Two Sandhill Cranes in Flight
Two Sandhill Cranes in Flight. Central Valley, California. February 26, 2016. © Copyright 2016 G Dan Mitchell - all rights reserved.
A pair of lesser sandhill cranes in flight
Near the end of the winter migratory bird season in the California, where we photograph these birds all winter, the birds seem to collect in ever larger number and become more and more active, especially by this late-February period. On this morning visit we found tens of thousands of geese plus huge groups of cranes. They became active shortly before dawn and didn't stop until we departed hours later.
I have photographed the sandhill cranes here on many previous occasions, but this turned out to be one of the best opportunities yet to photograph them in the air. Large flocks were on the ground on both sides of the gravel road on which we were driving, and if we stopped in the right spots they would fly almost directly overhead and they moved from spot to spot. These are beautiful birds, graceful in their gliding flight with striking red patches on their heads, and an instantly recognizable cry.
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, "California's Fall Color: A Photographer's Guide to Autumn in the Sierra" is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.
Two Sandhill Cranes in Flight
Two Sandhill Cranes in Flight. Central Valley, California. February 26, 2016. © Copyright 2016 G Dan Mitchell - all rights reserved.
A pair of lesser sandhill cranes in flight
Near the end of the winter migratory bird season in the California, where we photograph these birds all winter, the birds seem to collect in ever larger number and become more and more active, especially by this late-February period. On this morning visit we found tens of thousands of geese plus huge groups of cranes. They became active shortly before dawn and didn't stop until we departed hours later.
I have photographed the sandhill cranes here on many previous occasions, but this turned out to be one of the best opportunities yet to photograph them in the air. Large flocks were on the ground on both sides of the gravel road on which we were driving, and if we stopped in the right spots they would fly almost directly overhead and they moved from spot to spot. These are beautiful birds, graceful in their gliding flight with striking red patches on their heads, and an instantly recognizable cry.
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, "California's Fall Color: A Photographer's Guide to Autumn in the Sierra" is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
Blog | About | Flickr | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | 500px.com | LinkedIn | Email
All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.