A fascinating thing happened to me on the way to Plum Island this winter. Two sandhill cranes unexpectedly crossed my path — twice! I had never seen these magnificent creatures before. You can imagine my surprise then when I crossed paths with them twice in seven days.

Encounter #1

My first encounter took place late one morning while I was heading north to the Joppa Flats on my way to Plum Island. As I traveled along Rt. 1A and approached the Newbury town line, I saw several cars pulled over to the side of the road. A group of people were standing next to a field. Everyone was pointing to something. The photographer in me sensed a potential photo-op was at hand. Naturally, I pulled over and grabbed my camera.

Attention grabbers

Sure enough, my intuition paid off. There they were. Two gorgeous sandhill cranes snacking in a grassy field, and embracing the warmth of the bright sun. Though I was positioned a pretty fair distance from the cranes, my zoom lens was able to capture the moment. I was told that the very appearance of sandhill cranes in that area was very rare. Right then and there I considered the day a photographic success. I absolutely love wildlife surprises. Little did I know that another surprise would come my way in the very near future.

Encounter #2

One week later I did a sunrise photo shoot on Plum Island. On my way home, this time traveling south on Rt. 1A and again approaching the Newbury town line, something caught my eye. There in a frost covered cornfield were the two sandhill cranes! I quickly pulled over. Not another soul was in sight. The air was crisp and the early morning silence incredibly peaceful.

Early morning snack

At first I photographed the cranes from the edge of the road.  I wanted to see how they would react to the sound of my camera’s shutter. The noise grabbed their attention, but they seemed more wary than frightened. I spoke to them softly for a bit and then slowly moved closer. Every few steps I took a shot to keep them used to the sound of the shutter.

Watching me approach

Gaining Their Trust

Step… shoot… speak gently… move closer. That was my shooting rhythm and mantra. Consistency, patience and respect paid off. I gradually gained their trust. Eventually I was able to get within 25-30 feet of these two cranes. I didn’t want to push my luck, but more importantly, I didn’t want to push the limit of their comfort level.

Keeping a watchful eye

These regal beauties are truly a sight to be seen and mostly definitely something special to photograph. I must say, between locating a snowy owl at Hampton Beach and crossing paths with these sandhill cranes, this has been a delightful winter of wildlife firsts for me!

~ Liz Mackney

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Good things come to those who wait! Such was the case when I drove up to Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, last week to search for the snowy owl that had been making an appearance there this winter.

Early morning resting in the dunes

I had lucked out the week before when I discovered the snowy owl resting in the dunes just after sunrise. Would luck smile on me again?

Search Strategy…

I arrived early and met up with a photographer friend. We decided a recon mission was needed. He grabbed his binoculars and headed off for the dunes. I remained focused on the open picnic table area in front of me. This winter’s Hampton Beach snowy owl had been known to enjoy sunning himself there.

Despite an initial 25-minute search, our snowy owl scouting mission proved fruitless. He was nowhere to be found. It was time for a new strategy.

Divide and Conquer…

Two people. Two cars. One snowy owl. That meant only one thing — divide and conquer.

My friend took his truck and left to go search the dunes on the other side of the main road. I remained where I was, continually scanning the picnic table area with my eyes. We believed we had our bases covered.

Expect the Unexpected…

An hour had passed since we first arrived at Hampton Beach. I was getting ready to call it quits. Perhaps it just wasn’t meant to be today. I decided to quickly check email. After scanning messages for a couple of minutes on my cell phone, I looked up. My jaw dropped. There he was. The snowy owl — right there on the picnic table in front of me!

The unexpected appears

Be Prepared…

I slowly exited the car. The snowy owl didn’t flinch. Good thing I had my equipment ready to go:

• Camera already mounted to the tripod.
• Sigma 120-400mm rental lens from Lens Pro To Go already attached to the camera body.
• Cable release already attached to my camera.

Move Thoughtfully…

I gradually moved closer and closer to the snowy owl. Mindful of the light, I changed my overall position so that the sun was at my back. There was always a chance that something might spook him. If that were the case, I wanted the opportunity to best capture him taking flight.

The sun on his face.

Danger Appears…

Snowy owls are hunters by nature. This snowy soon moved closer to the rocks along the water’s edge. Perhaps a meal was nearby — or maybe he sensed danger.

Snowy owl senses approaching danger

While we were keeping a respectful shooting distance, a man arrived and sent his dogs out to run in front of us. The snowy owl quickly took off for higher ground.

Up high on the Pavilion

Location, Location, Location…

My eyes followed him as he flew across the parking lot to the safety of the Pavilion’s roof peak. He seemed at peace with the height of this new location. We gave the snowy some time to settle in. He then allowed us to photograph him there for quite awhile.

Posing for the camera

The Moral of the Story…

Sometimes when you want to find a snowy owl, sit tight. He just might come to you.

~ Liz Mackney

Website
Editor’s Pick Gallery
New England Photography Guild Gallery