwide, but there are many endangered species in certain areas. Their breeding habitat are in marshes in Alaska, Canada, Cuba, Siberia, and southeastern of the United States. They nest in marsh vegetation or on the ground close to water. The female lays two eggs on a mound of vegetation. At first, both parents feed the young, but the young quickly learn to feed themselves. They remain with their parents for their first nine to ten months, living up to 25 years in the wild. In the Central Valley of California, they spend their time in open grasslands and flooded agricultural fields. The Sandhill cranes are lazy birds; they eat whatever is in front of them and fly in messy flocks. The habitat they live in usually provides them with corn, rice, wheat, barely, aquatic invertebrates, and small vertebrates. They communicate with each other through vocalizations and certain postures. The sound of their vocals will make a person's ears ring in a good way. The Sandhill cranes have played their part in nature's complex web.

Seeing the Sandhill cranes in the San Joaquin Delta, California is magnificent. The Department of Fish and Game gives the cranes their privacy, not letting anyone interfere with their lives. People cannot go up to the Sandhill crane and compare themselves to their height; if they could, it would be a better experience. Viewing the Sandhill cranes though binoculars and hearing their vocals is a great trip to take in California.