April 26, 2011

Incoming!

There I was at the celery fields, when I turned and saw this in the sky.  It kinda looked like a red tipped stealth bomber, and it was soaring directly at me.  I quickly processed that it was a sandhill crane. And with a wingspan of about 7-feet, they're not the most nimble of flyers.  So, when it continued to fly straight at me....and my viewfinder became completely filled with a massive brown blob....I thought I was a goner.  I could already hear the news story that night:  "An amateur photographer is walloped into unconsciousness by a sandhill crane at the celery fields, as Gulfcoast birders watch in horror and rush to help the fallen feathered creature."  Well, fortunately, it angled away at the last moment. This is the only shot I captured that was mostly in focus.  Those sandhill cranes are big, but they're quiet!

9 comments:

Ernie said...

Dive! Dive! Dive!

(Notice I didn't say Duck!)

Jim Klenke said...

looks like he has fingers, neat shot.

cieldequimper said...

It looks scary!

Virginia said...

You are very brave. Thanks for hanging in there and getting this fabulous shot!!!
V

Dina said...

Nice shot. I tend to duck when one's coming at me. I'm more afraid of the poop drop.

Birdman said...

A first sight, it looks like a large hawk of some sort. A crane? Wow!

Michelle said...

This does look kind of scary!

Lois said...

What a fabulous shot! I'm glad you escaped unharmed.

James Mark said...

Brilliant.