Country Lane Cranes

Its meadows filled with gone to seed ironweed, goldenrod and aster, Country Lane Woods was recently graced with the elegance of two Sandhill Cranes. Crimson-capped, slate gray-bodied with stained rusty-orange feathers and long black legs, these birds stood out from the fading colors of the autumn prairie. Gangly in stature, the birds danced across the meadow in search of food, probing the grassland with their long black beaks. Though only a brief stopover in Country Lane Woods on the annual southern migration to their winter home, it was a wonderful surprise.

Two sandhill cranes walk in a meadow filled with prairie grass and gone to seed ironweed and goldenrod. One crane stands upright the other bends to feed on the grasses.

Two sandhill cranes walk in a meadow filled with prairie grass, gone to seed ironweed and goldenrod. One crane stands upright the other bends to probe the grasses.

Fill body profile of a standing sandhill crane in a meadow filled with prairie grass, gone to seed ironweed and goldenrod.

Fill body profile of a standing sandhill crane in a meadow filled with prairie grass, gone to seed ironweed and goldenrod.

Fill body profile of a standing sandhill crane in a meadow filled with prairie grass, gone to seed ironweed and goldenrod.

The head and torso of a sandhill crane peers out of a meadow of prairie grass and goldenrod.

The head and torso of a sandhill crane peers out of a meadow of prairie grass, ironweed and goldenrod.

Ruffled feathered and showing its rump, a sandhill crane walks in a meadow of gone to seed ironweed and goldenrod.

Ruffled feathered and showing its rump, a sandhill crane walks in a meadow of gone to seed ironweed and golden rod.

Two sandhill cranes walk in a meadow filled with prairie grass, gone to seed ironweed and goldenrod. One crane stands guard over the other as it eats bends to feed.

Two sandhill cranes, one in front of the other, bend their long necks to eat the grasses of a meadow.

Two sandhill cranes, one in front of the other, contort their long necks to eat the grasses of a meadow.