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This page contains 63 images and composites of Sandhill Crane morning takeoffs at Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico. Sandhill Crane takeoffs usually involve long periods of waiting punctuated by frantic, action-filled bursts of activity.
The takeoffs happen so fast that you would probably miss the most interesting parts most times while attempting to get the field of view of the long telephoto lens on the right bird, but the Cranes conveniently telegraph their intent to fly. You scan a group of birds to find one or more in the pre-takeoff position, then lock focus on that area and wait for the bird to make up its mind.
Once a bird decides the time is right, you do many things at once to pan with the bird, keep the bird in focus, and adjust exposure. Achieving high quality shots can be a very interesting challenge.
Click an image to open a larger version. Use your back button to return to this page.
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Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website. The Banner below leads to the Sandhill Cranes Collection where a Gallery can be selected.
There are 5 Galleries in the Photoshelter Sandhill Cranes Collection
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Sandhill Cranes
Named for the sand hills of the Platte River area where most North American migratory individuals gather to rest before heading to their breeding grounds in Canada and Alaska, the Sandhill Cranes are the oldest known birds still in existence (a fossil skeleton identical in structure to the modern Sandhill Crane was found in Nebraska and was dated to 10 million years). This fossil is most likely from a direct ancestor to the Sandhill Crane. The oldest fossil that is without doubt from a Sandhill Crane was dated to 2.5 million years ago, which is 1.5 times older than the earliest remains from most living bird species.
Sandhill Cranes are large birds, 3.5 to 4.5 feet tall, with red facial skin, forehead and crown, and gray feathers into which they sometimes preen iron-rich mud, turning them a reddish-brown color. They are the most abundant of cranes, with a wide distribution in North America, Cuba and Northeastern Siberia. Three migratory sub-species winter in the southern US and northern Mexico, and three non-migratory sub-species live in Mississippi, Cuba and Florida. The migratory species breed in the northern US, Canada and Siberia.
As many as 14,000 Sandhill Cranes winter at Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge, feeding on the corn and alfalfa planted in the farm fields specifically for the birds.
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Sandhill Crane Mauve Takeoff 3329
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Sandhill Crane Mauve Takeoff 3330
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A Sandhill Crane takes off at dawn on an overcast day at Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge. On days with a thin overcast, the diffused light of sunrise creates a mauve to orange color on water.
Mauve Morning Takeoff XXL
A 1500 x 1042 version of the XXL Composite (6010 x 4175) showing four images of the sequence.
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Sandhill Crane Dawn Takeoff 3393
Two Sandhill Cranes take off for the farm fields on another thinly overcast day at dawn.
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Sandhill Crane Gallop 5745
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Sandhill Crane Gallop 5746
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This Sandhill Crane has a somewhat unusual hopping gallop takeoff technique. Most often, birds face into the prevailing wind from the north and run to gain speed.
Sandhill Crane Running Takeoff 9328
A Sandhill Crane runs to gain takeoff speed at sunrise.
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Sandhill Cranes Running Takeoff X9305
Two Cranes running together to gain takeoff speed in the golden light at sunrise.
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Sandhill Crane Snow Goose Hurdles X9293
A Sandhill Crane practices the ever-popular Snow Goose Hurdles on a cold December morning.
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Sandhill Crane Takeoff 5649 M
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Sandhill Crane Takeoff 5666
A series of sunrise takeoff portraits taken on a cold morning in December at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.
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Sandhill Crane Takeoff 5682
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Sandhill Crane Takeoff 5683
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These four flight portraits were all taken during a five minute period after sunrise in golden light. Light like this can be elusive... it requires clouds over the eastern horizon to reflect the light, but the clouds must be high enough to avoid blocking the sun when it rises to a height which yields this light.
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Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website. The Banner below leads to the Sandhill Cranes Collection where a Gallery can be selected.
There are 5 Galleries in the Photoshelter Sandhill Cranes Collection
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Sandhill Crane Morning Takeoff 4792
A close portrait of a Sandhill Crane taking off at sunrise from the Crane Pool at Bosque del Apache.
The Cranes gather in ponds overnight for safety from predators such as coyotes. They fly out from the ponds at sunrise into the nearby farm fields to eat alfalfa and corn which is grown for the wintering birds.
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Juvenile Sandhill Takeoff 5737 M
A yearling Juvenile Sandhill Crane takes off at sunrise. Juveniles have a reddish to golden brown head and neck, and lack the characteristic red skin on the forehead and crown of the adult crane.
All of the landscape (horizontal) large version images linked from the thumbnails are 1500 pixels wide. Portrait (vertical) images are 1200 pixels tall (1290 pixels with title bar). Images designated with an “M” in the shot number are 5:4 aspect ratio, 1500 x 1290 with a title bar, or 1500 x 1200 without a title bar.
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Sandhill Cranes Morning Fly-out 3915
A group of Sandhill Cranes fly out to the fields at sunrise.
The birds at Bosque del Apache are generally at a fair distance from locations where you can stand to shoot them. Most of these images were taken at 500mm or 700mm.
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Sandhill Crane Morning Takeoff 4784
A Sandhill Crane shot just after takeoff (note the splash).
The light varies greatly in the first hour after sunrise on a clear morning. The brilliant reddish-golden glow fades in a few minutes, and while many of the birds fly during the first half hour after sunrise, some wait longer. The light becomes progressively more white until it finally becomes rather harsh about an hour after sunrise. By then, most of the birds have flown to the fields.
You may have noticed that I have watermarked the display version of this image (usually, the watermark is only present on the larger, linked versions of the images). This image has been “borrowed” for unauthorized use on several other websites.
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Sandhill Crane Flyout X9438 M
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Sandhill Crane Flyout X9363
A Sandhill Crane flies past a group of Snow Geese and other Cranes on its way to the fields on a cold December morning.
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Sandhill Crane Takeoff 4880
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Sandhill Crane Takeoff 4881
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Two Sandhill Cranes in a running takeoff early in the morning in mid-December. Cranes generally have to run until they have enough speed to generate the lift they need for takeoff unless there is a very strong wind.
Sandhill Crane Takeoff 4882
Sandhill Cranes spring into the air after a running takeoff on a December morning at Bosque del Apache.
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Sandhill Crane Morning Fly-out X8798
A Sandhill Crane flies out to the fields while a group of cranes in the background preen their feathers.
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Sandhill Takeoff 5805
A Sandhill Crane takes off in front of a watchful group that includes a juvenile (golden head in the center).
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Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website. The Banner below leads to the Sandhill Cranes Collection where a Gallery can be selected.
There are 5 Galleries in the Photoshelter Sandhill Cranes Collection
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Sandhill Cranes Pre-Takeoff Position X9435
When Sandhill Cranes take off, they go from inaction to a burst of furious activity in a split-second. It is nearly impossible to acquire and lock on a crane in the narrow field of view of a 500mm lens in the very short period of time you have once you have seen a bird start to take off. Often, you miss the first moments of the takeoff run and get a lock just before the bird flies. Fortunately, some Cranes know this and are considerate enough to signal their intention to fly by leaning forward into the wind to estimate wind speed and warn photographers to lock focus on them.
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Sandhill Crane Takeoff Position 4696
Two Sandhill Cranes signal their intent to take off.
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Sandhill Crane Takeoff Position 5842
This shot was taken at 700mm for a closer look.
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Sandhill Crane Takeoff X8870
Sometimes, when the wind is a little stronger, the Cranes simply squat down and spring into the air.
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Sandhill Crane Takeoff X8871
A Sandhill Crane springs into the air for its flight to the farm fields on a December morning.
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Sandhill Cranes Takeoff X8904
Sandhill Cranes just after takeoff. Notice the character of the light... this is about an hour after sunrise.
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Sandhill Crane Takeoff X9426
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Sandhill Crane Takeoff X9427
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Sandhill Cranes running to gather speed for takeoff at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.
Sandhill Takeoff 2731
A close fly-by of a young adult Sandhill Crane just after takeoff at sunrise in December. (The crane still has a small amount of light gold on the crown along with red facial skin).
Capturing a quality image of a close fly-by is difficult as the crane is flying rapidly across the field of view.
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Sandhill Takeoff 4706 M
A Sandhill Crane in flight to the farm fields, taken 15 minutes after sunrise.
This bird is featured in a 16 image Flight Study on the Takeoff Sequences page.
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Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website. The Banner below leads to the Sandhill Cranes Collection where a Gallery can be selected.
There are 5 Galleries in the Photoshelter Sandhill Cranes Collection
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Sandhill Crane Morning Flight 1803
A rugged individualist takes off across the prevailing wind, offering a head-on flight opportunity.
One of the more exciting and technically challenging takeoff and flight situations occurs when a rare Sandhill Crane decides to be a little different and take off across the wind, which comes from the right of the frame to the north. Almost all cranes take off into the wind to gain the advantage of the extra lift provided by the wind, but once in a great while a bird will fly across the wind, directly into the only position where the photographers can set up. A head-on close fly-by is the result.
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Sandhill Crane Morning Flight 1806 M
The Sandhill Crane turns to the north to avoid passing directly over the photographer in a close fly-by.
Everything happens very quickly during one of these head-on fly-bys, and you had better hope that your exposure adjustments were correct because the closing speed is so rapid that you are kept very busy keeping a focus lock on the head and panning at the same speed as the bird to keep it in the frame.
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Sandhill Crane Morning Flight 1808
The Sandhill Crane begins its close pass by the photographer, moving at a very high speed.
The time between 1803 and 1806 was a half second, and between 1806 and 1808 was one second. Following are three sequential images (1810 to 1812) taken as the crane flew to its closest approach.
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Sandhill Crane Morning Flight 1810
The Sandhill Crane approaches the photographer for a high speed fly-by.
This and the next two shots were all taken in the space of one third of a second.
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Sandhill Crane Morning Flight 1811
A Sandhill Crane performs an exciting, low-level close fly-by as it leaves the Crane Pool for the farm fields.
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Sandhill Crane Morning Flight 1812
It is extremely challenging to track the bird, panning at the same speed while keeping the head in focus.
To give you some perspective, the left edge of the frame of 1812 shows the same landscape as the right edge of the frame of 1811. The bird traversed the space between the two shots in exactly 1/8 of a second.
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Sandhill Crane Morning Flight 1815
A Sandhill Crane blasts past the photographer at light speed in a close fly-by on its way to the farm fields. More head-on flight shots and high-speed close fly-bys are displayed on the Sandhill Cranes: Flight page.
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Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website. The Banner below leads to the Sandhill Cranes Collection where a Gallery can be selected.
There are 5 Galleries in the Photoshelter Sandhill Cranes Collection
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Sandhill Takeoff 4670
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Sandhill Takeoff 4732
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On the left, Sandhill Cranes prepare to spring into the air on a windier day. On the right, three cranes are running to gain takeoff speed into a lesser wind.
Sandhill Takeoff 4736
Sandhill Cranes leaving the Crane Pool at Bosque del Apache, shot at the moment of takeoff.
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Sandhill Cranes Takeoff 5785
Three Sandhill Cranes spring into the air on a windy day in mid-December.
Catching the instant the birds leave the water is challenging enough, but in this case my efforts were rewarded with all three positions: the squat, the spring and the takeoff.
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Sandhill Cranes Takeoff 5785-86 SXL
A 1500 x 496 version of the SXL Composite (4938 x 1632) showing the squat and spring takeoff technique.
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Sandhill Cranes Takeoff 5791 M
Two Sandhill Cranes fly from the Crane Pool in a beautifully synchronized formation.
Once you have taken a large number of Sandhill Crane images, you begin to attempt to capture something special, such as a difficult timing shot with synchronized wing positions. Any takeoff offers a challenging set of technical problems if your goal is to get portfolio-grade images... here the goal was also to capture synchronized full forward extension of the wings.
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Sandhill Cranes Takeoff 5793
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Sandhill Cranes Takeoff 5797
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Sandhill Cranes leaving the Crane Pool at Bosque del Apache on a cold December morning. As you can see, the birds flap their wings at different rates. On the left, the upper bird is at full forward extension, and the lower bird is just beginning the upward stroke. On the right, the bird on top is just beginning the upward stroke, and the lower bird is halfway through the upward stroke with the elbow bent. Capturing synchronized forward extension is tricky.
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Sandhill Crane Running 5844
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Sandhill Crane Running 5846
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A Sandhill Crane performs a running takeoff about 45 minutes after sunrise in December.
The moment when both feet are out of the water during a running takeoff is an elusive timing shot.
Sandhill Cranes Flyout HS0537
Three Sandhill Cranes fly in front of Coyote Deck to the farm fields at Bosque del Apache after breaking out of the frozen main pond on a brutally cold winter morning in early January.
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Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website. The Banner below leads to the Sandhill Cranes Collection where a Gallery can be selected.
There are 5 Galleries in the Photoshelter Sandhill Cranes Collection
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Sandhill Crane Flyout HS0560
A Sandhill Crane flies over a group of his sleeping fellows at sunrise on a brutally cold January morning.
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Sandhill Crane Running Takeoff HS0542
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Sandhill Crane Running Takeoff HS0543
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A Sandhill Crane runs across the surface of the ice to gather speed for takeoff on a cold January morning.
The temperature had fallen well below zero the night before and it was still below zero until after sunrise. On nights this cold, the entire surface of the pond freezes as much as one inch thick. The cranes have to break free of the ice, and then they slip and slide around while kicking off much of the ice which is sticking to their legs, all while warming up before takeoff. They then run on top of the ice to take off.
Sandhill Crane Running Takeoff HS0545
One of the more comical images from a running takeoff sequence. I love the rear foot position and the facial expression on this bird.
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Sandhill Crane Running Takeoff HS0549
A Sandhill Crane shows a beautiful fully-extended wing position during a running takeoff on the ice.
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Sandhill Crane Morning Flyout HS0713
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Sandhill Crane Morning Flyout HS0717
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A Sandhill Crane flies out to the farm fields, leaving the pond and his sleeping fellows behind after breaking free of the ice on a cold January morning at Bosque del Apache.
Sandhill Crane Morning Flyout HS0724
A Sandhill Crane displays an exquisite wing position as he flies out to the farm fields in January.
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Sandhill Crane Morning Flyout HS0725
A Sandhill Crane in flight to the fields on a brutally cold January morning at Bosque del Apache. If you look closely, you can see the ring of ice left on his leg after breaking free from the frozen pond.
On top of the challenges of panning with the fast-moving bird, composing “on the fly”, and maintaining focus on the head so the eye is sharp, you have to make adjustments to the exposure compensation to avoid overexposing the white cheek without underexposing the image so you can retain detail in the black legs and maintain optimum color saturation.
Shooting birds in flight is an extreme challenge, made worthwhile by an image of this quality.
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Sandhill Crane Morning Flyout HS0729
A Sandhill Crane is isolated against a background of his defocused fellows as he flies out to the farm fields at Bosque del Apache on a cold January morning.
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Sandhill Crane Morning Flight HS0732
A Sandhill Crane in flight from the Main Pond at Bosque del Apache on a sub-zero January morning. If you look closely, you can see a ring of ice still attached to its leg after it broke out of the frozen pond.
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Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website. The Banner below leads to the Sandhill Cranes Collection where a Gallery can be selected.
There are 5 Galleries in the Photoshelter Sandhill Cranes Collection
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Click the Display Composite above to visit the Sandhill Cranes: Takeoff Sequences page
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Click the Display Composite above to visit the Sandhill Cranes: Flight page
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Click the Display Composite above to visit the Sandhill Cranes: Landings page
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Click the Display Composite above to visit the Sandhill Cranes: Scenics and Assorted Images page
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Click the Display Composite above to return to the Sandhill Cranes Overview page
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