As the cranes follow their instincts and fly south in autumn, I, too, followed my urge to undertake a brief trip in the same direction. I wanted to lay eyes on them once again during their stopover in Monte Vista, where they refuel their fat stores, before continuing the journey to their wintering grounds.
I have repeatedly reported about crane encounters; as a matter of fact, my very first blog post was dedicated to the search for them. All my previous forays to Colorado’s San Luis Valley, home to a number of National Wildlife Refuges that are blessed with crane visitations, occurred during the early spring. Not this last one. At the end of a long, dry summer the parched land was swept by fierce fall winds that served as reminders of the conditions responsible for the formation of the famous Great Sand Dunes, propelling soil and dust through the air, and bending blades of grass and boughs of trees.
To enlarge a photo, click on it. To read its caption, hover the cursor over it.
Not the best circumstances for fruitful birding, but not only did I get to hear the cranesβ guttural vocalizations, so evocative of distant dates and destinations, I also spent a few hours in the company of these mythical creatures, who have long inspired awe and love in humans, this human included.
Click here for the German version/hier fΓΌr die deutsche Version klicken:
https://tanjaschimmel.wordpress.com/2018/10/23/begnadete-vogel/
What beautiful creatures!
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I am glad you think so, too!
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The bird in the Lufhansa lgog is a crane. Colorado seems to be a very nice place, I think I could like it there.
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Even though I have seen the Lufthansa logo, it did not occur to me that it was a crane. Thank you for the lesson, Christian,
Yes, Colorado is beautiful, and I, too, think you would like it here! π
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Magnificent, aren’t they? I enjoyed the sweeping views you shared here, as well.
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Thank you, Melissa. I enjoy going there each time, both for the amazing setting and the amazing creatures.
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Lovely post. I love Sandhill Cranes, especially when they do the mating dance! Thanks for the photos!
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Thank you for visiting and for commenting, Valerie. I never tire of seeing or hearing the cranes.
Best wishes,
Tanja
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You’ve got some great pictures there, Tanja. Trane birds are fascinating. You hear them always trumpeters before you see them π
I’ve seen them twice this year but at a distance.
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Thank you, Hanna. Every once in a while I hear them fly over where we live, but to see them, I have to drive a few hours to get to the area where they take a break. Hearing their calls always gives me goosebumps.
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Gorgeous pictures!
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Thank you, Diane. They are very inspiring creatures.
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If you ever get in the vicinity of Baraboo or Wisconsin Dells, stop in to see the International Crane Foundation where one can see many varieties of cranes including the Whooping Crane which they breed there. I plan to write about it in a few weeks.
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Thank you for the suggestion. I would love to see a Whooping Crane, before it goes extinct. The predictions for this bird are very dire. πͺ
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Oh, the cranes… I’ve yet to see.
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I hope you will. March is typically the best time to visit Monte Vista.
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Deine Kraniche sind wunderschΓΆn und faszinierendπ
LG Andrea
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DankeschΓΆn, liebe Andrea. Ich bin total verliebt. π
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beautiful photos, thanks for sharing, Tanja
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Thank you, Mitza, for visiting and for commenting. I never grow tired of these beautiful birds.
By the way, I wanted to point out that your gravatar (the photo that shows the cat) is still linked to your first blog, and not to your current one. That makes it difficult for someone to find your current posts. Maybe you are aware of this, and it doesn’t matter to you, but it might help to link the gravatar to your current blog.
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Thank you for that hint, Tanja. I must ask for help because I don’t know how to do that:( kind regards Mitza
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Beautiful birds/beautiful words.
As always.
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Kind visit/kind words.
As always.
And, as always, much appreciated, Nick! π
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Cranes are such amazing birds, aren’t they! You captured them beautifully in these images.
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Thank you, Otto. A professional photographer like yourself with a long lens would be able to get much better close-ups, but all things considered, I was excited to capture them at all. I never tire of them, and feel very fortunate when I am in their presence.
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I especially like the top left photo. To my eyes anyway, one bird seems to be landing and the other one looks ready to take off.
Bye till next time.
Neil.
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I think you are right, Neil. I think they are practicing their dance moves. The young bird imitates the parent, so when it’s time to find a mate, he or she can impress a prospective mate.
BTW, it is possible to enlarge the photos by double-clicking on them, it will make it easier to see some of the details.
Thank you for visiting and for commenting.
Have a good week,
Tanja
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I cannot decide what is more stunning and beautiful to me… the landscapes or the birds!
Thanks for showing both of them to us and describing it so eloquently!
Kindest regards,
Christa
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The birds and landscape conspire to make each visit to this location so meaningful for me.
Thank you for your visit and kind comment, Christa, I much appreciate them.
Best,
Tanja
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Eine tolle Fotoserie. Diese Kraniche sind in ihrer Art etwas anders als unsere. In diesem Jahr gibt es bei uns groΓe Probleme mit den VΓΆgeln .Sie finden kaum SchlafplΓ€tze, weil die FlachgewΓ€sser zum grΓΆΓten Teil trocken liegen .Man kann sie am Abend beobachten, wie sie hΓ€ufig ziellos nach einem Platz suchen.
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Danke, lieber Werner.
Die Trockenheit ist fΓΌr viele Tiere tragisch, und ist so traurig darΓΌber nachzudenken, wie viele dadurch ihr Leben verlieren werden.
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I love how dramatic the clouds look in your pictures, Tanja. Interesting cloud formations and rain are two things I most probably miss most about life here in the UAE.
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I never cease to be amazed by Colorado’s sky, Jolandi. It is so big, and so changeable. It can go from blue and serene to gray and threatening in no time. Many southwestern states have been in a drought for at least a decade, so I wish the clouds would drop a little more water!
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WunderschΓΆne Bilder, sowohl von der Landschaft wie von den hΓΌbschen Kranichen. Hier fliegen sie jetzt auch. Immer wieder ein schΓΆnes Erlebnis, sie zu hΓΆren und zu sehen. Ich muΓ mal gucken ,wie eure klingen! FΓΌr heute bin ich zu mΓΌde, muΓ ins Bett. Dir ein schΓΆnes WE liebe Tanja! LG, Almuth
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Lovely vistas and Sandhill Crane captures, Tanja!
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Thank you, Donna! π
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Hat sich erledigt, Tanja. Wer suchet, der findet π
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Alles klar, liebe Brigitte. Vielen Dank.
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It is really a blessing to turn our eyes away from the complexities of the world to the loving simplicities in life. I really enjoy all birds. Cranes are very fascinating! Thank you always Tanja for your continued love filled and peaceful shares. β€πβ
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I really appreciate your kind comment. I can find peace in nature that is hard to come by in the world of humans, sadly,
Best wishes,
Tanja
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Tanja – I too love cranes. The crane is considered a sacred bird in Japanese culture. And I had the most amazing experience when visiting Nijo Castle in Kyoto. I had gone through these gates that had beautiful cranes on them and we were in one of the gardens. I was standing, focusing my camera when a crane flew in and landed in one of the trees. In perfect placement for me to capture it’s graceful visage on film. It was magical. -Jill
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What a profound experience for you, Jill. In a way, I hold them sacred, too, but in a way, all birds fall into that category for me.
Incidentally- your first blog post I remember was about your Origami cranes. π
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Thank you. And that experience was the inspiration for the Crane art installation piece.
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[…] Blessed Birds […]
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