Sandhill Crane and Colt

I’m a Big Crane!

This last spring a Sandhill Crane family spent a few days ambling and foraging around on some private land that had some marshes, grasses, and open fields; it was a blessing to be able to spend some time watching, observing, and capturing. The first day I saw just the adult cranes, and was happy to grab a few frames of them as they walked around in the grasses. But when I processed these later that evening, I saw a couple of little yellow bumps just barely above the grass and realized they had a couple of recently hatched colts with them—how wonderful!

Fortunately, they decided to hang around for a few days before heading off somewhere else. I have quite a fondness for Sandhill Cranes, one of my favorites of God’s flying miracles.

Worth Knowing

Sandhill Cranes build their nests from various materials, but they typically use cattail or tall grass to construct a large cup-shaped nest that is almost 4 feet in diameter. The nest is constructed out of long stems, held together with the help of mud, which helps hold everything together. Both mates will gather material for the project.
(Source: Learn Bird Watching)

This image is available as a fine art print in our Fine Art Print Gallery.