Departure. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.
Description
My expectations are pretty straightforward. When I arrive at these locations before dawn to photograph birds, I want exactly the right amount of fog, enough developing sunrise light overhead to warm to the light a bit, the right birds against a photogenic background. (A cup of coffee and a fresh muffin would be nice, too, but that might be pushing things.) The reality is usually a bit more complicated.
I certainly found fog when I arrived on this morning. Perhaps a bit too much fog. It wasn’t quite the sort where you might be more successful making audio records of birds than photographing them, but it was close. As I moved around looking for the right birds in the right place, I eventually came upon a group of cranes, barely visible at first in the gray light. Although it isn’t really apparent in the photograph, it was sunrise, and the birds seem to know this even when the sun’s light is blocked by the tule fog. And if it is sunrise, the birds know that it is time to rise from the ponds and head off to wherever it is that they spend their days.
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.
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The ability of birds to navigate continues to amaze. How they find their way back and forth between their relatively small winter areas many thousands of miles from their breeding areas is hard to comprehend… even when a logical explanation is offered!
Dan
Very beautiful photograph! You caught them in the best possible ‘pose’!
I copied and paste did this from the old farmers almanac , thought you might enjoy:
Some birds, like robins, use Earth’s magnetic field to assist in migration. It is believed that they have magnetic crystals near their nostrils to help them sense the field and orient themselves. Birds also use landmarks such as islands, trees, and buildings, as well as sounds and smells, when they search for nesting grounds in spring.