I am keeping it simple this morning with a lone Sandhill Crane in flight over Wayne County that I photographed about two weeks ago while in southern Utah.
Lone Sandhill Crane in flight – Nikon D300, f7.1, 1/1600, ISO 500, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or called in
I like the simple pose and the background which contains blue sky in the top half and clouds from a snow storm that was brewing over Thousand Lake Mountain at the bottom of the frame.
Just looking at Sandhill Crane images is enough for me to hear their calls in my mind, how is that for a Monday morning earworm?
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Sandhill Crane photos plus facts and information about this species.
@ Utahbooklover … you’re right!!! I did miss it!!!! I’m going to blame it on my reading glasses, yep … that’s it … need new glasses, lol!!!
Serene beauty – and I love that call. I can think of a LOT worse earworms.
What a beautiful, outstanding image — love the detail and composition of this crane in flight. Thanks for posting this!
Beautiful! I just got back from the Sandhill Crane Festival in Othello, Washington. We weren’t able to get close enough to them for good photos, but the evening fly in was wonderful.
That’s supposed to read….like I’m flying, TOO….the Evil iPad has its way again….
What a shot! Looks like you were flying right bedside that bird…Wonderful! Makes me feel as if I’m flying, you!!!
Beautiful bird and photo!
I saw a quick blurb about the Sandhill Cranes on the telly over the weekend … if I’m not mistaken it was CBS’s Sunday morning show … and I thought of you guys immediately. For your earworm, try this … scroll down a bit and you can hear their call!! : ))
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sandhill_Crane/id
Hi Lois — it appears you missed Mia’s link to the crane’s calls in her second paragraph above.
I was surprised by the sound of the Sandhills’…guess I expected them to sound more like Great Blues, which sound very prehistoric to me. I remember well the first time I heard a pair of Great Blues calling to each other…the hairs literally stood up on the back of my head and neck. Coming around the bend in a canoe, feeling curious, but very vulnerable,I was stunned to see a pair of Great Blues lift off in front of us, not the dinosaurs or mystery monsters I expected. Some years later, when I was visiting some friends on the Pine Ridge Rez, we saw a flock of Sandhills in the middle of the road in Nebraska or South Dakota. The whole flock suddenly lifted up at the same time and flew around and around in a big circle right above our heads. I felt blessed.
Awesome! In other words, I am in awe!!
Pretty Crane in flight, nice one Mia.