Foothills Times September 2019 JAN2020 FLIP MAG FOOTHILS TIMES | Page 10

As a bird nerd I just had to take a spur of the moment road trip out to the Pungo Unit at Pocosin Lakes NWR in eastern North
Carolina to see the Sandhill Cranes that have been hanging out with the Tundra Swan and Snow Geese. Sandhill Cranes are rare for
North Carolina especially in eastern NC.
What a sight to see! Seven Sandhill Cranes have been spotted hanging out with the Tundra Swan for a few weeks. Not only was I
impressed with seeing the cranes but I was blown away by the sheer number of Tundra Swan. Thousands of them are here wintering
on the shallow lakes and surrounding farm fields of eastern North Carolina. Sandhill Cranes are large, long-legged birds much like
herons. Adults are gray with red crowns while the immature cranes are gray with rusty patches. They enjoy shallow freshwater
marshes and agricultural fields where they eat primarily grains and seeds but they may also include berries and small invertebrates
and vertebrates in their diets. They fly with their necks outstretched, unlike herons that tuck their necks while flying. Cranes can live
for over 35 years in the wild.
Photos by: Heather Schaefgen-Russell
For a long time swans have invoked images of romance most likely because they tend to form permanent pair bonds by the age of
2-3. Once they have bonded, they will feed and roost together continually throughout the year.
Tundra Swans are long-distance migrants. Those breeding and nesting on the Arctic tundra winter all along the East Coast,
with the coastal mid-Atlantic hosting the majority of the wintering swans. Destruction of southern wetlands has reduced their former
food sources in wintering areas, but they have adapted by feeding on waste products in agricultural fields. Peak numbers of Tundra
Swan often exceed 25,000 at Pungo Lake.
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