Check one off the bucket list – Red-Crowned Cranes

So this one has been on my bucket list for a long time. One of the largest cranes in the world, and also endangered, has made a comeback in Japan.

This balances out one of my favorite other subjects, the sandhill cranes at Bosque del Apache, New Mexico. While found in a few areas in Asia, the red-crowned cranes in the wetlands of Kushiro, Japan do not migrate like the ones found in Russia and Korea,. Getting here was a bit of adventure but I hope to make the next 6 days worthwhile. My fingers are crossed we will get snow over the next few days as the iconic picture I want is the dance with an all white background.

Taken with the Nikon D5 and Nikkor 500 f/5.6 PF.