Craning at the crane an picking on the pileated

On the way back from the Dells this afternoon, I saw a sand hill crane standing in the snow in a field near here. It is one of the largest birds in the world, standing about four feet high and with a wingspan of up to seven feet. The first time I saw some in someone's yard, I thought they were fake. A pair hangs out around here in the summer, especially down at the pond and across in Jerry's field. This is the closest I have been to one, and they are pretty amazing up close, with that red head.

Speaking of reheads, a pileated woodpecker (only one) was back at the bird feeder today, pecking away at the small scraps in one of the suet boxes. The other box has a big chunk, but this big bird was digging at the little stuff. Bird brains!

He finally moved around and began pecking on one side of the bigger chunk, all the while with a hairy woodpecker chipping away on the other side of the same piece. I guess they may be bird brains, but they know how to share. Something the rest of us could learn from them, I suppose.