Keith B

By keibr

Cranes (grus grus) on the lake

Most years our first sight of cranes is usually on a sunny day, when we hear them cry, and look up to see a flock gliding by, headed north, riding the thermals.  This year is very different. After several days of damp grey weather I walked down to the lake to see if there was open water, and to see if any of the newly arrived swans were swimming around there.
As I arrived by the lake I heard the unmistakable cry (scream?) of cranes and through the trees saw 5 of them on the ice.
I found a way across the soggy snow to the edge of the lake and took this picture. Two of the cranes had flown away but there are three black dots still on the ice. In the extra I've zoomed in and the cranes can be seen more clearly.
The damp and rainy weather has blown up from the south. In fact it's bought us a thin layer of red dust from the Sahara. I can only think it's carried up these cranes too.
Apparently they are used to finding a chilly spring as they arrive and will probably stay around having arrived.  Their cousins are mostly gathered around Lake Hornborga in the south of Sweden, near Gothenburg. Today it is snowing hard and very windy down there so these forerunners seem to have made the right decision.
Welcome to Sweden Grus grus!
If you aren't familiar with the cry of cranes you can hear it on Wikipedia, and it's worth a listen!

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