Category: Sandhill Cranes

A couple of Greater Sandhill Cranes pick their way carefully across the frozen pond early in the morning.  They exhibit this leaning posture just before they take flight but I think this pair is being extra careful as lifting off the slippery ice is treacherous for them.

As this pair of Greater Sandhill Cranes lifts off from the frozen Track Pond at Bosque del Apache last November, the morning sun reflects off their feathers and they almost blend into the background.