Dance of the Sugar Plum Cranes
Huh? Never heard of Sugar Plum Cranes? That’s because they don’t exist. Or at least I don’t think they do. But Sandhill Cranes do. And they can dance! (As always I recommend clicking on any image to see full screen)
Above - Sandhill Crane jumps in field with wings stretched out
I made my annual trip to the Monte Vista Wildlife Refuge in the San Luis Valley in Colorado this month to catch the Sandhill Cranes in their approximate 6-week stopover on their way to Yellowstone National Park from New Mexico. They’ll be mating, nesting and raising their young while in Yellowstone until the Fall when they will reverse their journey.
Above - A rare-two-headed Sandhill Crane!
Above - Sandhill Crane preens itself in a field
Above - Small group of three Sandhill Cranes looking for a meal in the water in a high-key image
While photographing the cranes one day, a woman standing next me remarked, “I don’t understand how they can be so graceful…and awkward…at the same time!” She was right. They are indeed both, although I find their moments of grace far outnumber those awkward ones. Flight is a perfect example. They lumber on takeoff to the point where I wonder if they will get enough lift to be successful and then they flail their wings and legs on landing to where I anticipate them plunking head-down into the ground.
Realizing video is the best way to truly capture the flight of the cranes, I experimented this trip with short video clips that I then combined, edited, and set to music to create one single short clip that I’ve embedded below (have your sound up).
Above - Two-minute video of Sandhill Cranes in flight in Monte Vista, Colorado
But “dancing” is what makes these birds the stars they are. Sandhill Cranes dance for three reasons: 1) courtship to woo a mate and to be wooed; 2) pairs that are already mated but just want to reaffirm their status; and 3) territorial disputes. You can tell these apart by the amount of elaborate ritual is involved. Disputes are short and usually end with one crane leaving the area while courtship displays are elaborate and involve jumping, stick-throwing, and bowing and then repeating if necessary (examples below).
Many of the cranes arrive here “single” and leave in what will be a monogamous, lifelong relationship.
Photographing Sandhill Cranes is one of the rare events that will get me out of my bed before sunrise as these photos taken before sunrise show.
Above - Sandhill Crane standing on ice in ealry morning light
Above - Sandhill Crane preens itself before takeoff int eh early morning light
Photographing Sandhill Cranes is also worthwhile at dusk to get some unique images that you can’t get during the day.
Above - Three Sandhill Cranes arrive for a landing at dusk. I loved the orange color of the clouds in this.
Above - Two Sandhill Cranes flying down for their landing silhouetted against an overcast sky
Above - Flock of Sandhill Cranes preparing to land at dusk
And, of course, there are always other birds in the Valley that I find along the way. The standout surprise this year was a Greater Yellowlegs shorebird that I found in a small lake right by my motel. I went back to photograph it several times during different types of light and I’m glad I did, getting quite the variety that you can see below.
I was also graced by the presence of a Great Horned Owl, Mountain Bluebirds who seemed to appreciate the beautiful scenery, and a flock of Killdeer visiting the shore by the Greater Yellowlegs.
So, next Christmas when you hear Tchaikovsky’s Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies for the umpteenth time give it a new twist and think of the Sandhill Cranes dancing instead!