Whooping cranes Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge

#birds
#birdphotography
#cranes
#whoopingcranes
#WheelerNWR

Alabama refuge is a paradise for birders and thousands of migrating sandhill cranes Flooded cornfields near the Tennessee River in northern Alabama are a paradise for birders who flock to see tens of thousands of migrating sandhill cranes every winter.

Fact.
#WheelerNWR
#NationalWildlifeRefuges
#birding
apnews.com/article/sand...

A blue heron in the distance swooping in to land on the Tennessee river shore near Decatur. Part of the #wheelernwr This one of those scenic shots rather than a great birding one.

sandhill cranes flying across a clear blue sky

Sandhill Symphony - the birds in flight and rather loud when there are this many - one of my more artistic examples. #art #birds #sandhills #wheelernwr

Sandhill cranes on a field of dried grass and feed crops.

Sandhills from #wheelernwr #birds One of the difficulties with this observation place is the warming air currents causing distortion - even though it was below freezing. #photography #wildlife

Some of the other bird watchers at Wheeler this morning. #wheeler #wheelernwr #birdwatching

soaring sandhill cranes against a plain blue sky

Arial Ballet - Sandhill cranes in flight at Wheeler NWR #birds #wheelernwr (1/9/25)

I had a hell of a first day of birding for 2025! I went to #WheelerNWR in North Alabama and saw literally THOUSANDS of Sandhill cranes!
😍X1000
Lifer for me, even though I'm from here and have been here many, many winters. Yay 2025!

The cranes are back at #WheelerNWR #wheeler. There's one whooping crane. This is just the leading edge of the migration and there will be many more by mid December.

two sandhill cranes in flight

Looking forward to the #sandhill cranes returning to #wheelerNWR in Decatur AL in the next month or so. This pair is from last December. #wildlife #cranes #wildbirds