I returned to check on the baby Sandhill Crane Uno last Saturday, on his sixth day of life.  He had already almost doubled in size since I last saw him!  The little guy spent most of the morning in the weeds by the lake, but he did come out a few times to pose for the camera.  So here are his six-day-old portraits. :)

Little Uno is still in his tiny-cute-crane phase!  As you can see, he is only as tall as a small twig.  His mobility was much improved over my last visit, and he’d developed the stamina to spend the full day away from his nest.  Mom didn’t tuck him under her wing at all while I was there.

The baby spent most of the morning tucked into the vegetation. He seemed to realize that he blended right in to the dead grasses, Nature’s perfect camouflage.  But that was slightly less than photogenic!  So I spent some time photographing his parents, who stood preening while their offspring meandered.  The best preening shots are when the bird’s face is parallel to the camera.  This bird almost cooperated! :)

This was one of two times that the baby Sandhill Crane ventured out into the open grass.  I love the dewy grass around him in the soft morning light.  Did I mention that baby Sandhill Cranes are one of my favorite photography subjects? ;-)

I loved the curious look that Dad gave me at one point.  These birds are so gentle.  I always enjoy the quiet mornings that I spend with this family!  Dad seemed to look over at me and decide that I wasn’t a threat, then he led little Uno right past me.  Time to grab the intermediate telephoto for a baby head shot…

Don’t worry, you haven’t seen the last of Baby Uno.  I went back the next day and got some AMAZING photos.  Stay tuned!