An Intimate Visit with Hiwassee's Sandhill Cranes

What a WOW experience this was.

I received a special invitation from a landowner in the Birchwood area, to meet in the pre-dawn hours and set up observation in a blind with the hope of seeing and photographing sandhill cranes.  Even though I live more than two hours away, and arrival by 6:45 a.m. meant getting up in the middle of the night, this is not the kind of opportunity I will pass up!  I felt privileged and full of anticipation before I even glimpsed a sandhill crane.

You never know what will happen in these circumstances, whether the birds will show up, whether equipment will work, or what the weather might bring, but every detail of this experience worked out beautifully, including the arrival of more than fifty sandhill cranes shortly after daylight.

Above you see sandhill cranes walking up the incline from the field below where they initially landed.  Unless they are migrating, sandhill cranes spend more time walking than flying, ever alert for danger as they search for foraging opportunities.  The cranes have just flown in from their roost at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge.  In this field they are attracted to an area where silage has been stored and have been feeding on it for several weeks.  The sandhill cranes have created the mud you see in the images below by probing the ground with their long beaks.  

A male sounding a guard call above (click the link to hear it).  This is a very loud call that was sounded by a number of cranes in the flock as groups of sandhills were flying over and more sandhills joined this feeding area.  Though we often couldn't see new arrivals until they were about to land, the whooshing and pounding of wing beats and the head movements of cranes within view kept us informed of new arrivals.

The sun burns away the dense fog and we have clear skies.  Breath-taking.

Above you see an adult sandhill crane that has been probing in the mud and calling intermittently.  Just behind the adult, you see a juvenile with the red-facial skin developed but with telling cinnamon feathers remaining on the back of the head and neck.

Above and below, the sandhill cranes forage in the mud for silage, grain, insects and worms.  While contentedly feeding, soft humming sounds could be heard occasionally, similar to that made by chickens as they scratch.  This was a delightful new discovery.

Next:  Order in the feeding territory!

Links and resources:

To see all the posts in this three-part series visit: Wintering Sandhill Cranes

At my companion blog, Vickie's Sketchbook:  Sandhill Cranes and Art

Sandhill crane art in my website galleries