The Sandhill Cranes are passing through Kentucky on their way North, and there is an area full of cornfields and shallow ponds about an hour South of Louisville where many of them stop over to refuel during their trip. I made it there yesterday (the area is near the small town of Cecilia, Kentucky), and found lots of Sandhill Cranes, both in the air and on the ground. I took some photos and video, if anyone is interested:
http://bellhanley.smugmug.com/Birds-Bats-Butterflies/Around-Kentucky/Sandhill-Cranes-in-CeciliaYou can click on the large photo to see a larger version (and navigate through the larger versions of the photos), or click the “slideshow” button in the right-hand corner to see a slideshow format. There is a video at the end that is a compilation of lots of short videos I took. I muted the audio because even though the Sandhills were their usual gregarious selves, the wind was so loud across my camera’s microphone all you could hear was the road of the wind!
Also, if you can't get enough Sandhill pictures, here is a reprise of the album I posted last November from the Festival of the Cranes in New Mexico:
http://bellhanley.smugmug.com/Birds-Bats-Butterflies/Wide-Wide-World/Festival-of-the-Cranes-2010That album also has many raptor and other bird photos.
Patti