Yesterday as I drove home, I was passing one of the open pastures where I have taken photos before when I spotted this pair of Sandhill cranes (Antigone canadensis pratensis) taking a break from the heat under one of the large, old live oaks that help make that field so pretty. They were a ways out into the field, so I couldn’t get any really sharp, detailed images. I stayed still for about half an hour or so, hoping that they would get closer, but even after they stopped keeping an eye on me, they showed no inclination to move out of the shade. I really couldn’t blame them since the heat index was 107 yesterday. I had finally had enough of the heat myself and headed on home. There are five subspecies of Sandhill cranes, which includes the Florida subspecies. They tend to be found in open fields, wetlands, prairies, and other open areas where water is readily accessible. The Florida subspecies is found mainly in the Florida peninsula. These birds are mostly herbivorous feeding on seeds, berries, and vegetation, but they will also occasionally eat small mammals, insects, and reptiles.