Happy Hour With the Alt Family

Dad was getting pissed! It was bad enough that he had been subdued and those humans had actually attached a radio transmitter to his leg. Now more were arriving and slamming their car doors. Can't a Whooper get any peace?
We decided to take a break and head over to Lamar for some birding. It was pretty nice and the sun was out so the plan was to go birding before happy hour at the park, but plans change. Loading up the binocs and camera we headed out and crossed the long bridge to the Lamar Peninsula.

As soon as we reached the bay we saw trucks and cars with birders and a little further we saw the Alts, putting on their show, as only whoopers can do. See the Alts, an adult pair of whoopers and their chick, have taken possession of a pasture with a deer feeder.
The total count of whoopers is up a little at about 290 birds and it seems to us anyway that the population is expanding their wintering area. The lobstick family at the refuge claims about 600 acres, all though the male lost a fight with a younger male and lost some of it.

Finally the Alts had had enough and flew away as another car door slammed shut.. We drove a little further to the Big Tree shore where a second whooper family has taken possession of its own territory. This family has twins, which is pretty rare for the whoopers.  Further out we still watched them while we talked with other birders and one let us look through his spotting scope,)all though our binocs are quite good).
We finally realized it was happy hour back at the rv park, but happy hour with the whoopers is special too! If only everyone could see the majesty of these birds, their height and bearing and regal red crown! Its not hard to believe that they are five feet tall and it has been reported that one killed a feral pig with a peck from his beak!

Watching we saw rosettes spoonbills land and feed. A reddish egret perched atop a duck blind. Near us a flock of turkey and black vultures seemed unconcerned with our nearness.It was happy hour after all and the Alts did return back to their pasture, landing not far behind us and rejoing the birders and birds happy hour. Clear skies.