OPENING SHOT Gliding through the air Photo: by Bill Sincavage Gear: Nikon D850 Settings: 1/2500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 900 S andhill cranes are often heard before they are seen. During the spring and summer we get several pairs that frequent and breed at the small pond next to our house. The pairs we see usually fly in during the morning and sometimes stay all day. On this particular morning I could hear the distinct cackling sound of these cranes from a long way off. I quickly grabbed my camera and headed to the pond. I positioned myself in the tall grass with the breeze to my back knowing the cranes take off and land into the wind. The sun was just up and it had all the makings of another beautiful Wyoming day. I finally got a glimpse of two pairs of cranes circling high above. After a couple of times circling the pond they decided to land. Hanging their long legs below them and with their wings extended they landed at the far end of the pond. With several shots of the landing on the memory card I could have left. However, I hung around to see if their visit would be a short one. About 20 minutes later something grabbed their attention. One of the pairs took off. A few seconds later the second pair followed. Once in the air they slowly flew across the pond a couple of feet above the surface of the water, giving me the perfect eye level viewpoint. Watching them fly off I knew they would be back, but my morning was complete. 6 | March 2022