Stranded on the Wrong Side
A juvenile crane clung with its chest pressed flat against black silt fencing along the muddy bank.
Its thin, gray legs dangled backward into the wet grass as raindrops pelted its downy brown head.
A few yards away, two tall adult sandhill cranes stood ankle-deep in the flooded ditch, their beaks parted as they called back toward the berm.
The young bird flapped its short wings, trying to pull its belly over the top edge of the mesh.
Every forward lurch slid its clawed feet deeper into the slippery slope below.
The plastic barrier stood only knee-high, but for the flightless chick, it formed an insurmountable wall.
Rushing Through the Rain
A white pickup truck pulled to a stop on the access road just above the drainage ditch.
The driver’s door swung open immediately into the downpour.
A man wearing heavy rubber muck boots and a blue hooded rain jacket jogged down the grassy incline.
He pulled on a pair of thick leather work gloves as his boots churned through the saturated turf.
The adult birds shifted in the water, tracking his approach with sharp turns of their crowned heads.
Neither adult took flight; they remained grounded in the shallow canal, watching the worker close the distance.
A Careful Lift Over the Mesh
The worker dropped onto one knee in the wet grass directly behind the struggling chick.
He extended both hands, approaching from behind to prevent the bird from scrambling into a tighter bind.
His gloved fingers wrapped firmly around the bird’s lower body, gathering its small wings close to its sides.
The chick released a series of high-pitched chirps and kicked its long toes against the plastic mesh.
Gently easing the chick upward, the worker checked to ensure neither foot was looped in the netting material.
“Easy, easy tall guy,” the man said as he supported the chick under its chest.
He lifted the bird completely clear of the top wire and lowered it toward the far side of the barrier.
He held the bird upright until its feet touched the wet grass on the ditch slope, stabilizing its footing.
Rejoining the Flock
Once released, the young bird steadied itself for a second on the slippery incline.
It stretched its neck, ruffled its damp feathers, and hopped down the final drop into the pooled water.
The worker stayed crouched by the fence line with his hands resting on his knees.
Both adult birds turned their bodies, flanking the youngster as soon as its feet hit the shallow surface.
The chick trotted between them, matching their steady stride as all three birds walked in a straight line down the flooded channel.
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