BH08_12_0027b

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 01:24:31 -0400

Oxbow meadows has a huge pasture that is a favorite feeding spot for deer... they will emerge from the woods in the evening in large numbers to forage. I visited the pasture in early December hoping to get a few photos of them when I saw some large birds grazing in the distance. At first I thought they were blue herons but when I zoomed in on them I was surprised to discover that they were Sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis), which are not native to this area. This was about as close as I could get with a 300mm lens..., the birds were extremely wary. I assumed they were resting here for the night during their migration (one of their wintering areas is south of us, in Florida). After taking a few shots I wandered on, assuming that this would probably be last I would see of them.