Sandhill Cranes

Four waves of Sandhill cranes, numbering around 700 in total, passed overhead during three hours of observation this afternoon. They were pushing northwest against a strong southwesterly flow brought on by a warm front earlier in the day that raised Atlanta highs to about 70 degrees. Sandhills are enjoyable to watch with their shapely "v" and wide arc formations as well as their "kettling" in uplifts prior to departure. In our woodland setting we always hear their distant croaking that leaves us hoping they will fly over our clearing. And most of the time they do because they fly high, sometimes into the thousands of feet. At those altitudes it's hard to imagine that you are looking at a bird that may stand five feet tall and soar on a seven foot wing span. Though there is a resident population of Sandhills in Georgia, several hundred-thousand will migrate from their wintering ground in Florida to summer in the Midwest and Canada. Coming or going, they always bring a smile and leave us looking up for more.