There is no mistaking the sound of sandhill cranes flying over. The cacophony can be heard before the birds can be seen. And Wednesday was a full-on crane fly-over day! Hundreds came over in dozens of groups – some more orderly than others.
With this lens, all I can get are group shots but the morning light helps define them.
And even with a regular lens, some of the groups are too big to fit. You may have to look closely to see the long line of cranes.
And the noise lasts until after the birds are out of sight. But here comes another group!
Always Backroads 
I LOVED THAT SOUND ! IT MEANT FALL HAD ARRIVED !!
Fall is quite noisy here, isn’t it?
Wow remarkable and a fantastic blue sky…
I live in Wyoming, and they flew over me on Sunday. Where are you?
We share the same cranes! I’m in southern New Mexico. The cranes winter at Bosque del Apache just north of here. They fly over to their feeding grounds most mornings.
They made great time! I will have to get to their wintering place one of these days.
A visit to the Bosque during crane season is well worth it. Every morning thousands of cranes take off – almost all at the same time. It’s quite spectacular. In the evenings they drift back in groups over a couple of hours. Let me know if you are ever down this way.
Love everything about this!
I don’t know if the cranes which summer in the wetland across the road from us migrate to New Mexico or not, but they’ve been gone now about a month. It’s a true sign of spring when we hear “our” pair calling and then see them fly low over our house to start their next family. (We are in Wisconsin)
I think you are on a different fly-way than we are. “Ours” come down through the Rockies. I think yours winter towards the Gulf. Their flight to and from Alaska is amazing. There’s an earlier comment here that the sound of the cranes means Fall. And for you it means Spring!
And I’ll be there next month, the festival is coming! It’s only a few hours drive and I want to participate in a workshop or two as this is my last six months in NM..
Great captures, Donna.
Your work really is lovely. Thank you. Peace, John
Thanks, John.
Fantastic shots Donna!
Heard one calling at low altitude late yesterday afternoon. It’s below freezing at night now, and in the 40’s during the day. He (she) is a very late migrant. Must have somehow missed the flocking up that happened weeks and weeks ago around here (Wisconsin).
I haven’t heard them yet but I’ll be on the look out. They winter here too. Love the sound. And they are good smoked! (I don’t hunt any more)
I wish I had wings!
In love with the second picture