Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Platte River, March 2026: Cranes in Flight

I have had some great times in the past shooting pictures of Sandhill Cranes, both in Colorado and New Mexico.  I've always heard that if I really want to see cranes on their northern migration, I needed to go to the Platte River in Nebraska.  My Spring Break this year coincided perfectly with the projections for peak migration, when roughly half a million cranes were expected to stop over along on an 80-mile stretch of the river.  So the time for my pilgrimage had finally arrived!

Sandhill Cranes, Platte River
Scanning the skies regularly revealed small flocks heading to or returning from the fields.

Sandhill Cranes, Platte River
As the sun set, silhouettes presented the best opportunities.

Sandhill Cranes, Platte River
Silhouettes were again the main attraction shortly after sunrise the next morning...

Sandhill Cranes, Platte River
...until golden hour began in full, when warm sunlight bathed the birds flying to the fields.

Sandhill Cranes, Platte River
I enjoyed looking for both interesting formations...

Sandhill Cranes, Platte River
...and solo flyers.
Sandhill Cranes, Platte River
The higher the sun rose in the sky, the more important angles became so the undersides of my subjects weren't entirely in shadow.

Sandhill Cranes, Platte River
A crane facing the sun and angled upward was an absolute win. 

Sandhill Cranes, Platte River
I loved both the chaos of some groups...

Sandhill Cranes, Platte River
...and the sublime synchronization of others.

One thing I've learned over my years of photographing birds in flight is that I always wish my lens was bigger and faster.  But then I get home and process my shots, and realize that my trusty Nikkor 80-400 zoom still does just fine. :)

More to come!

Related Links:

No comments: