Sun and Cranes

Finally, a sunny morning with blue sky! After breakfast, I went out to tidy up the soggy garden a little, when I heard the sound of cranes. The formation in this blip and the first extra (taken with the phone camera , but still better in large) was just one of many we saw today, but none of the others obliged me with flying exactly over our house, and very low, too. 

As I just read, the cranes set a new record (link in German): two days ago, more than 100.000 cranes were counted flying over our state, Hesse, at the same time. 

B and I went for a long walk around noon, and saw many more flocks of cranes and other migrating birds - geese, red kites, and some smaller birds that could have been snipes or sandpipers. They all made good use of this mild and sunny day, before the next storm arrives tomorrow.

My second extra shows one of the Asian lady beetles that are replacing our native ladybugs. They are now looking for warm places to spend the winter.