Morning Departure - Sandhill Cranes

30 inches wide x 20 inches high

Hundreds of sandhill cranes stand in the frozen pool; a moat of safety from patrolling coyotes. As the sun rises and the morning breeze shifts the cranes jostle for position at the front of the group, then begin their run-and-flap takeoff — two or three at a time, often in family groups, heading for nearby fields for their morning feast.