On the final Monday of January the husby offered to drive me to Cecelia to see if we could see the Sandhill Cranes. That morning I had pretty much fallen into a heap just plain sad and he knew that an outing would be good medicine. It took about an hour and a half one way. The weather was cold and gray, but we did find the Cranes. The images were not grand, but just hearing the beautiful music of the Cranes, watching them as they flew over me, looking like prehistoric flying creatures, was just amazing.
We had seen thousands of them a couple of years ago, down in Tennessee.
Then this past Tuesday, there was going to be no gray, no rain, no snow and I asked if possibly we could go again. This time, I drove alone, as they husby at other things to take care of. I took one of our Long Coat German Shepherds for company. I had to stop a couple of times, to shake out this old body of aches and walk Silveit both going and coming. It was so worth the ride back to Cecelia. The first time some 2,000 had roosted of the evening, and by this past Tuesday their numbers were up to 8,000 and as of today, an alert was showing some 12,500 birds roosting. That is awesome, when you consider how very large Sandhill Cranes are.
Here is a bit of statistics, as well as the voice of Sandhill Cranes.
Their average weight for males is 10 pounds and a female 8.9 pounds. Both sexes look alike. Their average height is 4 foot tall, with a 6-1/2 foot wing span~
If you have never heard their song before, please do visit this site and at least listen to the voice play in the middle of the three listed~
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sandhill_Crane/sounds
Remember to double click on the first image, to view a larger slide show presentation after you have read the narratives~
I will be linking up with Judith for:
www.lavendercottagegardening.com
www.lavendercottagegardening.com
&
Stewart for:
http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com.au/
Mates display to each other with exuberant dances that retain a somewhat gangly, yet beautiful grace~
This last mosaic was taken the first visit and while slightly off focus, I still found them magical and had to use them too. I took hundreds of images and these shared were my most favored. I hope that you enjoyed these and I must say the visits to Cecelia did lift my spirits a bit and I needed that very much. Have a wonderful weekend and week~
that's awesome! i can imagine their din. :)
ReplyDeleteA fabulous encounter and glorious images Mary. Seeing large numbers of any species always lifts my spirits.
ReplyDeleteThis would be so fascinating to see so many sandhill cranes at once. Do you follow the blog "Arctic View"? Elaine blogs from Alaska and shares photos of the Sandhill Cranes when they arrive there in the spring at Creamer's Field. Take care.
ReplyDeleteOh I'm with you. Theyre beautiful creatures. Hard to believe they were hunted almost to extinction.
ReplyDeleteDear Mary, Fantastic and awesome. Beautifully photographed. ox, Gina
ReplyDeleteLOVED your photos and mosaics of the Cranes. They are the most awesome birds! When they migrate through here in the spring and fall, I always hear them before seeing them. Love their chortling calls.
ReplyDeleteSo amazing Mary! We saw a tiny fraction of this many in New Mexico one Autumn ... Maybe 500 at once ... And it was one my favorite birding experiences EVER. I can imagine the sounds of yours based on that experience. Heavenly photos especially the flight shots.
ReplyDeleteI know these drives must have made you feel better! Just seeing your post brightened my day and mood.
Oh I wish these cranes traveled our way...they are stunning.
ReplyDeleteHi Mary. awesome series of images.. The Sandhill Cranes are wonderful birds to see and hear.. I was able to see them while visiting New Mexico, it is a treat.. Great post and photos. Enjoy your week!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you made the trip to photograph the sandhill cranes Mary, what a sight! I'm off to hear the sounds they make.
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking to Mosaic Monday.
Beautiful birds, so many of them. Shots of birds in flight is awesome.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely stunning images - how amazing it must have been to see them. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful experience.
ReplyDeletewonderful series of photos
ReplyDeleteWow! I can't imagine the sight of 2000 or more cranes gathered together. Such an amazing display. Your photos are wonderful, especially the one of the single crane in flight. Hope you are feeling in better spirits.
ReplyDeleteSo handsome birds!
ReplyDeleteThe photos of three of them flying together are my favourites.
Wonderful to see that many cranes all together and your in-flight photos are especially great.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, there are a millennium Sandhill Cranes, and everyone alike, thanks Mary.
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing sight, and wonderful pictures. Great stuff.
ReplyDeleteAwesome sighting of the cranes. Lovely photos as always.
ReplyDeleteThese are wonderful pictures, Mary and yet I know, from experience, that you really can't do this migration justice. I came home from my venture to Platt River, Nabraska with hundreds of pictures and yet the glorious songs and enormity of it all just wasn't there. So glad you were able to pick up your spirits with some of natures most amazing creatures. What a lovely post ... brings it all back to me.
ReplyDeleteAndrea @ From The Sol
wow, that´s a lot of cranes. Love the blue tone on their plumage in your photos. Great shots.
ReplyDeleteYou got some beautiful photos of the sandhills! I was in New Mexico recently and loved seeing them everywhere, though I only got a few photos. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome sight. You got some beautiful shots. I especially like the flight shots.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful images!
ReplyDeleteA friend of mine went to visit her sister in Kentucky recently. They went to the Barren River to see the cranes migrating. She was enthralled. I can see why!
Thanks for sharing these lovely photos
Wow- amazing photos. What a sight that would have been. Glad it lifted your spirits!
ReplyDeleteHI Mary This must have been am amazing experience to see so many Sandhill cranes in one area. You photographs are fabulous.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen so many sandhill cranes! Amazing!
ReplyDeleteOlá, é uma linda fotorreportagem com belíssimas fotos, transmitem na perfeição a força e a beleza da natureza.
ReplyDeleteAG
Thank you for the very kind comment, for which I have translated.
Delete"Hello, is a beautiful photojournalism with beautiful photographs convey perfectly the strength and beauty of nature."
Those are wonderful images Mary, almost as magical as those sounds we listened to.It is hard to do justice through pictures to such huge gatherings of birds. I know how my few inadequate pictures of thousands of geese can never equal the thrill of actually being there in mind and spirit.
ReplyDeleteSuch an uplifting experience is well worth a road trip of a few hours and in fact if I were to live close to such a spectacle i would find it difficult not to travel there on a regular basis.
Thank you for sharing all of those images - and sounds.
Take care.
Mary, you managed to capture so many wonderful images of these beautiful birds, both in various stages of flight, as well as on the ground. I can see, via your photos, that the long drive was, in the end, worth it, as you say, since being present and among such wildlife has to be rejuvenating.
ReplyDeleteHope you're feeling better, my friend!
Happy Valentine's Day!
Poppy
Wow Mary, these sandhill cranes really are amazing!! They are large birds, aren't they, and I love their blue-grey color. I can't believe how many there are in that one spot! The only birds I've ever seen in such a large flock are black birds :( or Canadian Geese. You really captured some great photos!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your visit and have a great week!
Denise at Forest Manor
Fabulous collection, Mary! Blessings.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad that you stopped by the Garden Spot because it brought me back to your Sandhill Cranes. What an exciting experience. I live in the northeasteren part of Colorado near the Wyoming border and not so far from Nebraska where the cranes migrate to later in the year. We have always taked about going to see them. We have even seen them fly over, hearing them firsst. Spectacula photos.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post. I love your photos, and the in-flight shots are truly amazing.
ReplyDeleteHave a nice day.
Mary, these are wonderful birds and I am so glad you got to see and hear them. Thank you for visiting and commenting on my Birding is Fun post. I hope you can get Google+ figured out soon. I can do some of it, but I am not a techie either. I think I show up on your page because you are in my circle of "Birders and Bloggers" that I created.
ReplyDeleteYour hubby was wonderful knowing the drive and seeing the cranes would do you so much good. They were healing for you. God is so good giving us such amazing wonders of nature to soothe us and give us such joy! Beautiful photos! Thank you so much for sharing them...they gave me joy this morning too!
ReplyDeleteoh your images of the cranes are wonderful Mary. Particularly the cranes flying. What a brave you to take this long drive alone the way you have been feeling. I hope the cranes have lifted your spirits. Beautiful images as always Mary. take care and have a wonderful weekend, and thank you for stopping by my blog. Hugs to you from me in Australia.
ReplyDelete