Common Cranes Autumn Migration

I had been planning for a while to watch and photograph the common cranes' migration in autumn. Finally, this year, the opportunity came, and I set out to find them. I dedicated a total of four days to observing and photographing the common cranes.

On the first day, after a 10-km walk, I still hadn’t spotted them, but my hopes were lifted when I heard their calls as the sun began to set.

Even though I didn’t see the cranes, I was lucky enough to spot a common kingfisher and encounter a pair of deer.

Feeling more ambitious, on the second day, I was already prepared and waiting at sunrise to capture a few shots of the common cranes. The lake where the cranes gathered was surrounded by tall reeds, which blocked the view. So, I had to wait patiently to see them take flight.

Just a week earlier, around 54,000 cranes had been counted at this location, so you can imagine the incredible sound created by all these birds.

That morning, I managed to capture one of my favorite photographs. The cranes were flying across the sky with the Super Hunter's Moon—a rare, bright, and close moon—framing the scene. So, the second day turned out to be an amazing experience.

On the third day, I tried again at sunrise. The scene was just as spectacular, though this time the moon was higher, so I could only admire the common cranes in flight. As a bonus, I was able to capture a few shots of some bearded reedlings. Here’s one of them:

In the evening, I returned to the first location I had visited on day one. After a 12-km walk, I finally spotted a few cranes just after sunset. On the way back, I encountered a Ural owl, but it took me by surprise, and I wasn’t able to photograph it before it took flight.

On the fourth and final day of my trip, I woke up early once more to experience the sunrise and to see and hear this natural spectacle one last time for the year.