I heard through the grapevine that Sandhill Cranes have returned to Farmington Bay WMA. Since the cranes are there they might be at other Utah locations too. I am so freaking excited I can barely sit still.
Late winter Sandhill Cranes at Bear River MBR – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
Last year I heard Sandhill Cranes a couple times in January. The first Sandhill Cranes I saw and photographed were at Bear River MBR on February 10th. The pair of cranes were standing on the edge of the auto tour loop. Even though they weren’t close to me I stopped and took photos of the cranes. I remember feeling a rush of joy that made my whole body vibrate.
At first the cranes were silent but they started calling just before they lifted off. Their calls reached deep inside of me and my heart rate sped up. There is something about the call of these Sandhill Cranes and those of Tundra Swans that makes me feel more alive and connects me to the natural world like no other bird song. It is hard to describe in words what their calls do to me. I do love feeling it though!
Sandhill Crane calling in flight with snowy mountains behind it – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
I can hardly wait until I see my first of year Sandhill Cranes in the field. If I get photos of them that will be a bonus but simply seeing them after this long winter will bring me so much happiness. I’m a fairly simple woman and sometimes the smallest things bring me the most pleasure. The call of these cranes? It’s one of those pleasures that I treasure with every fiber of my being.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Sandhill Crane photos plus facts and information about this species.
Great shots. Birds in flight are so beautiful and so full of wonder. Thanks Mia.
Oh my. A few years ago, I watched them on the internet when there was a group not sure of the name now, had raised a group of the cranes by hand and then flew them south to the winter area maybe in Texas or some where. They had several little planes and herder the colts across the states and landed in fields along the way. Some people on the ground would set up pens and blinds to keep them in for a few days to rest. The people were dressed in white so the birds would not get use to seeing humans. I loved to watch. Then I think the funding stopped after a couple of years. I wonder how many of the colts made there way back to Canada the next year. I was really interesting. A couple of the places they stopped at had hunters, so they had to find another place to land.
Nice photos as usual. I was at Farmington yesterday and walked out on the south west arm, where the bridges are. It wasn’t as very birdy. They have drained the pond and there were some sleeping swans and ducks, gulls eating the dead fish and a few eagles way out on the ice. Most of the open water close by was frozen over again. There were a big flock of small white underside birds flying around in the grassy plains. I don’t know what they were. They never got close enough, very flighty!
The photo of a crane against snowy mountains is a great reminder of the land they navigate each year.