{"id":56572,"date":"2019-03-12T05:30:08","date_gmt":"2019-03-12T11:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=56572"},"modified":"2025-02-25T12:15:49","modified_gmt":"2025-02-25T18:15:49","slug":"my-first-of-year-sandhill-cranes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/03\/12\/my-first-of-year-sandhill-cranes\/","title":{"rendered":"My First Of Year Sandhill Cranes!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SandhillSandhill Crane foraging near the causeway to Antelope Island – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

I was very excited to spot my first of year Sandhill Cranes yesterday near the causeway to Antelope Island where a pair of the cranes were foraging on the flats of the Great Salt Lake. They weren’t displaying, they weren’t calling but the large cranes sure grabbed my attention. I have missed seeing, hearing and photographing the cranes and I am very happy that they are back for their breeding season.<\/p>\n

\"SandhillSandhill Crane near the Great Salt Lake – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The pair of Sandhill Cranes stayed relatively close to each other and the male seemed to be keeping an eye on the female as she foraged.<\/p>\n

I love hearing Sandhill Cranes and hope that the next cranes I find will give me a thrill by calling. Have a listen to their calls here<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

It felt great to be back out in the field yesterday, to see the sun and blue skies, to feel the warmth of the sun on my skin and to hear birds singing the songs of spring.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

I was very excited to spot my first of year Sandhill Cranes yesterday near the causeway to Antelope Island where a pair of the cranes were foraging on the flats of the Great Salt Lake. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":140904,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","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":[511,27,1022,450,26],"tags":[4051,4259,3823,3132,788,4136,4005,2339,4518,3996,373],"class_list":["post-56572","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-avian","category-davis-county-utah","category-sandhill-cranes","category-utah","tag-adults","tag-antigone-canadensis","tag-crane","tag-cranes","tag-first-of-year","tag-foraging","tag-great-salt-lake","tag-mud-flats","tag-sandhill-crane","tag-water","tag-winter"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sandhill-crane-flats-mia-mcpherson-6827.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-eIs","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":78969,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/02\/06\/waiting-for-my-first-of-year-sandhill-crane\/","url_meta":{"origin":56572,"position":0},"title":"Waiting For My First Of Year Sandhill Crane","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 6, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"In 2020 I had my first of year Sandhill Crane sighting on February 23rd. This morning I can barely wait to see and hear Sandhill Cranes again.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sandhill Crane adult at dawn, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sandhill-crane-adult-causeway-mia-mcpherson-6852.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-adult-causeway-mia-mcpherson-6852.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sandhill-crane-adult-causeway-mia-mcpherson-6852.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sandhill-crane-adult-causeway-mia-mcpherson-6852.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":19197,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/01\/29\/dreaming-of-sandhill-cranes\/","url_meta":{"origin":56572,"position":1},"title":"Dreaming of Sandhill Cranes","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 29, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Last night I only had dreams about Sandhill Cranes but it won't be long before I will be seeing and hearing them for real. I can barely wait.","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":"Calling male Sandhill Crane, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sandhill-crane-calling-mia-mcpherson-6147.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-calling-mia-mcpherson-6147.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sandhill-crane-calling-mia-mcpherson-6147.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sandhill-crane-calling-mia-mcpherson-6147.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":115246,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/08\/18\/kamas-valley-sandhill-crane-photos\/","url_meta":{"origin":56572,"position":2},"title":"Kamas Valley Sandhill Crane Photos","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 18, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday, on the way to the Uinta Mountains, April Olson and I looked for birds in the Kamas Valley. That's where I took these Sandhill Crane photos.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult Sandhill Crane in grassy field in Kamas Valley, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/sandhill-crane-kamas-mia-mcpherson-8104.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/sandhill-crane-kamas-mia-mcpherson-8104.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/sandhill-crane-kamas-mia-mcpherson-8104.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/sandhill-crane-kamas-mia-mcpherson-8104.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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