Pic of the Day

Sandhill Crane, Grus canadens:  Viera Wetlands; Viera, Florida

     While at the Viera Wetland earlier this month I found a pair of Sandhill Cranes feeding in the marsh.  As I was taking photos the began their rattling alert call.  I couldn't understand what I was doing that caused the birds to become so alarmed.  Within seconds I heard someone walking my way, when I turned to checkout the situation I discovered that the cranes were not on alert because of me, but were disturbed by the dog accomping the couple.  It took about five minutes for the cranes to settle down after they passed.  Shortly after that the cranes walked to where I was seated and began feeding.  Unfortunately, they were two close to photograph with the lens I was using.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4, 1/500 second @ f/6.3

Pic of the Day

 Sandhill Cranes, Grus canadensis: Over the Platte River at Sunset; Kearney, Nebraska

Sandhill Cranes, Grus canadensis: Gliding over the Platte River; Kearney, Nebraska

     Spring Migration on the Platte River in late March.  A wonderful place to see thousands and thousands of Sandhill Cranes.  I especially love the early morning liftoff and when they return to their river roost at evening.

Top:  Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f4, 1/4000 second @ f16

Bottom:  Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f4, 1/640 second @ f4

Pic of the Day

Greater Sandhill Cranes, Grus canadensis; Near Kearney, Nebraska

     A small flock of cranes gliding on outstretched wings as they approach a sandbar on the Platte River near Kearney, Nebraska.   The cranes roosted on sandbars during the night, and flew to grain fields during the day to feed.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f4, 1/80sec. @ f4

Sandhill Crane, Grus canadensis - Viera Wetlands, Florida

    On one of my rounds atop a berm at the Viera Wetlands I came across this sandhill crane probing the ground for roots.  The crane was standing on a neatly mowed grasses area, and it was quite a domestic scene.  So, instead of shooting a long shot, I slowly made my way toward the crane and shot a close-up.   The background was just perfect and it allowed me to isolate the bird against a clean background.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 500 f4, 1/2000 sec. @ f4.5, Camera mounted on tripod

Pic of the Day

     Sandhill Crane – Viera Wetlands; Viera, Florida:  When I was photographing a snowy egret (see January 19^th post) I heard the call of sandhill cranes coming toward me.  As I looked up, two cranes were flying across the marsh and were almost upon me.  Quickly, I loosened the tension on the tripod head and swung the camera and lens toward the oncoming birds.  The cranes were so close, and at such an extreme angle, I could not even get my eye to the camera.  All I saw was the left bottom corner of the viewfinder, and in that corner was a part of the cranes body as it flew past me.  I fired two frames, and the excitement was over.
     Now, why I stopped shooting an active, feeding snowy egret to capture two images that had no hope of being anything worth looking at is really beyond my comprehension.  Perhaps it’s the hunter in me, the urge to capture something I know I can’t possibly catch; but, I try anyway.  With the cranes gone, I turned to resume shooting the snowy egret.
     Later in the evening, with the cranes out of mind, I began reviewing the images taken during the day.  As I scrolled through the images, up pops the two shots of the sandhill cranes.  The first image was out of focus, but the second image, much to my surprise was sharp.  I knew when the images were taken, that the cranes were too close; the birds would be cropped. But, the second image was sharp, and though cropped as predicted, it was framed in a manner that was esthetically pleasing. 

     Sometimes you just get lucky, and the elements of the image just fall into place.  I could try to duplicate this image in the same manner a thousand times, but I doubt that I could achieve such a sharp focus, and the subject so pleasing placed in the frame without looking into the camera, ever!


Nikon D7000, Nikkor 500mm f4, 1/1,000 Second @ f8

Recently Published Work

   I have written an article on the Pribilof Islands that has been published in the most recent issue of "Creation Illustrated," (Vol 17, No.3).
     The article is a two-page spread with four photos.  I also have a photo of Sandhill Cranes in the same issue on page 48 (below), which accompanies an article by Gayle Irwin entitled, Running the Race.  
    To learn more about, or subscripbe to "Creation Illustrated," follow this link: http://www.creationillustrated.com

Pic of the Day

Sandhill Crane – Bosque del Apache NWR; San Antonio, New Mexico: Just south of San Antonio, New Mexico lay the “Woods of the Apache,” a refuge that borders the Rio Grand a few hundred miles north of where it turns east and eventually forms the boarder of the United States and Mexico.
Along this section of the river, shallow water impoundments have been built to form a wildlife refuge that host more than fifty-thousand snow geese and thirty-thousand sandhill cranes. Both the geese and sandhill cranes nest in Northern Canada then fly south to warmer climes for winter. The refuge also is home to thousands of ducks, Canada and Ross Geese as well as numerous species of passerines.
This photo was taken along the wildlife drive at Bosque as a crane took its respite from feeding on the corn that had been planted and left in the fields for the birds. The U.S. wildlife refuge system has a cooperative program for renting refuge land to local farmers who in tern leave a portion of the crop in the field for the wildlife. A system, which has worked quite well, for the farmer, wildlife system, and birds.
Nikon F5, Nikkor 500mm f4, Ektachrome 100

Pic of the Day

     Sandhill Crane – Bosque del Apache NWR, New Mexico: These sandhill cranes silhouetted against the rising sun are bathed in golden light which can only be seen about five minutes after sunrise and five-minutes before sunset. I call these few minutes, “The Golden Five”, the light I most prefer for shooting. While snow geese on the refuge fly to feeding grounds before sunrise, cranes are late risers and linger until the sun crosses the horizon before taking flight to feed in the surrounding grain fields. As the sun peeked over the eastern mountains, the Phragmites grasses on the far shore glowed as the landscape turned gold with reflected light.

Nikon F5; 300mm f2.8 Nikkor lens, Provia 100 film