Grey Crowned Cranes, International Crane Foundation: Save the Cranes

The International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, Wisconsin is dedicated to the preservation of cranes. It has all the species of cranes, globally, on its property.

It’s a great place to watch and photograph the birds.  It’s also a fantastic place to take the kids for a weekend trip.

The Whooping Crane exhibit is the largest and most popular exhibit. In May, you can watch mating and nesting rituals in a huge penned-in natural marsh area.
Continue reading “Grey Crowned Cranes, International Crane Foundation: Save the Cranes”

Wattled Cranes, International Crane Foundation: Save the Cranes

The International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, Wisconsin is dedicated to the preservation of cranes. It has all the species of cranes, globally, on its property.

It’s a great place to watch and photograph the birds.  It’s also a fantastic place to take the kids for a weekend trip.

The Whooping Crane exhibit is the largest and most popular exhibit. In May, you can watch mating and nesting rituals in a huge penned-in natural marsh area.

I covered Whooping Cranes and Blue Cranes four previous articles. This article features the Wattled Crane, native to Ethiopia. Wattled Cranes are about six feet tall and weigh about 14 pounds.

Continue reading “Wattled Cranes, International Crane Foundation: Save the Cranes”

Blue Cranes, International Crane Foundation: Save the Cranes

The International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, Wisconsin is dedicated to the preservation of cranes. It has all the species of cranes, globally, on its property.

It’s a great place to watch and photograph the birds.  It’s also a fantastic place to take the kids for a weekend trip.

The Whooping Crane exhibit is the largest and most popular exhibit. In May, you can watch mating and nesting rituals in a huge penned-in natural marsh area.

I covered Whooping Cranes in three previous articles. This article features Blue Cranes, the national bird of South Africa. Blue cranes are about four feet tall and have a wingspan of about five feet.

Continue reading “Blue Cranes, International Crane Foundation: Save the Cranes”

International Crane Foundation: Whooping Cranes Part 2

The International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, Wisconsin is dedicated to the preservation of cranes. It has all the species of cranes, globally, on its property.

It’s a great place to watch and photograph the birds. It’s also a fantastic place to take the kids for a weekend trip.

The Whooping Crane exhibit is the largest and most popular exhibit. In May, you can watch mating and nesting rituals in a huge penned-in natural marsh area.

Males and females each take turns sitting on the nest. Approximately every two hours they switch places while the other hunts for things to eat.

Cranes typically lay two eggs, but one of the eggs in the picture is a fake. The foundation takes one and places a substitute in its place. The substitute is weighted properly and the birds cannot tell the difference.

Feature Image Details

The birds frequently turn the eggs with their beaks or legs. That’s the behavior you see in these images.

Equipment

Those interested in my equipment and recommendations can find it here: Mish’s Equipment List.

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Mike “Mish” Shedlock

International Crane Foundation: Whooping Cranes Part 1

The International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, Wisconsin is dedicated to the preservation of cranes. It has all the species of cranes, globally, on its property.

It’s a great place to watch and photograph the birds.  It’s also a fantastic place to take the kids for a weekend trip.

The Whooping Crane exhibit is the largest and most popular exhibit. In May, you can watch mating and nesting rituals in a huge penned-in natural marsh area.

It pains me to see these magnificent birds with their wings clipped, but the foundation raises chicks and returns them to the wild to help preserve the species.

Feature Image Details

This image is not cropped. As you can see, you do not need a big lens to get a nice closeup image. These birds are huge. They stand five feet tall.

What would I do differently? I would use a higher ISO, say 1000, and shoot at F11. This would give more depth of field and a faster shutter speed as well.

Equipment

Those interested in my equipment and recommendations can find it here: Mish’s Equipment List.

Please Share!

If you like this article, please share by email or use one of the share buttons beneath the article.

Much more coming: Click to Subscribe by Email.

Mike “Mish” Shedlock