The Encounter
Each October, sandhill cranes gather at Crex Meadows before their journey south. During the day, they scatter to feed. As evening approaches, they return to the marsh.
I made this photograph in the afternoon, as cranes moved across the landscape. Some stood among the grasses while others passed overhead. There was no single bird that held the whole story. The gathering itself was the story: cranes on the ground, cranes in flight, and the open space connecting them.
A week later, I returned. The cranes were gone. The marsh felt like a deserted island.
The grasses and trees were still there, but the voices and movement that had filled the marsh were gone. I was grateful to have been there before they left.
A Note on the Photograph
When we photograph wildlife, it is natural to reach for a close portrait. But sometimes a wider view tells us more. Here, the cranes in flight carry the eye across the frame, while the birds on the ground give the scene a sense of scale. The warm grasses and autumn trees help tell us where we are and what season it is.
The fast shutter speed helped freeze the flying cranes. The higher ISO was part of the tradeoff for that speed and the chosen aperture.
- Location
- Crex Meadows Wildlife Area, Wisconsin
- Date & Time
- October 24, 2025 · 3:53 p.m.
- Camera
- Nikon Z9
- Lens
- NIKKOR Z 100–400mm with Z TC-2.0x teleconverter
- Focal length
- 240mm
- Exposure
- 1/6400 sec · f/9 · ISO 8000
From the Field
I also recorded a short video that afternoon. I hope you’ll take a moment to listen as well as watch.