This beautiful bird is the white-naped crane (Antigone vipio), an Asian crane that breeds in northern Mongolia, northeastern China, and neighboring parts of Russia. The eastern members of the species winter in Japan and Korea, including the Korean demilitarized zone. Japan and Korea play important roles in my family history, so maybe that’s why this particular pair of cranes were so cooperative in letting me take their pictures.
The demoiselle crane is not a Wisconsin bird. But I photographed this individual in Wisconsin, thanks to the International Crane Foundation having its headquarters in Baraboo, Wis. It’s the only place in the world where you can see all 15 extant crane species. Read more …
After seeing the sandhill cranes yesterday, I decided it would be a good idea to take my camera on my afternoon walk. Usually, that would make all the birds go into hiding, but I found a heron hiding out behind the shore grass. Herons don’t sound like dinosaurs, but they sure look like them. I stalked it as it stalked … Read more
Saw these folks on my walk today. They were standing at the edge of the pond. At first, I thought they were the great blue herons we’ve seen on and off the past few weeks (of whom I have no photos because I’ve gotten lazy about bringing my camera on walks ever since Lilo ate the wrist strap). This is the first … Read more