On the Wing

These are Sand Hill Cranes that spent the night in the farm field across the road from our home.  They are a very exotic and, unfortunately, elusive bird.  I’ve not been able to get close enough to capture any decent pictures.

There were at least a dozen Sand Hill Cranes sharing the field with three or four times as many Canada Geese.  I tried to slowly work my way toward them, but before I could get any worthwhile photos they took off.  The only saving grace is that a few happened to fly by on their way to some other secluded spot.

Sand Hill Cranes are graceful and somewhat majestic in flight, with a wingspan of six to eight feet. They are also very noisy when flying. (They can be pretty noisy on the ground, too.) Their distinctive “call of the wild” has been described as a bugling or trumpeting sound. It’s very annoying, particularly early in the morning when you’re trying to sleep in. They can be heard long before they are seen.

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