Joel Dinda's photos with the keyword: cranes

Overhead. Directly overhead.

Please pardon the amateurish (18 second) video. Thanks. Some clues, here, about why we find our way to Michigan Audubon's CraneFest most autumns. All those large birds. All that noise.

Sandhill Cranes against the sky, at Michigan Audubon's Baker Sanctuary. I'm pleased with the composition on this one, but am unhappy with the detail. Once again I was using the Nikon V2 and the 300 mm lens, but still wasn't nailing the focus. Still learnin'. Things will eventually sort out, I expect.

South of Delton, Michigan. About a month ago I found dozens of cranes in this field ; today there were but three. And a reminder: The Baker Sanctuary Crane Fest is this weekend. We'll be there on Sunday.

In memory of Gary Masemore ( cminer52 on Flickr ), a far better bird photographer than I am. Gonna miss y', guy.

South of Delton, Michigan. Actually there were more like a hundred cranes in this field. Autumn's coming, and the flocks are gathering....

Hospital Ship Comfort, back from the first Gulf War, berthed by a row of enormous cranes in Baltimore Harbor (Seagirt terminal, I gather). Photo taken from a tour boat, of course, late in the summer of 1991. Baltimore had invested heavily in facilities for handling container ships in the previous few years, and we found the large structures to be quite impressive. Camera: Minolta Freedom 100

North of Charlotte, Michigan.

Detroit's waterfront, May 28, 1990. The more I look at this photo, the better I like it. Every Memorial Day weekend, the Marine Historical Society of Detroit sponsors a tour from Detroit to Port Huron and back. The 1990 tour used both Bob Lo boats, and both were fully loaded. This photo was taken from the bow of St. Clair just as the tour began. Or mebbe from Columbia's bow. It's been a long time.... ================== Now, with both big boats inactive (I did not say retired), MHSD's tour necessarily uses smaller boats....

Just south of Delton.

My opinion: The best photos of Sandhills show their awkward landing methods . Unfortunately, at Big Marsh the birds generally land so far from the viewing area that, at best, you get pictures like this , at least with any lens I'm willing to purchase. On Saturday, the birds arrived so late in the day that even that wasn't realistic; things were getting far too dark at ground level for a hand-held capture at any distance. But these overhead pics in the setting sunlight came out just fine.

At full size, you can see Sandhill Cranes in that marsh and pond. (Just for you, Sam.) Didn't have anything resembling appropriate gear for birding; just my little pocket cam. Next time I shall take the good camera, and a longer lens. Cheboygan State Park, Michigan; way out on the point, near the end of the Green Trail (PDF). Lake Huron's behind me; Duncan Bay is to my right.

Kinda wish I'd taken the long lens.... Bennett farm, Saturday, while we were building the patio.

Hadn't planned to take photographs at Big Marsh Lake last weekend, but then I saw the light.... I carry a pretty good camera--a Nikon D300 with a decent 300 mm lens--when I'm expecting to photograph birds. At Kiwanis Youth Area that's still a stretch for my equipment, as the cranes prefer to congregate away from all the spectators. Nonetheless, with a tripod and severe crops, I occasionally get lucky.

Sandhills look so awkward when they're landing....

The last of my Crane Fest pics.....

This weekend the Michigan Audubon Society and Battle Creek Kiwanis are hosting Crane Fest at Baker Sanctuary, near Bellevue, Michigan. Thousands of Sandhill Cranes gather at Big Marsh Lake every evening in October. Well worth your evening. What my camera cannot capture is the glorious racket these large birds make. Absolutely incredible. Shot from the Kiwanis Youth Area , which will be open from 4 to 7 every Saturday and Sunday in October. If you can't make the festival, you can still see the spectacle. Go. You'll enjoy!