Peter Patau
Sandhill Cranes Study Lake Wingra as Twilight Falls
Today's image is titled Sandhill Cranes Study Lake Wingra as Twilight Falls and was photographed by Peter Patau.
As autumn transitions into its latter half, the preparation of the animals that surround us continue their preparations for winter, be they getting ready to tough it out amidst the cold and snow or simply on their way through the region while migrating to warmer climes.
"I had walked down to Wingra Park to shoot some photos of the sun setting on the lake," notes Patau in a commentary on the photo. "Standing on the pier at the boat landing, I looked west and saw two specks I thought might be cranes standing in the water a few hundred yards away."
They indeed were. He explains their stop on the shores of Lake Wingra in the midst of their migration. "For a long time they both stood there gazing at the lake as the pink light darkened to violet and night prepared to fall. They might have been meditating or praying. It was a deeply moving moment, a momentary bond with these magnificent creatures whose species has been on this planet far longer than humans -- a living link to the time of the dinosaurs."
This is the latest entry of Madison Snaps: photos of Madison-area events and locations. The send a message. There is no compensation for Madison Snaps photos, which are © to the respective photographers.