An unforgettable sight this morning

Clicking the pics won't capture the sights and sounds I experienced this morning.

Cloudy days are my favorite. Without clouds there would be no sunrises like this. And since cloudy days are rare in Arizona, it makes them extra special.

Chilly, cloudy weather has hung around for most of the day, but that's okay. Taking pictures is easier in cloudy weather, and it makes for some great sunrises and sunsets, so it's a win-win as far as I'm concerned.

I crawled out of bed before sunrise this morning, not knowing when the birds would wake up or what they would do when they did. It was pretty dark as I walked the 100 yards to the lake, and I had to wear a coat this morning since it was pretty chilly.

I hung around the viewing platform with four or five photographers; I could tell they were photographers because their cameras and lenses cost more than the Arctic Fox, and at 7 o'clock, the Sandhill Cranes started taking off. A handful at first, then more and more as they strung out in long lines across the sky, driven by their overnight hunger heading for someplace where they could get a morning meal, probably the McDonald's in Benson.

This "lift-off" lasted about 15 minutes before most of the cranes had disappeared from the sky, leaving behind a few thousand that, for some reason, sat there and watched the others go.

That put me back in the bronco by 7:30, where I made some breakfast and a cup of coffee and wondered what I was going to do till the Sandhill cranes returned this afternoon.

Even though this Sandhill Crane lift-off was cool, and I'm glad I got to experience it. It's nothing like the Snow Goose "lift-off" at the Bosque Del Apache in New Mexico. The Snow Geese lift off the water as the sun comes up all at the same time. The head goose in charge gives a signal, and 20,000 Snow Geese flap their wings and lift off the lake in one big group... Now that's an unforgettable sight and sound to behold.

Theboondork

The Sandhill cranes leaving the lake where they sleep, and heading out in the morning to find food was an unforgettable sight.

Not all of the Sandhill cranes fly off, I don't know why, seems like all of them would be hungry.

The cranes flying against the clouds made for a beautiful sight. But tomorrow is supposed to be sunny in the morning, so it will be interesting to see what my pictures look like then.

The Sandhill Cranes were flying off in different directions, and some were flying almost over my head.

I'm glad I got some cloud pictures first because it looks like it's going to be sunny the remainder of my time here.... Whenever that will be.

Technically I'm only allowed three days of boondocking here at Whitewater Draw, but some folks say it doesn't matter, so I'm not going to worry about it.

In the original picture, I can see Sandhill cranes stretched out for miles and miles.