Every spring the big cranes (Grus grus) arrives at a lake in Southern Sweden for a rest on their long flight from Spain to the Scandinavian wilderness. And every autumn they arrive again, on their flight back south. I made a short post about the cranes at Lake Hornborga in spring (or I actually made a post mainly about the swans at the crane lake), and a blogging friend just asked me if they were on their way south now. Yes, they are. They have just left this part of Norway. I have heard their trumpet sounds for weeks now, from a local gathering place near to were I live. Now it is quiet. Just the sounds from some geese, resting on their way south from Svalbard.
I just checked with a site that makes daily statistics about the cranes at lake Hornborga and it is almost 10.000 of these birds there now, in addition to other migrating birds. When I was there in April there were from 22.000 to 24.000 cranes by the lake. If you know the voice of the big cranes, you can imagine the sound. There are more photos in my cranes photo gallery. And I have just collected some videoclips and pictures in a video from my visit:
Bente Haarstad Photography 
What a beautiful sight that must be.
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That is for sure. It was incredible, with ditto sound. Thanks Tuxedo.
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Bente, I love the cranes!
We have some here, too. They winter about 30 miles from me and I go visit them four or five times while they are here. Then they leave and go up through Canada, into Alaska, and sometimes even over to Russia.
Their call is so beautiful! There is just nothing like it. Thanks for the photos. I will blog about our cranes in a few months. They arrive mid November and stay until late February.
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That will be interesting, to see cranes from their winter habitat. I love these big birds too. Is it the same cranes? I wonder since there are many species.
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I love to observe cranes, they are fascinating birds–they appear prehistoric but with a poise that makes them seem both elegant and evolved.
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That was a clever observation. Prehistoric, and elegant. I agree. There are myths connected to these birds, and I can understand how that happened. They are mesmerizing creatures. Thanks.
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Wonderful. Thank you for bringing this to us. I’ve posted it on Facebook, too.
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Thanks Susan, that is very nice of you.
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These look like sandhill cranes, but I’m not sure. I’ve seen them doing their mating dance in the Queen Charlotte Islands. Would love to have had a video of that but I felt lucky just to be able to sneak up close to them through the woods and see them just beyond there in the open on the tidal flats. Wonderful to see. I love to hear them calling as they fly over. But I’ve never seen so many in one place as your photos and videos show. This is a fantastic post, Bente. Absolutely wonderful!!
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Cranes are so wartchful in nature, it is hard to get close to them. Except in this place (and probably the same at their resting place in Germany, Rügen?). Here they are in a nature reserve and their space is surrounded by fences. Actually the cranes often get quite close to the fences, they have probably learned that they are protected, that nobody will trespass. It was quite a shock to see all these birds!
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Very impressive collection of photos ! (to say OMG kind)
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Oh, OMG, never got quite as nice a comment, Yoshizen, thank you.
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they are majestic and beautiful! i will add ‘your’ cranes to my list of favorites which includes your reindeer! z
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That is nice of you, Z, but you need to get up north to visit them (or visit my posts of course). All your “zebras”, birds and plants and all are likewise on my list.
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We used to watch them at this time of year as they flew over Southern France. I think they should make a stop-over here in North Yorkshire too. But they never do.
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I forgot to mention that they fly something like 500 km in a day! Probably don’t have time to make a stop, or maybe they will some day. I guess you hear the sounds sometimes. It is nice too, and to see them up there. Thanks Margaret.
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Beautiful serie photos Bente. I’ve seen them once in Netherlands. The cranes then flew to the south.
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Then it was in the autumn, if they went south. I guess they fly across so many countries. In in other parts of the world other cranes do the same, migrate. Thanks Jaap.
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Nicely, all these photographers in a row. The middle that makes just a picture. Just look at his face.
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Birds have faces too, yes, and express themselves, definitely. Like all creatures. Thanks for your comment, leo.
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Fantastic ! What a lovely sound 🙂
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I am glad you liked the sound, it is something special (and just recorded with my camera mic). Thanks Croque.
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Lovely photos Bente. Must be lovely to see them!
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yes, certainly. I know them from home during summer, and it made a big impression seeing so many and so close, and so loud.
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Thanks! I love cranes, they are beautiful… I love to hear them before I see them every year… It is always a wonderful surprise. Your photos make me feel so happy!
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It is the sign of spring when we hear them too, for the first time. And then again and again. I rarely see them except up in the air, since they normally are very shy. Thanks L’Ebouriffee.
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They are such elegant birds – lovely pictures! I was there too, this spring – for the first time. I was so fascinated and will most certainly come back. I went in the night/early morning as well, when they returned from their night quarters. If you are interested, they are here:
http://treetreats.wordpress.com/2014/04/04/pure-elegance/
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We probably were there about the same time, Leya. I looked at your post, and you have some lovely pictures from this big occation. We were a small group driving for almost 10 hours to be there in time just before sunrise and the cranes flying in. Wow, exciting.
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Our sandhill cranes are migrating south now also. Pretty calls, however sad as this means winter.
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In spring the make us happy when they arrive, and now they make us a bit sad, since we know what happens when they leave. But nature is always interesting and fascinating. Thanks Plant Girl.
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There is something quite mesmerizing about that video. Amazing! Your photographs are gorgeous, Bente.
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Thanks a lot, Karen. I don’t have a lot of wxperience with video, but I might use it more, the camera-video I mean.
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Phenomenon scene! Great captures, Ben!
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Thanks a lot, Amy.
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Do you know the Latin name for these cranes?
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Grus grus, Anneli, in English the Common crane or the Eurasian crane. I googled yours, the sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis), and it seems to have 3 subspecies.
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Thank you, Bente. They’re very similar. Beautiful birds.
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They pass over us too. The first time I heard them I did not know what they were but luckily I had my camera and a blog on WordPress gave me the answer I needed. Amelia
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Yes we can lean and experience a lot from blogs. I learned quite a lot about bees from yours, and what an inspiring garden you have, and such a long summer. Thanks Amelia.
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Gre
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Great photo’s of the cranes and so much and also more photographs
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Thanks Natuurfreak.
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Wonderful! And that sound!
Your photo’s are great, as usual.
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Try to imagine beeing there Cybermum, then you can turn up the volume quite a bit. Thanks.
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Your photos are as Always beautiful Bente and the video is that also. So many of this stunning cranes is realy wonderful to see and hear! Have a very nice weekend!
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Yes, they are fascinating birds. Thanks Ann.
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very impressive!! beautiful birds!
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Thanks Dsaquarelles.
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Oh my, what a sound!
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I agree, Composer, thanks.
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Gorgeous pictures and this video… wow, loud and clear!
I just love the fifth picture with the ‘stranger’ on the foreground, looking a bit annoyed with all the noise behind him 🙂
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There were strangers everywere, not the least a lot of swans. They are actually quite load too. I like them all. Thanks Noortje.
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Bente, this is probably the best crane festival in the US. There are many others, but this place is extraordinary. http://www.festivalofthecranes.com
If you ever get to the Western US, visit El Bosque in winter. All the snow geese lift off at the same time at dawn, thousands of them. And then the cranes lift off. It is just spectacular.
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Bente, what an absolute treat your photos and video are! Also, how good to know they are still gathering in such huge numbers. What a journey!
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they look so beautiful 🙂
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An impressive sight. Are the numbers of cranes rising or falling each year? It’s a good barometer for the health of the environment, I suspect.
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SUPERB, Bente. I’m impressed. And envious. 🙂
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Wonderful images Bente. They are so beautiful with their long necks and elegant shape.
I can only imagine how loud the sound must be. Once again, how lucky you are to view and experience this amazing migration.
Thanks for sharing with us.
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very interesting story, thank you…and the pictures are wonderful…….
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Que j’aimerais vivre cet instant!
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Great photos Bente, are their numbers healthy? Some of the crane species have really dwindled.
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As far as I know the cranes in (Northern) Europe is no quite ok, after a decline in 1960s and 1970s. This feeding on their resting place and were they stay during winter (Spain) is important for the population, as far as I know. Thanks for your comment, Wilderness.
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Wow, look at all those other birds, ducks, etc too. I’d be so bird happy here.
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I like the shot with the other photographers in it. I got up early the other morning and went down to the beach to shoot the lunar eclipses but the real photo was all the other photographers doing the same thing.
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Spectacular! I have never seen anything like this in the US. I enjoyed the video. Thanks
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Julie, I don’t know where you are in the US, but very similar cranes come to several places in the West. The Bosque del Apache in south-central NM is the BEST. Whitewater Draw in SE Arizona is very good. And they also gather along the Platte River in Nebraska on their way north or south. FABULOUS to visit with them! I am headed out to WWD in Arizona in the next week and will have a blog post about them soon.
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I am in Michigan. Thanks for the tip.
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