Sandhill Cranes, Pond. San Joaquin Valley, California. February 14, 2014. © Copyright 2014 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A flock of sandhill cranes stands in the shallow water of a San Joaquin Valley marsh

The sandhill cranes are among my favorite of the seasonal birds found in California’s Central Valley. Their call is almost replacing that of the geese as my favorite sonic image of winter in the valley, especially when it comes in thick fog and heralds the approach of birds that I cannot see. Their manner of flight is also special. Rather than wheeling wildly, as geese will do, they often seem to be headed somewhere, traveling in a mostly straight line and frequently at a low level. When they take off they remind me, in a way, of heavily laden passenger airliners that must ascend slowly. They may travel in groups of a dozen or more, but they may also be seen flying over in smaller groups of two or so.

Most often I cannot get very close to them. At one place where I frequently photograph I have gotten accustomed to seeing them take off just after dawn from a location that is just a bit too far away for good photographs. But on this mid-February day they seemed to be a little more willing to stick around as we came closer. On several occasions earlier in the day they stuck around as we drove slowly past. This group stood almost still in shallow water not far from our position (“hidden” in our vehicle on a nearby access road) and only gradually began to leave a bit later. I no longer recall what it was, but something to my left must have been very fascinating to cranes!

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist whose subjects include the Pacific coast, redwood forests, central California oak/grasslands, the Sierra Nevada, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography, and more.
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