Cranes are majestic birds, the Eurasian crane being the largest and tallest bird you can find in Germany. They migrate thousands of kilometers every year. On their way coming from the breeding grounds in north-east Europe or northern Asia, when it is getting cold toward the winter, to their sanctuaries in southern Europe (Iberian Peninsula) or northern Africa, some of them take rest every year in (northern) Germany during the fall. This is when I had the chance to observe them in the area around Ströhen (Niedersachsen) in fall 2015.

Cranes prefer areas around mires and swamp wetlands for their resting grounds. They stay over the night in the mire grounds (sleeping standing), which protects them from predators during their sleep time. Around Ströhen they can find several wetlands, and on the freshly mowed fields they find rich feeding grounds to restore and strengthen again before they continue their way.

In the premises of the Tierpark Ströhen, we were given an introduction with lots of information about crane birds, before we went out to observe them in the fields and then heading back into the moor for their rest over night. Here are some impressions of the images I shot on this day.