Tag Archives: wetlands

Photographs: Birds, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

The Cranes Dance

Image Leave a comment
The Cranes Dance
A group of “dancing” sandhill cranes in early morning light.

The Cranes Dance. © Copyright 2020 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A group of “dancing” sandhill cranes in early morning light.

This photograph is a companion to another that I shared a couple of weeks ago of this same group. It was early on a morning of thin fog, and the first direct sunlight had not yet arrived. As I worked my way slowly along a levee the view of this group of cranes appeared as I passed by some tall reeds. I stopped to watch and photograph. Mostly the birds were quiet, but before long they became more active, eventually taking off and flying away.

For a few minutes before their departure they engaged enthusiastically in the ritual “crane dance.” A group of cranes will assemble and the rise briefly into the air with a flapping of wings and a little hop, and just as quickly land again. Several birds in the group were alternately bending their heads down low, as the crane at the right, and jumping up wards. A few moments later the group took to the air and departed.

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.

Blog | About | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

Scroll down to leave a comment or question.

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Birds, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Cranes in Motion

Image Leave a comment
A flock of sandhill cranes taking flight above wetlands on a Central Valley autumn morning.

Cranes in Motion. © Copyright 2020 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A flock of sandhill cranes taking flight above wetlands on a Central Valley autumn morning.

This photograph follows one that I shared a few days ago. In that photo a group of sandhill cranes was standing in and along the edge of a pond, and I mentioned that their upright positions suggested that they were preparing to take to the air and depart. I wrote that without looking at the files that followed. Now I have looked at those other files, and I realize that I was correct — the small flock rose into the air almost immediately after that photograph and then traversed across the scene from left to right. I made this photograph as they departed.

You may notice that there is a lot of motion blur in this photograph. We often try to capture sharp photographs of birds, including those in flight, by hoping for sufficient light and then learning to track them as they fly. That’s not always an easy thing to do, and there’s nothing wrong with a sharp photograph of birds! But sometimes I feel that including some blur may better express the motion of this subject and the speed and suddenness of the birds’ flight.

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.

Blog | About | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

Scroll down to leave a comment or question.

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Birds, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Wetlands Cranes, Dawn

Image 3 Comments
Wetlands Cranes, Dawn
A flock of sandhill cranes at a wetland pond at dawn.

Wetlands Cranes, Dawn. © Copyright 2020 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A flock of sandhill cranes at a wetland pond at dawn.

This group of sandhill cranes was “hanging out” along wetland ponds earlier this autumn, standing quietly in the soft light of a foggy morning. These noble birds are found across vast areas o f America, and at this time of year they visit more southerly locations. When I go out to photograph migratory birds, one of the things I look forward to every time is opening my car door when I arrive before dawn and hearing the distinctive call of the cranes.

From looking at a lot of bird photography (and reading some of the descriptions of it) you might think that it is a thrill-a-minute, non-stop action endeavor. You would be wrong. The reality is that much of the time is spent not photographing the birds! There’s the pre- and post-photography drive to get to these places and home again, usually done in darkness. Then there are often some very busy moments right around sunrise and sunset. Between those times there is a lot of quiet sitting and waiting, wandering around trying to find the birds, napping (!), snacking, followed by more wandering and waiting. This is not necessarily a bad thing. In a world full of constant demands and stimulation, the slow and quiet times with these birds can be restorative.

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.

Blog | About | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

Scroll down to leave a comment or question.

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Birds, Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

The Cranes Return, Dusk

Image 2 Comments
The Cranes Return, Dusk
As the day ends, sandhill cranes return to the wetlands.

The Cranes Return, Dusk. © Copyright 2020 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

As the day ends, sandhill cranes return to the wetlands.

Sandhill cranes are often the first birds I am aware of in the early morning and the last I look for in the evening before I put my camera away. In fact, the boundary between enough and too little light often comes during their evening return, so it isn’t unusual to end the day just watching them.

I’ve never quite figured out where they go during the day, though I suppose that some investigation would turn up the answer. (In a West Coast location I once found thousands of them in a dry, barren, out-of-the way place where I was virtually alone with them.) I’ll never forget the first time I experienced their evening return. At the end of a day of photography it was becoming dark — too dark, I thought, to continue. As I was about to pack up my gear I heard a remarkable sound coming from the southeast, a sound that I didn’t understand then but which I now recognize immediately as that of the returning flocks. A few moments later hundreds (more likely thousands) of them arrived, filling the sky, and then descending to nearby ponds.

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.

Blog | About | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

Scroll down to leave a comment or question.

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.