End of Another Great Season
It's the time of year that makes me both happy and sad at the same time. It's the end of a season of incredible days spent with one of the last great migrations to be found in North America, the Sandhill Cranes are again moving north. For the past four months or so, 26,000 of these amazing birds have been here in Dayton, Tn. , where they stay each year around the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge. Fortunate for me, I live just minutes from the refuge, and I have the privilege each year of spending nearly everyday in the fields photographing their activities. I am one very lucky guy, and smart enough to know how very special this time is each year.
Like most years, our Sandhills begin to arrive in the area around the first week of November, and they usually remain until around the first of March. Depending upon weather conditions, they may stay a bit longer or leave a few weeks earlier. Both their arrival and departure cannot be kept a secret, as they love to announce themselves with their haunting calls coming from the skies above. There's no mistaking who has just arrived, or as we are seeing this week, who has decided to leave.
Sandhill Cranes, like many other species, mate for life. Early on in their cycle, they select a mate by performing a ritual dance, which both attracts and excites the opposite sex. It's one of those amazing sights that many of us in the area get to witness throughout the winter months. As a photographer, it's a "must have" shot that we all look forward to capturing.
I have been watching the Sandhills leaving for the past two weeks or so, but this morning I was awakened to the sound of huge flocks flying low over my house. It was as though they were buzzing my rooftop to say goodbye. It was the most wonderful alarm clock I have ever heard. It made me excited, and then I was saddened to realize this was so long for another year. I will miss these birds and the time I have spent with them. "Be safe my feathered friends, and I shall await your return."
