I had the pleasure of seeing for the first time and photographing a sandhill crane on 2/3/08. He/she has been hanging out on a small lake in Derry, PA, about a 1.5 hours from my home, since mid-December 2007. It was awesome to see this beautiful creature. He was surrounded by many friendly mallards, coots, geese and black ducks. It was a great experience. Here are some of my favorites from the day. C&C appreciated. Thanks for taking a look.
Lovely series. 2 and 3 of the crane stand out to me. I love the mallard in flight, gorgeous color and the water flowing down his chest adds another dimension. Very nice work.
Thanks for your nice comments. It was a delightful day for me. This was one of the few times I've been able to get close to this type of wildlife and they didn't immediately fly the "other" direction. I really got to practice some flight shots. I was surprised at how fast these mallards can move. I was having trouble just keeping them in the viewfinder, and was happy to get a couple decent shots. Getting fairly close to the crane was equally rewarding.
I appreciate your very kind comments and thanks for your selections. It was a day I'll remember for a long time. Most of the lake was frozen, but one end was unfrozen, which helped keep the wildlife close by. Additionally, lots of people walk the trail around the lake, so they apparently are used to having people around. Thanks again for commenting.
I appreciate your very kind comments and thanks for your selections. It was a day I'll remember for a long time. Most of the lake was frozen, but one end was unfrozen, which helped keep the wildlife close by. Additionally, lots of people walk the trail around the lake, so they apparently are used to having people around. Thanks again for commenting.
