PHOTO OF THE DAY: Cranes create detour

Two sandhill cranes created a traffic jam on southbound Lakewood Ranch Boulevard just before 10 a.m. this morning just south of Lakewood Ranch Main Street.

The cranes, a threatened species in Florida with their distinguished red heads, are known for being fearless and making their presence known in the area.

The birds stood in the right hand lane for more than 20 minutes, squawking at approaching motorists that were forced to merge into the left lane.

The cranes eventually ended their traffic detour experiment and exited the road for a nearby lake.

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected].