Birds

 The parrots made their semi-annual stopover a couple of weeks ago. They will be back at the end of summer. There aren't as many as in years past, maybe 40 now, down about 20.

I heard the first redwing blackbird a few minutes ago. Seems kind of late for them. 

Some sandhill cranes live here year-round. Last Friday my wife and I were on our way somewhere when three cranes stepped onto the four-lane, two adults and the smallest baby crane I have seen since we moved here in late 2014. Little brown bird, looked fuzzy. The daddy crane led the family. My wife stopped our car. The car to our right did not stop. The daddy crane leaped up and back, wings fully extended and twisting him in the air. He turned far enough, fast enough, the car sped by, the driver's window missing the crane by an inch or less. The car was speeding.

Cranes know they have right of way, but they can't stop speeding cars with unwatchful humans.