Sandhill Crane Watch

It has been several years since I have been able to photograph the beautiful Sandhill Cranes that use Kentucky as a flyway on their way South to Hiawassee National Wildlife Refuge, in southeast Tennessee, and points further South. Today was one of those days. I was on my way home after a brief visit to Louisville to take care of some business with my condo there. Earlier in the week I had read on the aba.bird.org website that over ten thousand Cranes had stopped over south of Elizabethtown in Cecilia for a rest.

I have photographed the Cranes in Cecilia several years ago. It's not easy getting decent images as the Cranes are normally far off in plowed corn fields feeding. But just as I was leaving, I noticed a group of Cranes near a pond in a yard off the highway. I managed to capture these images getting as close as I could without disturbing the Cranes.

I can't help it, Sandhill Cranes, to me, are so beautiful. Hiawassee National Wildlife Refuge is almost two hours from my home in northeast Nashville. Some day I shall pay a visit. I also read on the same website this week that there are thousands and thousands of Cranes overwintering at the refuge. It won't be long before they will fly north to their nesting grounds in Canada. I would love to see a nest one day and the smaller chicks. What fun that would be. I trust you are having a wonderful weekend. It's been very cold here, but there's a warm up on the way this week. ENJOY!