Jon Ranson and I visited Elkton on Sunday, July 18, in search of the Sandhill Crane.  We saw it immediately upon driving into Meadow Park, where it was feeding in the middle of the field at 6:10.  

I stopped to buy some bird-watching patience (a treat from the ice-cream man) for my daughter, who was along for the ride. The ice-cream man was telling me about the "good bird" that was "always here, you will see him" as, over the front of the truck, I watched what seemed to be a man deliberately setting his black lab on the bird.  The dog was walking with the man, he seemed to signal, and the dog ran straight at the bird, flushing it.  The man then called the dog back to him, and they continued to walk together.  It didn't look like a dog escape or an accident  ... but I don't know.  It happened so fast!  

The bird disappeared for quite awhile.  We searched the area, and a park across the road, without luck.  We hung out at the park while I let my daughter play, hoping it would return.  As we were leaving, about 7:30, we decided to scan the marshy area a bit more closely.  A couple from PA came scanning too, and soon they put us on the Crane.  It had decided to hang out in a less accessible part of the park, along with a nice Great Egret.  

The bird has apparently become a big deal in town - I heard he had a story in the local paper.  It was disturbing, however, to see he'd become a recreational resource for a certain black lab.   

Joanne

Joanne Howl, DVM
West River, MD