Flight

This page contains 75 images of Sandhill Cranes in flight over Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge,
including scenic images and flight closeups taken at dawn, sunrise, mid-day, late afternoon and sunset.
Takeoff wing positions, flight studies, formation flight, and head-on shots are all displayed on this page.

Click an image to open a larger version.
Use your back button to return to this page.

Sunburst3

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.

PhotoshelterGallerySection


There are 5 Galleries in the Photoshelter Sandhill Cranes Collection

Sunburst3
SandhillCrane_MorningFlight_HS0732


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.

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.

SandhillCrane_DawnTakeoff_3393


Sandhill Crane Dawn Takeoff 3393

Two Sandhill Cranes take off for the farm fields on a thinly overcast day at dawn.

SandhillJuvenile_MauveTakeoff_3360


Sandhill Juvenile Mauve Takeoff 3360

A juvenile Sandhill Crane takes off for the farm fields on another thinly overcast day at dawn.
On days with a thin overcast, the diffused light of sunrise creates a mauve to orange color on water.

SandhillCrane_MorningFly-by_6258


Sandhill Crane Morning Fly-by 6258

SandhillCrane_Sunset_Fly-by_3091


Sandhill Crane Sunset Fly-by 3091

Two close fly-by shots, the first taken at sunrise in February, and the second at sunset in December.
Note the superb aerodynamic shape of the Sandhill Crane in the low-speed morning fly-by on the left.

SandhillCrane_Sunset_Fly-by_3097_16x9


Sandhill Crane Sunset Fly-by 3097 16x9

A 1600 x 900 image of a Sandhill Crane in a close fly-by past the Flight Deck at sunset.

Sandhill_atSunrise_HS6250


Sandhill at Sunrise HS6250

A very close fly-by of a Sandhill Crane heading towards the farm fields at sunrise in December.
Note the smooth airfoil formed by the closely-interlocked, overlapping coverts and secondary feathers.

SandhillCrane_Takeoff_X9356


Sandhill Crane Takeoff X9356

A Sandhill Crane takes flight just after sunrise on a December morning at Bosque del Apache, New Mexico.

SandhillCrane_MorningTakeoff_4792


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.

Juvenile_SandhillTakeoff_5737M


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.

SandhillCrane_Takeoff_5683


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.

SandhillCrane_Takeoff_FlightStudy_5682-83LG


Sandhill Crane Takeoff Flight Study 5682-83 LG

A 2000 x 759 flight study composite, just after takeoff on a cold December morning in golden light.

Sunburst3

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.

PhotoshelterGallerySection


There are 5 Galleries in the Photoshelter Sandhill Cranes Collection

Sunburst3
SandhillCrane_Flyout_X9438M


Sandhill Crane Flyout X9438 M

A Sandhill Crane flies out to the farm fields, isolated against a background of Cranes and Snow Geese.

SandhillCrane_Flyout_X8869


Sandhill Crane Flyout X8869

A slightly oblique frontal shot taken as a Sandhill Crane leaves the Crane Pool on a December morning.

SandhillCrane_Flyout_X8929


Sandhill Crane Flyout X8929

A side profile shot taken as a Sandhill Crane leaves the Crane Pool on a December morning.

SandhillCrane_Takeoff_5816M


Sandhill Crane Takeoff 5816 M

A Sandhill Crane leaves the Crane Pool at Bosque del Apache for its flight to the farm fields.

SandhillCrane_takeoff_4615


Sandhill Crane Takeoff 4615

A Sandhill Crane displays a superb wing position in the first full beat after takeoff from the Crane Pool.

Note how the tips of the primary feathers bend upward from the air pressure at full forward extension.
This shot had to be slightly underexposed to avoid overexposure of the Snow Geese in the background.

SandhillTakeoff_4715


Sandhill Takeoff 4715

A Sandhill Crane halfway through the upward wing flap, with wings bent at the elbow to reduce drag.

SandhillTakeoff_4718M


Sandhill Takeoff 4718 M

A Sandhill Crane at full upward extension, showing the full panoply of underwing coverts,
the Secondary feathers at the rear of the wing, and the Primary feathers at the wingtips.

SandhillCranes_MorningFlight_1819


Sandhill Cranes Morning Flight 1819

A group of rugged individualists take off downwind and head south from the Crane Pool. Almost all of the
landings and takeoffs are into the prevailing wind from the north, but some birds follow a different drummer.

SandhillCranes_MorningFlight_1821M


Sandhill Cranes Morning Flight 1821 M

Detail of the leaders of this unconventional group of cranes, taken 45 minutes after sunrise in December.

SandhillCranes_Takeoff_5791M


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.

Sunburst3

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.

PhotoshelterGallerySection


There are 5 Galleries in the Photoshelter Sandhill Cranes Collection

Sunburst3
SandhillTakeoff_4726


Sandhill Takeoff 4726

Two Sandhill Cranes fly over the Crane Pool on a mid-December morning on their way to the farm fields.

SandhillCrane_MorningFlyout_HS0724


Sandhill Crane Morning Flyout HS0724

A Sandhill Crane displays an exquisite wing position as he flies out to the farm fields in January.

SandhillCrane_MorningFlyout_HS0729


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.

SandhillCranes_MorningFlight_4742


Sandhill Cranes Morning Flight 4742

SandhillCranes_FormationFlight_4198


Sandhill Cranes Formation Flight 4198

Sandhill Cranes in formation flight against backgrounds of dry grasses and a blue December sky.

SandhillCranes_Formation_5429


Sandhill Cranes Formation 5429

A distant flock of Sandhill Cranes in a migration formation early in the morning in late February.

SandhillCrane_Flight_X8944


Sandhill Crane Flight X8944

A close flight portrait taken against a blue morning sky in late December.

SandhillCrane_Flight_HS6295


Sandhill Crane Flight HS6295

SandhillCrane_Flight_HS6296


Sandhill Crane Flight HS6296

Two flight portraits taken at near full extension on the downward beat and 2/3 extension on the upward beat.
These two flight portraits are composited in the Sandhill Crane Flight Study image which is shown below.

SandhillCrane_FlightStudy_HS6295-96M


Sandhill Crane Flight Study HS6295-96 M

A two image overlay composite of a Sandhill Crane in a brilliant blue sky on a cold December morning.

There is a 3:2 aspect ratio XL version of this flight study composite available (3000 x 2000 pixels).

SandhillCranes_Flight_to_theFields_X8837


Sandhill Cranes Flight to the Fields X8837

Two Sandhill Cranes head out to the farm fields at Bosque del Apache just after sunrise in late December.

Sunburst3

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.

PhotoshelterGallerySection


There are 5 Galleries in the Photoshelter Sandhill Cranes Collection

Sunburst3
SandhillCrane_X0947


Sandhill Crane X0947

A close frontal flight portrait of a Sandhill Crane taken at eye level, just after takeoff on a February morning.

SandhillCrane_detail_X0947c


Sandhill Crane detail X0947c

The linked image is a detail crop, slightly resized down from the master image to show facial detail.

SandhillCrane_Head-on_2636M


Sandhill Crane Head-on 2636 M

A Sandhill Crane leaves its frozen fellows on the Crane Pool after sunrise on a cold morning in late December.
Unlike his colleagues who took off into the wind towards the north (the direction the other cranes are facing), he
decided to head due east, and flew directly at me, giving me a rare opportunity for some head-on flight shots.

SandhillCrane_Head-on_2637


Sandhill Crane Head-on 2637

SandhillCrane_Head-on_2638


Sandhill Crane Head-on 2638

In the midst of his next wing beat, he saw the long black lens on the camera and changed direction
in the second between shots. It is difficult to discern expression on a crane’s face, but I would swear
his eyes opened wider than normal and he took on a worried look. It could have been my imagination.

SandhillCrane_Head-on_2640


Sandhill Crane Head-on 2640

A Sandhill Crane flies directly towards the camera, watching the lens carefully as he passes overhead.

SandhillCrane_Head-on_X8865


Sandhill Crane Head-on X8865

A Sandhill Crane leaves the Crane Pool on a December morning and flies
directly towards the photographer, offering a rare opportunity for a head-on shot.

Quality head-on shots are extremely difficult to capture due to the fast closing speeds.
Birds can almost instantly fly through the shallow depth of field of a long telephoto lens,
and it can be difficult to gain a focus lock in the first place due to the low contrast of the
feathers around the head. It is generally best to focus on the wing root, where shadows
can offer a higher contrast, and this must be done quickly due to the fast closing speed.

SandhillCrane_Flight_X8941


Sandhill Crane Flight X8941

SandhillCrane_Head-on_1851


Sandhill Crane Head-on 1851

Sandhill Crane flight portraits in a steep oblique and a head-on encounter, taken on
two different mornings in December against a blue sky and a dry grass background.

Head-on shot opportunities do not present themselves all that often, as birds are usually flying
into the wind and photographers generally set up at a 90 degree angle to the typical flight path.
Setting up directly in the flight path would require standing in the ice cold waters of the marsh.

Even when you do get a chance at a head-on shot, they are often not of a very high quality
because the high closing speed of the bird either made it impossible to gain a focus lock,
or the bird flew through the very shallow depth of field of a long telephoto lens too quickly.

After missing a number of shots like this, frustration mounts and you plan your actions
carefully so you can rapidly perform the camera setup, focus and fire, all in an instant.
Even with very careful planning, portfolio-grade head-on shots of the fast-moving
Sandhill Crane in flight can be elusive. It is quite pleasing when you succeed.

SandhillCrane_Head-on_X8758


Sandhill Crane Head-on X8758

A Sandhill Crane in a rapid head-on approach. This crane
seemed to be a little freaked out by the long telephoto lens.

SandhillCrane_Head-on_X8759M


Sandhill Crane Head-on X8759 M

SandhillCrane_Head-on_X8760


Sandhill Crane Head-on X8760

As he flew overhead, the crane’s eyes bugged out and he squawked and screamed at me.
A 1500 x 1290 detail crop of the screaming crane in this head-on approach is shown below.

SandhillCrane_Head-on_detail_X8760c_M


Sandhill Crane Head-on detail X8760c M

A Sandhill Crane screaming during a head-on approach, cropped and resized down from the master image.

Sunburst3

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.

PhotoshelterGallerySection


There are 5 Galleries in the Photoshelter Sandhill Cranes Collection

Sunburst3
SandhillCrane_Flight_X8952


Sandhill Crane Flight X8952

A Sandhill Crane in flight after leaving the Crane Pool in the morning on its way out to the farm fields.

SandhillCranes_Fly-in_X9118


Sandhill Cranes Fly-in X9118

SandhillCrane_EveningFly-in_HS6357


Sandhill Crane Evening Fly-in HS6357

Sandhill Cranes flying back to the ponds from the farm fields in the early evening.

SandhillCrane_Sunset_Fly-by_3129M


Sandhill Crane Sunset Fly-by 3129 M

SandhillCrane_SunsetFly-by_HS6414M


Sandhill Crane Sunset Fly-by HS6414 M

Close flight portraits taken at sunset when the cranes are flying back to the ponds.

Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese spend the night in ponds for protection from predators.

SandhillCrane_Flight_4098


Sandhill Crane Flight 4098

A Sandhill Crane in flight, taken against a brilliant blue December sky not long after sunrise.

SandhillCrane_MorningFlight_1784_16x9


Sandhill Crane Morning Flight 1784 16x9

A 1600 x 990 image of a Sandhill Crane in a close fly-by not long after sunrise in December.

SandhillCranes_Fly-in_HS6371


Sandhill Cranes Fly-in HS6371

A group of Sandhill Cranes fly low over the dry December grass on their way in to the pond at sunset.

SandhillCrane_Sunset_HS6401


Sandhill Crane Sunset HS6401

Close flight portraits of Sandhills at sunset, soaring in a close fly-by and  turning in a steep bank to reduce speed for landing.

SandhillCrane_Sunset_Fly-in_X3429M


Sandhill Crane Sunset Fly-in X3429 M

Sunburst3

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.

PhotoshelterGallerySection


There are 5 Galleries in the Photoshelter Sandhill Cranes Collection

Sunburst3
SandhillCranes_SunsetFly-in_X9149


Sandhill Cranes Sunset Fly-in X9149

Sandhill Cranes flying in to the ponds at sunset.

SandhillCrane_Floating_in_atSunset_X3479


Sandhill Crane Floating in at Sunset X3479

A Sandhill Crane floats in on a thermal for landing.

Sometimes, the cranes use a convenient thermal updraft to reduce their forward speed just before landing.

SandhillCranes_ThermalGlide_6933M


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.

SandhillCrane_ThermalGlide_X9117


Sandhill Crane Thermal Glide X9117

A close flight portrait of a Sandhill Crane gliding in on a thermal at sunset.

SandhillCranes_ThermalGlide_5986


Sandhill Cranes Thermal Glide 5986

SandhillCranes_ThermalGlide_5988


Sandhill Cranes Thermal Glide 5988

A group of Sandhill Cranes gliding in on a thermal at dusk, delicately adjusting position.
In 5986 above left, two of the cranes announce their arrival to the others waiting below.
As the cranes closed in on the pond, I concentrated on the group of four at the bottom.

SandhillCranes_ThermalGlide_5991


Sandhill Cranes Thermal Glide 5991

Sandhill Cranes gliding in on a thermal, spreading out for a landing on the Main Pond at dusk.

SandhillCranes_ThermalGlide_atDusk_XXL


Sandhill Cranes Thermal Glide at Dusk XXL

A 1600 x 1110 version of the XXL composite (4933 x 3261)
showing a group of Sandhill Cranes gliding in on a thermal at dusk.

Sunburst3

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.

PhotoshelterGallerySection


There are 5 Galleries in the Photoshelter Sandhill Cranes Collection

Sunburst3
SandhillCrane_SunsetFly-in_6918


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.

SandhillCrane_SunsetFlight_6968


Sandhill Crane Sunset Flight 6968

Another close fly-by at sunset, taken from the Flight Deck at Bosque del Apache in February.

SandhillCrane_SunsetFly-by_HS6426


Sandhill Crane Sunset Fly-by HS6426

SandhillCrane_SunsetFly-by_HS6432


Sandhill Crane Sunset Fly-by HS6432

Sandhill Cranes flying in to the Main Pond just after sunset, looking for a good place to spend the night.

SandhillCranes_SunsetFly-in_6999


Sandhill Cranes Sunset Fly-in 6999

A pair of Sandhill Cranes fly over a group of Snow Geese and Cranes in the Main Pond at sunset.

SandhillCranes_SunsetGlide_X4060


Sandhill Cranes Sunset Glide X4060

Two Sandhill Cranes are lit by the last low-angle rays of the sun during a high-speed glide past the Flight Deck.

SandhillCrane_DuskFly-by_5481


Sandhill Crane Dusk Fly-by 5481

A fast-moving Sandhill Crane in a fly-by past the Flight Deck over the Main Pond at Bosque del Apache.

To get this extremely difficult dusk fly-by shot, taken at 1/80 second at f/4 with a 500mm lens, you must
pan horizontally at the exact same speed as the bird while keeping the head in focus. 1/80 second is a
very long time for a 500mm lens. Achieving a sharp image of a moving target is an extreme challenge.

Sandhills_DuskFly-in_5429


Sandhills Dusk Fly-in 5429

Two cranes in a difficult fly-by shot at dusk, taken at 1/125 second at 500mm during a high-speed glide in low light.

Sandhill_SunsetFlyby_5353


Sandhill Sunset Fly-by 5353

A close flight portrait taken as a Sandhill Crane blasts by the Flight Deck at Bosque del Apache at last light after sunset.

Sandhill_DuskFly-in_5352


Sandhill Dusk Fly-in 5352

A close flight portrait taken as a Sandhill Crane rockets past the Flight Deck in the waning light after sunset.

Shots like these are extremely challenging. A wide aperture must be used to gather as much light as possible.
The wide aperture (f/4) reduces depth of the focused field significantly, so you have to carefully maintain focus
on the head while panning at exactly the same speed as the fast-moving crane, all while composing the shot.

Sandhill_SunsetFlyby_5363


Sandhill Sunset Fly-by 5363

An extremely close flight portrait taken as a crane blazes past me at about 20 feet from my 500mm lens.
Getting a portfolio-grade image required the use of every trick in the book. This crane was really moving.

Sunburst3

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.

PhotoshelterGallerySection


There are 5 Galleries in the Photoshelter Sandhill Cranes Collection

Sunburst3
Takeoffs


Click the Display Composite above to visit the Sandhill Cranes: Takeoffs page

Takeoff_Sequences


Click the Display Composite above to visit the Sandhill Cranes: Takeoff Sequences page

Landings


Click the Display Composite above to visit the Sandhill Cranes: Landings page

Scenic_Asst


Click the Display Composite above to visit the Sandhill Cranes: Scenics and Assorted Images page

SandhillCranes


Click the Display Composite above to return to the Sandhill Cranes Overview page

GrEgret_copyright_clip