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Standing, feeding, resting...

First of the Season
This was among the first photos of the Sandhills I took this season from Staten Island road, a wonderful stomping ground for them and photographers/bird lovers such as myself.
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Roosting Conditions
Sandhills like to roost in shallow water at night as it protects them from predators like coyotes. These habitats, open fields with shallow water, are increasingly scarce in the central valley which has become naught but an agricultural, mono-cultured wasteland. These birds will not roost in any other habitat so they are increasingly strapped for places to settle for the winter, like a World War 2 bomber in the Pacific that needs islands so it can refuel.
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Fields of Gold
Greater Sandhill Crane stalking through a field of harvested corn searching for its next meal.
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I Only Have Eyes For You
This Sandhill was preening but just so happened to poke its head up just as my shutter clicked, giving me a nice picture of its golden eye illuminated by the morning sun.
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Lookout
The crane in the foreground is preening but the impression I get when looking at the photo is that it is watching me for any signs of trouble while its compatriot behind goes about its business.
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Get My Greater Side
Profile of a Greater Sandhill Crane. On the surface it's rather difficult to identify the difference between a Greater and Lesser Sandhill Crane but this image provides a good barometer. The beak of a Lesser Sandhill Crane shares the same length as its skull while the beak of the Greater Sandhill Crane has a beak that is noticeably longer than its skull.
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Breakfast
Greater Sandhill Crane bobbing for breakfast in the fields they call home for the winter.
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Alert
Another Greater Sandhill Crane standing alert and curious as to what its surroundings might hold. I love their tailfeathers, I don't know what exactly it is but they're very pretty to me.
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Amidst the Grass
Greater Sandhill Crane stalking through the grass in search of either its next meal or its next dance partner.
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Spread em'
I would have put this photo under the "Dancing" subfolder but since it isn't actually airborne I chose to keep it here. This was very early in the morning so the lighting was very scant, it still shows how massive their wingspans is however.
bird birds animals nature crane cranes water field sandhillcranes sandhill
Duality
This is a pretty good illustration of the difference between Greater and Lesser Sandhill Cranes. Based on the descriptions of them in previous photos, can you tell which is which?
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Baying at the Sun
Three young Lessers engaging in mutual calling, heads tilted back as they trill and trumpet to one another.
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Wading Through the Grasses
This is my current desktop, a wonderfully detailed picture of a Greater Sandhill Crane walking through a grassy field.
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Curiosity
A few cranes on a different morning looking rather curious as to what that black Volkswagen is doing just stopped there in the middle of the road...
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Muddy Crane
Cranes preen by rubbing mud into their feathers, it helps keep them free of insects and other parasites. This Lesser Sandhill Crane is a textbook example of an animal that, despite outward appearances, is squeaky clean.
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Ambiance
Ordinarily I try to keep anything manmade or associated with humans out of my photos but I feel that the barbed-wire fence and the livestock in the background of this one helps better illustrate the kinds of fields the cranes love to frequent.
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First Year
This young crane is coming to the central valley for its first winter and has not gotten its telltale red feathers on the top of its head
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Wet Beak
This Greater has a bit of noticeably water on its beak from where it had been probing in the wet soil for insects.
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Unexpected
Usually I go down to Desmond road to look for raptors and hawks but I was pleasantly surprised to find a trio of Sandhill Cranes close to the road. Thank you, beautiful ones.
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Banded
I came across this individual crane at Staten Island Road one morning and took down the number on the band it wore. I sent the information and this photo to one of the men in charge of keeping track of banded birds. He told me this one was banded as an unfledged chick in Modoc county in 2010. It's nice to see that it's fledged now, and then some!
crane cranes bird birds banded animals nature sandhillcrane

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