One of my husband’s favorite golf courses often has sandhills in the summer. One year he took me there in the evening. We rode around on a cart and saw turkeys and sandhills. The cranes were used to people on the carts so we were able to get fairly close.
It’s a beautiful course (Calderone, between Jackson and Chelsea on I94, if any Michigan people are looking in), and I got a lot of pics I was happy with. 🙂
So cool, to get that close to such big birds!
The turkeys were much more wary, but I got some pics of them, too.
How interesting. We have them here by the thousands between approximately October and March. Does that mean you have them between approximately March and October? 🙂
We never see hundreds here in one place. But usually end up with a mating pair or two around our hay fields. And yes, they do raise babies which grow up super fast. I love to hear their “coo-cooing” sound that they make when talking to each other.
I had no idea they were so beautiful. I love the greens, grays and tans in their plumage.
They never stop here, but I hear them in the early morning or late evening as they fly overhead.
I used to live in the South Valley, and oooooh I miss the sight and sound of the Cranes strafing my house in the morning as they decided which way to head out for breakfast. I was home sick last week, and for the first time since moving into town I heard them, both morning and evening, and it actually made me cry I was so happy.
We don’t live very far from Arroyo del Oso golf course. I still can’t figure out why the cranes would bother with landing there because there is no food source but they do and it is so awesome to see them. The ones that come in huge numbers to the golf course are the Canadian geese. The sky is a very busy place there. On some mornings the poor model airplane pilots are fearful for their crafts because the big birds fly so close to them. Great shots. Thanks for sharing. The Olde Bagg, Linda
Remembering that you have a fondness for hummingbirds, when a friend sent me this I thought of Don rescuing the hummingbird. Thought you might like to see this. http://www.wimp.com/babyhummingbird/
In answer to your comment yesterday about Isleta Casino….for some reason I thought you were in the North Valley or Los Ranchos. My sis lives in the south valley as well. The Olde Bagg
November 17, 2010 at 4:39 am
Beautiful, inspirational, even.
Must be nice to live where living things come to in the winter.
…instead of flee from.
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November 17, 2010 at 6:46 am
June,
Absolutely. I can remember always getting excited seeing just a single blue heron when I lived in Maryland.
The fact that I see dozens or hundreds of sandhill cranes at a time now still blows me away.
I’m hoping that we’ll have snow geese again this year too… and then there are the meadowlarks… another favorite of mine. 🙂
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November 17, 2010 at 4:51 am
Wonderful photos of cranes, Justina!
Just great seeing the migration of so much birds!
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November 17, 2010 at 6:41 am
Sonia,
Thank you! I watch in amazement as wave after wave of them arrive some afternoons… dozens or hundreds at a time!
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November 17, 2010 at 5:45 am
Wow, that’s a lot of cranes!
One of my husband’s favorite golf courses often has sandhills in the summer. One year he took me there in the evening. We rode around on a cart and saw turkeys and sandhills. The cranes were used to people on the carts so we were able to get fairly close.
It’s a beautiful course (Calderone, between Jackson and Chelsea on I94, if any Michigan people are looking in), and I got a lot of pics I was happy with. 🙂
So cool, to get that close to such big birds!
The turkeys were much more wary, but I got some pics of them, too.
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November 17, 2010 at 6:39 am
Vicki,
Our cranes – with the exception of the threesome next door, which includes Limpy – are quite leery of people.
I’m finding the cranes to be very hard to photograph as a result – between their coloring and their skittishness, it’s been a challenge.
They are amazing though!
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November 17, 2010 at 6:18 am
I think they left the grain fields of Wisconsin and landed in your neck of the woods! Good to see them wintering in such a beautiful location.
Tell them we want them back next spring for our trail rides!
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November 17, 2010 at 6:35 am
C,
How interesting. We have them here by the thousands between approximately October and March. Does that mean you have them between approximately March and October? 🙂
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November 17, 2010 at 6:36 am
p.s. That means you also get the babies. The babies must be so cute!
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November 17, 2010 at 7:13 am
We never see hundreds here in one place. But usually end up with a mating pair or two around our hay fields. And yes, they do raise babies which grow up super fast. I love to hear their “coo-cooing” sound that they make when talking to each other.
They are so majestic in person. Beautiful birds.
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November 17, 2010 at 7:31 am
C,
They love the alfalfa field behind us. And yes, they are beautiful. I love watching their legs drop as they are landing. 🙂
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November 17, 2010 at 7:14 am
Never in March – but we have them from May/June through September/October.
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November 17, 2010 at 6:40 am
I haven’t seen any migratory birds in our skies this year. I wonder what that means?
Di
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November 17, 2010 at 6:43 am
Di,
I wonder?
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November 17, 2010 at 7:04 am
I had no idea they were so beautiful. I love the greens, grays and tans in their plumage.
They never stop here, but I hear them in the early morning or late evening as they fly overhead.
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November 17, 2010 at 7:30 am
CeeCee,
Ha. It’s hard not to hear them, isn’t it? 😀
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November 17, 2010 at 8:00 am
I’m still in awe that you get to experience this in your yard. Thought of you when I saw this post of what one guy went through to get the perfect crane shot (it took him 12 years!)
http://photofocus.com/2010/11/10/cranes-in-the-fire-mist-revisited/
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November 17, 2010 at 6:09 pm
Carson,
What a beautiful photo. Thanks for the link… that was a great post!
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November 17, 2010 at 8:46 am
Beautiful birds-beautiful photos!
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November 17, 2010 at 6:09 pm
Rosanne,
Thank you!
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November 17, 2010 at 10:04 am
I used to live in the South Valley, and oooooh I miss the sight and sound of the Cranes strafing my house in the morning as they decided which way to head out for breakfast. I was home sick last week, and for the first time since moving into town I heard them, both morning and evening, and it actually made me cry I was so happy.
Beautiful, beautiful shots, by the way.
Christina
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November 17, 2010 at 6:12 pm
Christina,
Awww… isn’t it wonderful how such simple things can evoke such powerfully positive emotions?
I sure hope you’re feeling better this week. 🙂
Hugs.
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November 17, 2010 at 4:34 pm
I’m so jealous. Would love to be in on that migration. I’d take a ton of photos.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful part of the world.
Suzanne
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November 17, 2010 at 6:15 pm
Suzanne,
Oh, but how I love your cows. 😀
Love your blog and your photography!
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November 17, 2010 at 4:51 pm
We don’t live very far from Arroyo del Oso golf course. I still can’t figure out why the cranes would bother with landing there because there is no food source but they do and it is so awesome to see them. The ones that come in huge numbers to the golf course are the Canadian geese. The sky is a very busy place there. On some mornings the poor model airplane pilots are fearful for their crafts because the big birds fly so close to them. Great shots. Thanks for sharing. The Olde Bagg, Linda
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November 17, 2010 at 6:25 pm
Linda,
I have to think there’s something appealing to them about wide open spaces, which allow them to keep an eye out for predators.
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November 17, 2010 at 5:11 pm
They’re gorgeous. Nothing beats their early morning alarm clock screech. Well…maybe my cat’s howl, but just barely.
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November 17, 2010 at 6:27 pm
Carolynn,
You have just got to post a recording of Celine’s howl. 😀
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November 18, 2010 at 9:27 am
Simply beautiful! The love for the animals and nature is really very present in your photos!
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November 18, 2010 at 6:08 pm
Sandra,
Thank you!
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November 18, 2010 at 12:00 pm
Remembering that you have a fondness for hummingbirds, when a friend sent me this I thought of Don rescuing the hummingbird. Thought you might like to see this. http://www.wimp.com/babyhummingbird/
In answer to your comment yesterday about Isleta Casino….for some reason I thought you were in the North Valley or Los Ranchos. My sis lives in the south valley as well. The Olde Bagg
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November 18, 2010 at 6:09 pm
Linda,
This is so sweet! It was so kind of you to remember our fondness for hummingbirds. 🙂
How cool that we’re neighbors with your sis.
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