Photography and journal by Heather

Introduction:  The Sandhill Cranes of Ladner, British Columbia


The first time I saw the sandhill cranes, it was a dazzling January morning in 2007.  The sky was a deep topaz blue and thick frost still coated blades of grass in the shade.  With their heads held high, they were almost at eye level - a disconcerting fact considering their apparent aggression towards the mallards vying for grazing rights!    
The group of six cranes walked slowly in my direction, their pale feathers stark against the grassy path.  It was the red patch on each of their foreheads that caught my eye however; it lent them an almost exotic air.   I watched them in awe... which transformed into trepidation as they neared and I realized these were not timid creatures who would rather avoid a human.  Within minutes, I was in their midst, surrounded, and within easy touching (or nipping) distance!  After what seemed an eternity, they slowly carried on down the pathway, as though I'd been less than a ghost. 
These were the remnants of the migratory sandhill cranes.  There are two cranes which have chosen Reifel Bird Sanctuary as their year-round home.  It is at this same sanctuary where they build their nest each Spring and raise their young.    And, this is their story, beginning Spring of 2012.