Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis) coming in for a landing. Photographed at Crystal Lake in Shasta County, California, USA.

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I spotted this sandhill crane while taking a spring walk along the shore of Crystal Lake in Shasta County, California, USA. When I first saw him he was on the opposite shore from me but shortly after he flew across to be with his mate I hadn’t even noticed yet. I captured this frame right before he touched down in the grass. Just a few days earlier I photographed a great egret and marveled about the grace with with it flew. The sandhill is certainly a bit light in the grace department, at least upon landing, but they get the job done.

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Size: 5456px × 3638px
Location: Shasta County, California, USA
Photo credit: © Mike Lee / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

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