Day 073: Morning with the Sandhill Crane Family!

The Sandhill Crane family let me spend quality time with them on two different occasions this morning. In total I hung out with them for over one half hour on each occasion. It was fun to see the baby cranes follow and mimic the parent’s actions, while also demanding FOOD! After a few minutes I was correctly perceived as a non threat, and the family of cranes would often approach within a few feet of me. I found for best photographs, and to insure not scaring the family of birds, I would position myself up the shoreline in the direction they were moving … and then let them walk over to me. Thankfully the sandhill cranes were very one minded in the direction they wanted to walk.

At one point while the birds were only a few feet away from me, they suddenly exploded in a motion of activity and ran away flapping their wings wildly. I was disappointed that I had scared them, and was confused how it had happened as I had been completely motionless. A few seconds later I discovered that I was not a threat. Directly flying low overhead was a bald eagle. Until the eagle left the vicinity life was not relaxed!