I was visited last Saturday by a family of Sand Hill Cranes so I broke out my new camera and took some pics of them as they meandered around the yard.. I have been noticing that the Sandhills seem to be adapting pretty well to human encroachment.. My visitors allowed me to approach to within 10-12 feet (2 meters) as long as I moved slowly.. Sandhill Crane Family 24MAY14 ( photo / image / picture from Henry Johnson's Garden ) CRANES II ( photo / image / picture from Henry Johnson's Garden ) CRANES III ( photo / image / picture from Henry Johnson's Garden ) CRANES IV ( photo / image / picture from Henry Johnson's Garden ) CRANES V ( photo / image / picture from Henry Johnson's Garden ) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I've been sitting here at my computer for about three hours wrestling with these pics; I took some 25-30 of them but I am not happy with these results.. I'm pretty sure the problem lies with the photographer.. Anyway, isn't it somewhat awesome to get such close observations of wild creatures.. With love to all, Hank...
I don't know why you aren't happy with the photos--Sandhills are pretty hard to get close to, and you did a great job! We have them here, occasionally, but we've never managed to get good pictures. Mostly we see them flying over in flocks.
What a lovely bunch of visitors who look quite respectful of your property. Thanks for sharing your images Henry. We appreciate the time you put into putting them together for us.
Well done innit mate! What I wouldn't have given for that experience. The closest I've ever gotten to Sandhills was when I was working in Alaska and got a fone call from a mate to come and look in his back yard at the cranes. His back yard was several hundred meters long. I went there with my telescopic lens in tow and had to crawl on my stomach for at least forty minutes to get within 100 metres of them.I took picks at each stage. After the last foto's they took off. The pics were not good, but the personal experience has stayed with me all these years. I find your account and this opportunity to be so close to these wondrous birds a real blessing. I think that your foto's were just fine. Perhaps you are not as happy with them as you wanted to be, but what luck you had! The opportunity comes by only seldom. Thanks again for this great thread.
Hank, like the others, I think your photographs are great. Those cranes look so elegant strolling around your property. I'm so glad you managed to get such good photographs of them for us.
I agree with the others, your photographs are fine. I have never been that close either to the cranes, so you are quite fortunate.
Here are a few more of the crane photos.. ( photo / image / picture from Henry Johnson's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from Henry Johnson's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from Henry Johnson's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from Henry Johnson's Garden ) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Enjoy, Hank
We get them out in the pasture, never coming close to the house or in the yard. They must like you to come and stay to have their photos taken.
