Each year at this time of year we get a small number of sandhill cranes migrating over Southern Vancouver Island. Having grown up in Saskatchewan I was familiar with the migrating flocks with their characteristic warbling call. I was surprized to find that they also nested up the coast of British Columbia.
Today at noon we saw a pair right down in front of our house in the sheep pasture. Got a few hasty pictures:
This presentation by Krista Roessingh tells the story about one of their their nesting sites.
http://ecoreserves.bc.ca/2009/03/17/sandhill-crane-er-possibilities/