{"id":51228,"date":"2018-03-12T06:54:46","date_gmt":"2018-03-12T12:54:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=51228"},"modified":"2024-08-22T13:28:37","modified_gmt":"2024-08-22T18:28:37","slug":"sandhill-cranes-in-flight-during-spring-migration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/03\/12\/sandhill-cranes-in-flight-during-spring-migration\/","title":{"rendered":"Sandhill Cranes In Flight During Spring Migration"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"PairPair of Sandhill Cranes in flight during spring migration – Nikon D300, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 500, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The last couple of times I have gone to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and further north of there I have been so happy to hear and see, even if from a long distance, the return of our Sandhill Cranes.\u00a0 Their calls speak to me, they reach right into me and remind me of not only their wildness but my own.<\/p>\n

Sandhill Crane calls<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

We are as much a part of nature as these living fossils are but the trappings of “civilized” life often puts an invisible barrier between us and our wild selves.<\/p>\n

I haven’t been able to photograph the cranes yet this year because they have been so far away but I am hoping that very soon I’ll be able to look through my viewfinder at these amazing & fascinating birds and take more photos of them. I especially would love to photograph a pair of them during their courtship display.<\/p>\n

This pair of Sandhill Cranes in flight during spring migration were photographed in Wayne County, Utah on March 15, 2014 as they came into land on a farmer’s field with clouds behind them.<\/p>\n

Seeing Sandhill Cranes during spring migration also makes me feel like I can shed the heavy clothing I’ve worn during the winter because I know that warmer weather is on the way. Some people believe robins or bluebirds are the harbingers of spring, for me it is nearly a tie between Long-billed Curlews and Sandhill Cranes here in northern Utah.<\/p>\n

I can’t wait. It has been a long, weird winter here.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Sandhill Crane photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The last couple of times I have gone to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and further north of there I have been so happy to hear and see, even if from a long distance, the return of our Sandhill Cranes. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":132936,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5270,27,450,26,2486],"tags":[4004,4259,2304,4101,3823,3132,11563,4052,4588,2138,2139,4518,4018,6397,373],"class_list":["post-51228","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bicknell-bottoms-wildlife-management-area","category-avian","category-sandhill-cranes","category-utah","category-wayne-county","tag-adult","tag-antigone-canadensis","tag-calls","tag-clouds","tag-crane","tag-cranes","tag-farmlands","tag-flight","tag-gruiformes","tag-mates","tag-pair","tag-sandhill-crane","tag-sky","tag-spring-migration","tag-winter"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/sandhill-cranes-pair-flight-mia-mcpherson-6276.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-dkg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":110519,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/02\/25\/migrating-sandhill-cranes-on-the-wing\/","url_meta":{"origin":51228,"position":0},"title":"Migrating Sandhill Cranes On The Wing","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 25, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"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.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sandhill Crane calling in flight with snowy mountains behind it, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/sandhill-crane-spring-flight-mia-mcpherson-0109.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/sandhill-crane-spring-flight-mia-mcpherson-0109.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/sandhill-crane-spring-flight-mia-mcpherson-0109.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/sandhill-crane-spring-flight-mia-mcpherson-0109.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":65625,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/02\/26\/my-first-of-year-sandhill-crane-sightings\/","url_meta":{"origin":51228,"position":1},"title":"My First Of Year Sandhill Crane Sightings","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 26, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"I was delighted to hear the Sandhill Cranes calling yesterday. Their bugling calls touch me and remind me that I am every bit a part of nature as the cranes are.","rel":"","context":"In "Beaverhead County"","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sandhill Crane and wildflowers, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sandhill-crane-wildflowers-wet-meadow-mia-mcpherson-5317.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sandhill-crane-wildflowers-wet-meadow-mia-mcpherson-5317.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sandhill-crane-wildflowers-wet-meadow-mia-mcpherson-5317.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sandhill-crane-wildflowers-wet-meadow-mia-mcpherson-5317.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":80115,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/03\/02\/ten-sandhill-cranes-at-bear-river-mbr\/","url_meta":{"origin":51228,"position":2},"title":"Ten Sandhill Cranes At Bear River MBR","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 2, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"It was the highlight of my morning to find, observe, listen to, and photograph ten Sandhill Cranes at Bear River MBR yesterday.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Three Sandhill Cranes displaying in the marsh at Bear River MBR, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/sandhill-cranes-dancing-mia-mcpherson-5282.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/sandhill-cranes-dancing-mia-mcpherson-5282.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/sandhill-cranes-dancing-mia-mcpherson-5282.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/sandhill-cranes-dancing-mia-mcpherson-5282.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":94479,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/09\/05\/was-the-killing-of-bob-the-sandhill-crane-really-necessary\/","url_meta":{"origin":51228,"position":3},"title":"Was the Killing Of Bob The Sandhill Crane Really Necessary?","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 5, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"One of the other things that made me upset with Bob the Sandhill Crane being killed is that this could have been prevented.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult Sandhill Crane in flight in front of spring storm clouds, Wayne County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/sandhill-crane-in-flight-wayne-county-mia-mcpherson-6304.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/sandhill-crane-in-flight-wayne-county-mia-mcpherson-6304.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/sandhill-crane-in-flight-wayne-county-mia-mcpherson-6304.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/sandhill-crane-in-flight-wayne-county-mia-mcpherson-6304.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":45606,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/03\/16\/sandhill-cranes-plus-views-of-flooded-marshes-at-bear-river-mbr\/","url_meta":{"origin":51228,"position":4},"title":"Sandhill Cranes Plus Views of Flooded Marshes at Bear River MBR","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 16, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I saw and photographed a mated pair of Sandhill Cranes yesterday morning in the marsh from the auto tour loop and watched them search for food.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Sandhill Crane looking at something in the sky, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sandhill-crane-male-looking-up-mia-mcpherson-5760.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sandhill-crane-male-looking-up-mia-mcpherson-5760.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sandhill-crane-male-looking-up-mia-mcpherson-5760.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sandhill-crane-male-looking-up-mia-mcpherson-5760.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":45049,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/02\/19\/american-white-pelicans-sandhill-cranes-swainsons-hawks\/","url_meta":{"origin":51228,"position":5},"title":"American White Pelicans, Sandhill Cranes, Swainson’s Hawks – Spring Migrants On The Wing","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 19, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"We still have our winter birds and the spring migrants have begun their journey north so my bird photography is likely to pick up and get exciting soon if the clouds will give me a break.","rel":"","context":"In "American White Pelicans"","block_context":{"text":"American White Pelicans","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/pelicans\/white-pelicans\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Three Sandhill Cranes in flight, Bicknell Bottoms Wildlife Management Area, Wayne County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/sandhill-cranes-flight-mia-mcpherson-6708.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/sandhill-cranes-flight-mia-mcpherson-6708.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/sandhill-cranes-flight-mia-mcpherson-6708.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/sandhill-cranes-flight-mia-mcpherson-6708.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51228","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51228"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51228\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/132936"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51228"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51228"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51228"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}