Millie, Roy and their colts

In the last few days of August, Oblio took several short flights around the pond.

On the morning of August 31, Roy and Millie spent hours purring, apparently coaxing Oblio to fly. Finally, after several abortive attempts, all three lifted off. Oblio flew with her right leg hanging down, but they cleared the trees and disappeared across the valley. Three hours later, the cranes returned; the rest of the day was spent in preening and feeding.

For the first days of September, Millie, Roy, and Oblio spent their days feeding (every two hours), dancing as a group of three (the first dances we had seen for over a month), and flying off on short daytime flights in all directions. Oblio usually lay resting in the grass for an hour or more after these flights. Every night, the family roosted overnight in a pond across the valley (2-3 km distant).

Early September weather was mild and with each day, Oblio grew stronger. Her right leg dangled somewhat in flight, but by the end of the first week of September, she was able to keep up with her parents (Image 12, September 10).

On the morning of September 11, bouts of feeding and preening alternated every hour. At 11:05 AM, the three flew off to the south, then turned west down the valley and disappeared, departing (we hope) on their migration south. The timing was auspicious since the first serious frost occurred only four days later.