Sandhill Cranes

At the very start of February, two bird-loving friends alerted me to the presence of a small group of sandhill cranes near State College. They said the birds might have been overwintering here; they've been staying here even through the very worst of the winter weather.

The location they mentioned was a little wetlands that I used to pass frequently when I would drive some back roads to get to work. I made a mental note of it, thought I might stop by to photograph them someday soon, but then they slipped my mind.

Then, earlier this week, a friend posted a few photos online of the birds, which reminded me of my desire to visit them. On Friday afternoon, I marked a few hours of vacation time and left work early. It was a sunny day that started out very cold, about -6 degrees F (about -21 C), but by the afternoon it had warmed up a bit. I had some errands to run, but I thought I might find a few minutes in there somewhere to stop by and see if I could locate the sandhill cranes.

I drove to a spot near where I thought I understood them to be. Then I got out of my car and looked all around the wetlands, hoping to spot them. Initially, I didn't see anything. A wasted trip? But then I heard them before I saw them! I saw one or two birds, took some photos from a little parking lot by a church, and then moved my car up the road a bit to get a closer look.

From the second spot, I had a better view, and I could see more birds. What I saw were five sandhill cranes, standing very close together. Each one has a red spot on its head. They move with what I can only describe as a gangly, awkward grace. I understand they are very graceful courtship dancers, and I'll look forward to seeing that sometime. They were sticking together, usually no far than a few steps apart, with several birds feeding while one or two others kept watch.

I snapped about 125 photos in total. The area is not far from some houses, and just before I snapped this particular shot, someone at one of the nearby houses made a loud noise, and all five cranes turned to look. Well, except for that one in the middle there, who's got my number. "I see you, photographer!" its look seems to say.

For those who may be interested, more info about sandhill cranes can be found on the All About Birds Web site.

The song to accompany this is part of the soundtrack to one of my favorite bird movies, Fly Away Home: Mary Chapin Carpenter, with 10,000 Miles.