I’ve been hoping to see the swans migrating through the valley again this year but I got a bit of surprise when huge flocks of cranes flew by, and then back again, and then circled the house for what seemed like an eternity today.

They didn’t come down as low as the swans do, so I couldn’t get real up close shots of them but I was able to tell they definitely weren’t swans.

I realized they were probably either Sandhill or Whooping Cranes because of the sound they were making as they flew. There must have been a hundred or more.

I counted five flocks, some were joining up and they all seemed to be a bit lost. 😄

Hopefully they’ll find their way south so they can return again in the spring. As they were flying by, I happened to notice a lone bald eagle flying over, too.

We’ve seen them around recently and I think they’re hunting the local hawk population which exploded last year. I haven’t seen near as many of them, so I suspect the eagles are keeping things in check.

Nature is pretty amazing, isn’t it?