{"id":87518,"date":"2021-05-12T05:52:46","date_gmt":"2021-05-12T11:52:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=87518"},"modified":"2026-02-23T12:54:44","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T18:54:44","slug":"coyote-stalking-adult-sandhill-cranes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/05\/12\/coyote-stalking-adult-sandhill-cranes\/","title":{"rendered":"Coyote Stalking Adult Sandhill Cranes"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"CoyoteCoyote and three Sandhill Cranes in sagebrush and grasses \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Yesterday morning while up in the Wasatch Mountains<\/span><\/a> I heard Sandhill Cranes calling repeatedly and when I spotted them I also found a Coyote near the cranes. The Coyote was very<\/em> challenging to point out as it moved through the sagebrush and grasses but the three cranes were easier.<\/p>\n

I strongly suspect that the cranes either had a nest with eggs nearby or perhaps even young but flightless colts in the area and that they were drawing the Coyote away from where the eggs or chicks were located.<\/p>\n

I have zero proof of either theory but I do know these birds could have easily flown away from the danger the Coyote presented. They kept a keen eye on the Coyote as it moved towards a clump of willows while calling repeatedly.<\/p>\n

It was 8:36 am when I found the cranes and coyote. Given the distance between myself and my subjects these images are for documentation purposes only and they won’t make it into my photo galleries. Or maybe they will.<\/p>\n

\"CoyoteCoyote stalking three Sandhill Cranes \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The Coyote reappeared from the clump of willows and walked slowly towards the adult Sandhill Cranes at which time they moved slowly away from it. The cranes didn’t seem to be in a hurry.<\/p>\n

\"SandhillSandhill Cranes taking flight from the Coyote \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

But when the Coyote got a little too close for their comfort the Sandhill Cranes lifted off and took flight. The cranes didn’t fly far though. I think they flew just far enough away to stay out of danger and so that they could continue keeping an eye on the four-legged predator.<\/p>\n

\"CoyoteCoyote resting behind some willows \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The Coyote at one point laid down behind a stand of willows while the cranes watched it. I watched as the Coyote groomed itself and even rolled in the grasses a few times.<\/p>\n

Can you see the Coyote in the image?<\/p>\n

\"ThreeThree Sandhill Cranes watching the Coyote \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The Sandhill Cranes continued to call, to keep an eye on the Coyote as it rested in the grasses behind the willows. One of the cranes kept leaping into the air as it called. In the distance I could hear another Sandhill Crane calling and after this photo was taken that crane flew in to join the three other cranes.<\/p>\n

\"CoyoteCoyote and two Sandhill Cranes \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The Coyote got up and continued to stalk the four Sandhill Cranes in the grasses while the cranes kept far enough away from it that the four-legged predator posed no danger to them. This was the last photo I took where I had a clear view of the coyote’s face with cranes in the frame.<\/p>\n

\"FourFour Sandhill Cranes and a Coyote \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

This last image shows all four Sandhill Crane adults as the Coyote moved towards them.<\/p>\n

I knew that the Coyote wasn’t going to feast on the sandhills. I do believe they were keeping it away from a nest or their young.<\/p>\n

It was fascinating to watch all of this natural drama play out through my viewfinder. If I hadn’t spotted the Coyote behind the cranes I may have missed all of the action and continued up the road.<\/p>\n

It was 8:51 am when I left the coyote and the cranes. That was a great fifteen minutes spent learning more about birds and nature.<\/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. Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Coyote photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yesterday morning while up in the Wasatch Mountains I heard Sandhill Cranes calling repeatedly and when I spotted them I also found a Coyote near the cranes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":141071,"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":[27,100,450,1731,26,773],"tags":[4004,4259,733,3940,4002,3347,3823,3132,4052,4122,4109,11612,4069,4057,11068,4118,11613,4236,902],"class_list":["post-87518","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-coyotes","category-sandhill-cranes","category-summit-county-utah","category-utah","category-wasatch-mountains","tag-adult","tag-antigone-canadensis","tag-canis-latrans","tag-canyon","tag-coyote","tag-coyotes","tag-crane","tag-cranes","tag-flight","tag-flying","tag-grasses","tag-lifted-off","tag-mountains","tag-sagebrush","tag-sandhill-cranes","tag-stalking","tag-took-flight","tag-walking","tag-willows"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/sandhill-cranes-and-coyote-mia-mcpherson-5847.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-mLA","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":105375,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/08\/24\/sandhill-crane-portraits\/","url_meta":{"origin":87518,"position":0},"title":"Sandhill Crane Portraits","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 24, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"While up in the mountains yesterday morning I was thrilled to take a series of female and male Sandhill Crane portraits as they fed in a pasture next to the road.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sandhill Crane female portrait, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/sandhill-crane-adult-close-up-female-mia-mcpherson-7374.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/sandhill-crane-adult-close-up-female-mia-mcpherson-7374.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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Images","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 1, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday morning I spent ten minutes taking Sandhill Crane images high in the Wasatch Mountain Range after finding a pair of cranes next to an alpine creek.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult Sandhill Crane changing direction, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/sandhill-crane-stained-adult-mia-mcpherson-9634.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/sandhill-crane-stained-adult-mia-mcpherson-9634.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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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":115246,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/08\/18\/kamas-valley-sandhill-crane-photos\/","url_meta":{"origin":87518,"position":4},"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. 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