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Archive 2020 · Sandhill Cranes IF

amyandmark3
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Sandhill Cranes IF

Today was the first time I've photographed Sandhills. I found them in the fields near Lodi, CA. It was a big treat for me to see several hundred at fairly close range! Thanks for looking.

Mark

Dec 29, 2020 at 07:02 PM

OSP2017
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Sandhill Cranes IF

This is awesome, Mark! Congrats!

Dec 29, 2020 at 07:29 PM

amyandmark3
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Sandhill Cranes IF

OSP2017 wrote:
This is awesome, Mark! Congrats!

Thank you!

Dec 30, 2020 at 09:57 AM

AGeoJO
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Sandhill Cranes IF

Sweet images, Mark! Was that near Woodbridge? I was there a few times...

Joshua

Dec 30, 2020 at 10:39 AM

morris
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Sandhill Cranes IF

Excellent flight images Mark

Morris

Dec 30, 2020 at 10:52 AM

bobbytan
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Sandhill Cranes IF

Very nice images! But what took you so long?

Dec 30, 2020 at 11:52 AM

amyandmark3
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Sandhill Cranes IF

AGeoJO wrote:
Sweet images, Mark! Was that near Woodbridge? I was there a few times...

Joshua

Thank you Joshua! Yes, exactly at Woodbridge in one of those fields along the road. They were bustling with cranes yesterday.

Mark

Dec 30, 2020 at 12:55 PM

amyandmark3
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Sandhill Cranes IF

morris wrote:
Excellent flight images Mark

Morris

Thank you Morris!

Mark

Dec 30, 2020 at 12:55 PM

amyandmark3
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Sandhill Cranes IF

bobbytan wrote:
Very nice images! But what took you so long?

Thank you! When we moved to Cali 6-7 yrs. ago, I gave up photography (sold all my gear to help pay for the move) and took on participating in watersports and hiking in the mountains (things not readily available to us in Indiana, lol). Anyways, I just got back into photography and learned about the Sandhills about an hour from my house, so I went to find them yesterday!

Mark

Dec 30, 2020 at 12:59 PM

AGeoJO
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Sandhill Cranes IF

amyandmark3 wrote:
Thank you Joshua! Yes, exactly at Woodbridge in one of those fields along the road. They were bustling with cranes yesterday.

Mark

Great! Now, what you need to do is to go there and take pictures of the sandies late in the afternoon or early evening when they come to roost there. They will “parachute” down and that’s a sight to see and photograph. The lighting quality would be better and reddish orangey skies would be photogenic...

Dec 30, 2020 at 01:12 PM

armd
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Sandhill Cranes IF

That's crazy. All of the years I lived in the Bay Area and never saw any Sandies. Didn't think they would like the gorgeous weather. Now that I live in the MW (couldn't afford anything in Crazyfornia) Sandies are plentiful in this barren wilderness. They are amazing creatures and the sights and sounds are something to behold.

Dec 30, 2020 at 03:56 PM

gcooke0522
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Sandhill Cranes IF

Nice flight shots!!

Dec 30, 2020 at 03:57 PM

amyandmark3
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Sandhill Cranes IF

AGeoJO wrote:
Great! Now, what you need to do is to go there and take pictures of the sandies late in the afternoon or early evening when they come to roost there. They will “parachute” down and that’s a sight to see and photograph. The lighting quality would be better and reddish orangey skies would be photogenic...

Thanks Joshua! Would you suggest that same location right off Woodbridge Rd at sunrise/sunset? I tried over near Cosumnes NWR for the morning and got nothing. Then I drove over to Woodbridge and found them there.

Dec 30, 2020 at 07:06 PM

amyandmark3
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Sandhill Cranes IF

armd wrote:
That's crazy. All of the years I lived in the Bay Area and never saw any Sandies. Didn't think they would like the gorgeous weather. Now that I live in the MW (couldn't afford anything in Crazyfornia) Sandies are plentiful in this barren wilderness. They are amazing creatures and the sights and sounds are something to behold.

Yes, the sounds are really cool, especially as they fly directly overhead. We're lucky in that our income increase equated to the housing/cost of living here in the Sacramento suburbs, so our quality of life is basically the same. Except, no snow unless we want to drive into the mountains. I know many people love winter, but after 40+ years of snow and cold snaps and icy roads, I'm ok without it, lol

Dec 30, 2020 at 07:12 PM

amyandmark3
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Sandhill Cranes IF

gcooke0522 wrote:
Nice flight shots!!

Thank you Gordon

Mark

Dec 30, 2020 at 07:13 PM

birdied
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Sandhill Cranes IF

Congratulations , what a lovely set. I can hear all the sounds they make. They are a lot of fun to photograph.

Sandhill cranes prefer to roost in shallow water or mud flats, not sure if there is any around the area you found them feeding.

Birdie

Dec 30, 2020 at 07:23 PM

AGeoJO
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Sandhill Cranes IF

amyandmark3 wrote:
Thanks Joshua! Would you suggest that same location right off Woodbridge Rd at sunrise/sunset? I tried over near Cosumnes NWR for the morning and got nothing. Then I drove over to Woodbridge and found them there.

It was easily 12 years ago when I was there the last time and my memory is not what it used to be, sadly.... Based on my recollection, both the sunset and sunrise were pretty good there. If you want to go further south, there is the Merced Wildlife Refuge where there used to be more cranes, snow geese and other birds. I remembered the conditions were better there. There is a drivable loop with open field there, similar to Bosque del Apache in New Mexico just quite a bit smaller.

Dec 30, 2020 at 07:30 PM

amyandmark3
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Sandhill Cranes IF

birdied wrote:
Congratulations , what a lovely set. I can hear all the sounds they make. They are a lot of fun to photograph.

Sandhill cranes prefer to roost in shallow water or mud flats, not sure if there is any around the area you found them feeding.

Birdie

Thank you Birdie! Yes, there are definitely roosting spots around this area, I just have to find them!

Mark

Dec 30, 2020 at 10:15 PM

amyandmark3
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Sandhill Cranes IF

AGeoJO wrote:
It was easily 12 years ago when I was there the last time and my memory is not what it used to be, sadly.... Based on my recollection, both the sunset and sunrise were pretty good there. If you want to go further south, there is the Merced Wildlife Refuge where there used to be more cranes, snow geese and other birds. I remembered the conditions were better there. There is a drivable loop with open field there, similar to Bosque del Apache in New Mexico just quite a bit smaller.

Thanks for the info Joshua, I appreciate all the help I can get! I will put Merced on my list of places to visit asap!

Mark

Dec 30, 2020 at 10:16 PM


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