Sandhill cranes
I heard a weird bird sound and instinctively raised my camera to capture what I thought were great blue herons. Imagine my surprise when I realized their necks did not form the familiar s-curve of GBHs when they fly and also discovered these birds wore red on their foreheads!
Closeup
Okay, I'm a novice birder so I get excited about such things. Sandhill cranes are not frequent flyers over central Ontario.
Precision flying - two birds in this photo
I am joining Stewart M's Wild Bird Wednesday HERE
51 comments:
I played golf on a course in Florida where two extroverted sandhill cranes made nuisances of themselves by strolling up to the tee box looking for food.
Wow! You must have been really excited to get these photos. They're magnificent.
P.S. There is an area in Arizona (of all places) where thousands of sandhill cranes go on vacation in the winter!
the last two could go to the Olympics next year. we have them here but it is rare to see them.
It is great that you had your camera in hand when you looked up. I expect you have your camera ready most times.
Darla
Superb. We have these here. In fact, you may remember the Stone Creek post where I got one of them coming right up to me in the back yard.
They're big birds and your action photos are awesome!
Lovely photos of the flying cranes! They are so amazingly big birds, and noisy too! :)
Don't know if it's the same sort we saw here in Sweden in springtime? We were visiting a place where the cranes rested before they continued to fly even more up to the middle of Sweden. There were several hundreds of them and they danced too!
/Pia
Sandhill Cranes are not frequent flyers on the coast either - I was pleased as punch to get pictures, but not,alas, in flight, last January. And I hope you stay getting excited about new birding experiences!
Great sighting and awesome photos.
Beautiful flight shots..
Your photos are wonderful of beautiful birds. They migrate from the Southwest to Canada every spring and back every fall. Grand Island, NE along the Platt River is a major rest stop for them. One of the places they go by the thousands is Bosque Del Apache in New Mexico where there is thousands of acres of wetlands protected as a bird sanctuary.
Your captures of the sandhill cranes are superior!! It's been ages since I've seen one in the wild....
Wow, amazing action shots, you captured them beautifully! Love that synchronized pair :) I don't think I've ever seen them out here - we mainly get the GBH's - so this is special.
Grand shots!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.
such gorgeous subtle colors and feathers on these beauties!
"WOW" Captures!
Excellent shots. I get excited each time I see these,as they are not all that regularly seen in southern Manitoba either.
Gorgeous and elegant birds, I'm enchanted by your beautiful pictures!
Léia
Wonderful captures! That last shot is really amazing!!
I would be excited too! Great shots!
Wonderful flight shots! I wouldn't even want to meet anybody who DIDN'T get excited about sandhill cranes. They are wonderful. And that you captured them in flight!!! (Amazing how graceful these big old things are in the sky!)
BRAVO that you observed them and could take photos so fast!! =) Very beautiful birds, and I love the closeup -- and the last one with the two flying side by side is stunning! :)
I'd be extremely excited to see them here in England! Though we do have a tiny population of Common Cranes that breed here - that's exciting enough for me!
Great photos and a magnificent bird to see flying overhead like that.
Worth getting excited about they are great captures.
Oh, these are GORGEOUS - I would be so excited to capture these shots. Well done indeed:-)
Guess what? They're growing in numbers and soon you'll have them around your area as well. I spotted several in Wisconsin this summer. They are returning to Arizona and in October, we should have about 40 to 50 thousand of them in our wetlands on the Santa Cruz flats. I hope to be there to welcome them back again. Incredible birds!
Wow! Das sind Fotos von denen ich nur träumen kann...
Lieben Gruß
CL
I think you should be excited about these wonderful photos of the Sandhill Cranes.
Wow, very cool to see the cranes in flight. Awesome photos.
I have never seen cranes fly together. Gorgeous shots! The two at the end.. WOW!
Fabulous flight shots!
All beautiful photos, but that last one is amazing!
(Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment today.)
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Love that last shot. They are such beautiful birds.
Great photos of the cranes. Spectacular to see. Thanks for visiting my blog.
Tremendous pictures, great to see the sandhill cranes.
Oh, my goodness!!! Wonderful shots! We see them in the spring, about 100 miles south on a refuge, during mating season and prior to their northward migration. They have the most amazing courtship dance, and I could listen to their call all day!
That would be so exciting!! I did not know that sandhill cranes were ever seen in Ontario!!
Nice shots. Don´t think I have seen them either but they look similar to our Common crane.
Hi there - nice shots - I like the way one sense (hearing) brought you to get a picture with another (sight).
They look a great deal like our Brolgas - which are another species of crane.
Thanks for the link to WBW.
Stewart M
Fabulous shots! I see them when I am in Florida visiting, but not here at home in Virginia! You captured their beautiful flying form and the synchronized soaring is beautiful!
Nice pictures you show of cranes :)
Hanne Bente
I always love seeing Sandhill Cranes...we have had a few come to the strip pits. I wish they would become regular visitors.
Lovely pics of birds in flight!
Lovely pics of birds in flight!
Lovley photos ,Nette
Great shots. I love the Crane.
What a delightful surprise it must have been. I heard a whooping crane in spring. We have them in our local park. But these are great, too!
http://mymuskoka.blogspot.ca/2012/07/biking-on-summer-day.html
They are beautiful looking birds with that touch of red on their heads.
I can see why you'd be excited. They are beautiful birds. Great captures.
Beautiful birds in flight.
Great captures! Good thing you looked up!
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