Fifty Favorites of 1,219 Sandhill Crane Image Captures~

Above:  I arrived on site just as the sun was rising producing a pink glow on the birds~

Every year about this time the beautiful Sandhill Cranes begin to make their migration journey back up North.  Thousands of them will make their way through Kentucky and what an experience it has been to observe the last few years.  Three weeks ago I drove the hour and a half road trip to Cecelia, Kentucky.  For whatever reason they come by the thousands to this small rural town...all but a blip in the road and many will roost in the trees just behind and beyond the Fire Station #86.  There have been over 13,000 on the ground in surrounding fields at once this past season.  The morning that I was there with my pupcub Svetka, one of the leading birders in the state happened to also be there and said the count for the evening's roost the evening before was right at 4,000 birds.

As they stand in the fields, dance around one another that you could so easily put music to if you were so inclined, fly in the air singing their mystical, beautiful songs, they are just mesmerizing.  Standing at 45" in height with a wingspan of 72"  to see a single bird is a thrill, to watch hundreds of them rise from their roosting spot and take to the skies, making their voices known, no words can describe the absolute excitement.  I put it right up there to my love of when a jet plane either takes off, or lands...both are very wonderful experiences for me.

Last week I could hear them fly over our property through the closed glass doors.  I had trouble trying to see them and count them through the trees and so I got all three dogs in the car and drove up the lane where there was no tree obstruction...I counted over the course of a short while at least 1,000 birds heading to cross the Ohio River before nightfall.  I missed them totally, unless they are tiny specks somewhere in the background of my images two extremely rare Whooping Cranes that appeared the very next morning...HUGE SIGH... What magnificent creatures!

Now the sad news if you may not have been following me a few years ago when they passed the law here in Kentucky to hunt Sandhill Cranes.  Currently they have a few weeks January and February and they are seeking to extend that hunting period to make it a longer hunting season.  Don't get me started...I hate the thought.

Enough said and so now here is my presentation for this season with the Sandhill Cranes.  All of these were taken on my day journey to Cecelia~  

Remember to double click on the first image, to view a larger slideshow presentation after     you have read the narratives~

I am joining in the fun with Eileen at:

http://viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.com/

Saturday's Critter

Anni at:

http://id-rather-b-birdin.blogspot.com/ 

I'd Rather Be Birdin'

 Linking to I'd Rather B Birdin'

   

Maggie's  MOSAIC MONDAY

https://normandylife.blogspot.com/

 Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global 

   http://communalglobal.blogspot.ca/

& 

Stewart for:

http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com.au/

Wild Bird Wednesday

Loved how the Crane on the right seemed to be watching me watching them~

You can drive in large rural circles, take lanes that you have no idea where they lead, but so long as you can find water, or corn fields, you will most assuredly find hundreds of birds~

How do such large birds avoid collision?

They are such beautiful group fliers as they are as well when flying solo~

With mud on their beaks, they still look dazzling~

I could watch them take off and land every day...here is a landing with three Cranes~

Spending hours just watching and clicking off the camera was such a gift for me, I needed the time~

Look how large they are...this one was talking to friends right behind it~

This group were in the fields to the side of the Fire Station and they were not the least bit concerned with the loud cannon that the farmer to the far side of them kept going off.  He has Sheep lambing right now and the Pigeons and Europeans Starlings bring in disease.  So the BOOM noise would hit and the Cranes just kept doing what they were doing, almost oblivious to the sounds~

Here I come, ready, or not, hope I won't land on you down there~

The one in the front it just strutting it's stuff...so pretty!

The birds with the Ochre colouration are the young ones from last season~

This set is fun...I clicked the camera off as they did a fly around overhead getting ready to make their landing nearby~

And then these Cranes were doing just the opposite. 

They were shall I call it on the runway, awaiting take-off~

Then off they go, up, up and away~

I shared an image similar to this on Facebook for Valentines Day...can you see their red hearts on their heads?

Ought Oh, territorial quarrel~

Those younger birds seem to be in their very own parade with one bird taking a rest as in observing the others do their thing~

Did I mention that they dance...oh yes they seem to be~

And with these three Cranes I will close for this season with the Sandhill Cranes.  I took 1,219 images in the 5 hours I spent in Cecelia.  I deleted a couple hundred and then I narrowed it down to my favorites and these made the book, so to speak. 

Have a marvelous week, be safe, stay well~