molting again

our sandhill cranes are molting again. i just looked up how long it takes for them to grow back their molted feathers, and it looks like it is about 2 months (45-70 days). that makes sense to me, as they will be getting ready to migrate in early october. molting is painful and dangerous. so it is only done during periods of mild weather and abundant food. the lifespan of sandhill cranes in the wild is 20-30 years!  this is our second year with this pair (they mate for life, and return to the same nesting grounds every year). i am hopeful we will enjoy many years with them, but i have resisted giving them names yet, as i will be devastated if anything happens to them and naming them would only make it worse. but they are are such a large part of lives and conversations now, that it is getting inconvenient to not have a short hand for referring to them. so, if you have any name suggestions please put them in comments. it may be time.

sandhill crane feathers