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Bosque del Apache is one of the more desirable places to go to see Sandhill Cranes in the winter.
Large numbers of cranes traveling the western portion of the Central Flyway near the Rocky Mountains
stop at the Bosque wetlands, and as many as 14,000 cranes winter there, using the ponds for protection
from predators and feeding on corn and alfalfa in the farm fields which are planted to support the birds.
The Sandhill Cranes section of the Bosque del Apache Portfolio contains an Overview page and
five section pages which house over 250 images organized into Takeoffs; Takeoff Sequences;
Flight; Landings; and Scenic and Assorted Images. This Overview contains selected images
from each of the section pages, and display composites which link to the section page.
Click an image to open a larger version.
Use your back button to return to this page.
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Takeoffs Takeoff Sequences Flight
Landings Scenic and Assorted Images
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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 at Sunset X1274 16x9
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 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 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.
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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 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 Crane Running Takeoff HS0545
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.
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Click the Display Composite above to visit the Sandhill Cranes: Takeoffs 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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The Takeoff Sequences page displays sequential takeoff images and flight studies.
For this Overview, I will show single images from some of the displayed sequences.
Sandhill Crane Takeoff Position X9348
A Sandhill Crane in the characteristic position telegraphs his intention to fly by leaning into the wind.
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 Sunrise Takeoff 4692 M
The Sandhill Crane gains speed, running across the pond while flapping his wings.
This image was taken during that five minute period when high clouds over the
horizon reflect the sunlight at just the right time to cast a golden glow onto the water.
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Sandhill Cranes Takeoff 5772 M
Two Sandhill Cranes fly past another crane who is in the midst of a running takeoff.
The most elusive and desirable moment to capture in a running takeoff on water is the
instant both feet are out of the water, with one toe dragging the surface as shown above.
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Sandhill Crane Morning Flyout 4755 M
A Sandhill Crane runs on the water to gather takeoff speed and lift for its flight to the farm fields.
The crane flaps its wings with great energy, rotating its shoulders forward on the downbeat to scoop
air for more forward thrust and lift, and back on the upbeat while bending its elbows to reduce drag.
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Sandhill Crane Takeoff X9355
The moment a Sandhill Crane springs into the air after a running approach and a hop, step and jump takeoff.
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Sandhill Crane Takeoff 5816 M
A Sandhill Crane leaves the Crane Pool at Bosque del Apache for its flight to the farm fields.
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Sandhill Takeoff 4708 M
The end of the downbeat phase (providing most of the thrust), with the primary feathers flexing upwards.
At full extension on the downbeat, primary feathers at the wingtips bend up due to the force of air pressure.
Takeoff is the most energy-demanding aspect of flight, and the 8000 foot altitude at Bosque del Apache
generally requires a significant takeoff run for these large birds to generate the airflow to create enough lift.
Once they are airborne, the Sandhill Cranes flap their wings with great power, scooping air for lift and thrust.
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Click the Display Composite above to visit the Sandhill Cranes: 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 Takeoff X9356
A Sandhill Crane takes flight just after sunrise on a December morning at Bosque del Apache, New Mexico.
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Sandhill Crane Takeoff 5683
A Sandhill Crane flight portrait taken during the 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 the height which yields this light.
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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 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 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 X0947
A close frontal flight portrait of a Sandhill Crane taken at eye level, just after takeoff on a February morning.
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Sandhill Crane Sunset Fly-in 6918
A Sandhill Crane is beautifully lit at sunset in a close fly-by past the Flight Deck on its way to the Main Pond.
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Click the Display Composite above to visit 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 Cranes Thermal Glide 6933 M
A group of Sandhill Cranes perform an elegant ballet, gliding and twisting on a thermal updraft
on their way to a landing on the Main Pond, just to the left of the Flight Deck at sunset in February.
(this image is displayed on both the Flight and Landings pages)
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Sandhill Crane Sunset Landing X4035 M
A Sandhill Crane scoops air in what is sometimes called a “full-parachute” landing as it
passes over a Cinnamon Teal at sunset on its way into the Main Pond at Bosque del Apache.
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Sandhill Crane Sunset Landing 5791 M
A Sandhill Crane comes in for a “full-parachute” landing, taken from the perfect frontal angle at sunset.
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Sandhill Cranes Sunset Landing X9163
One crane performs an elegant dance at sunset while two others land just ahead of him in the Main Pond.
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Sandhill Cranes Sunset Landing X9194 M
Two Sandhill Cranes float in for a sunset landing in golden light on the Main Pond at Bosque del Apache.
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Sandhill Cranes Mauve Dusk Landing X7368
A group of Sandhill Cranes float in for a landing in the waning light at dusk.
This was an extremely challenging shot, taken at 1/80 second at f/4 with a 500mm lens.
That is a very slow shutter speed for a lens of that focal length, and the wide aperture
made it difficult to keep the group of cranes in the extremely shallow focused field.
This combination of issues made achieving a sharply focused image interesting.
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Sandhill Crane Dusk Landing 7092 M
A Sandhill Crane touches down for a landing in the soft golden light at dusk (1/100 @ f/4, 500mm).
The low light at dusk requires the use of a wide aperture (lens iris opening) and a slow shutter speed
to gather enough light. The wide aperture (f/4) creates an extremely shallow depth to the focused field in
images taken with a 500mm lens, so keeping a bird’s head in the focused plane while it is in flight is an
interesting challenge. You have to pan horizontally and vertically with the bird at the exact same speed
and angle that the crane is moving to avoid motion blur at the slow shutter speed, and even the small
vibration caused by pressing the shutter can cause enough motion of the lens to ruin a shot, since
the reciprocal of the shutter speed is 1/6 to 1/4 of the focal length (very slow for a 500mm lens).
This combination of factors makes it imperative that you use every technical trick in the book.
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Click the Display Composite above to visit the Sandhill Cranes: Landings 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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Bosque del Apache Sandhills at Sunrise HS1061
A group of sleeping Sandhill Cranes are frozen into the pond in front of the Coyote Deck at
Bosque del Apache as the first rays of sunrise bathe the Cottonwoods in a red-orange glow.
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Sandhill Crane Take a Bow HS0443
A juvenile Sandhill Crane acknowledges his appreciative viewers as he finally achieves
balance on the ice at sunrise on a brutally cold January morning at Bosque del Apache.
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Sandhill Cranes at Sunrise 4738
Sandhill Cranes in silhouette at sunrise, crossing the Main Pond at Bosque del Apache, New Mexico.
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Sandhill Crane Mating Display 1944
A Sandhill Crane performs a courtship display for his lady bird in late December at Bosque del Apache.
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Sandhill Crane Behavior X6718
Sandhill Cranes posturing and discussing their day at sunset on the small Crane Pool at Bosque del Apache.
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Sandhill Cranes Sunset Drink X9559
A group of Sandhill Cranes drinking on the Main Pond in exquisite golden light at sunset.
When there are clouds just above the western horizon, they reflect the last rays of the sun
onto the water, and the color transitions from a yellow-gold through peach and mauve.
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Sandhill Cranes Sunset Reflections HS8174
A group of Sandhill Cranes are reflected in the Main Pond in beautiful light after sunset in February.
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Click the Display Composite above to visit the Sandhill Cranes: Scenics and Assorted Images 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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Additional images are on the Breeding and Composites pages of the Sandhill Cranes Wildlife Study section
(the display composite above leads to the Breeding Plumage and Mating Dance page of the Wildlife Study).
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