The crane has always fascinated people with its beauty, its trumpet-like calls and its spectacular courtship dances. I, too, have never been able to escape this fascination. After having witnessed the migration of the cranes in spring and autumn up close in the last years, this year I really wanted to capture an even more special and intimate moment of the cranes: The birth of two crane chicks.
Thanks to the preliminary work of a nature conservationist who knows the area, I was able to move into a camouflage tent right next to the crane's nest. The crane's nest is always on the ground and is usually completely surrounded by water to keep enemies such as fox, raccoon or wild boar away.
When I arrived at the tent, one chick had already hatched and the other egg was pecked. So my hope was very high that I could witness the first moments in the life of the second crane.
Stormy night for me and the cranes
After waiting in vain for the second chick to hatch, I decided to spend the night in the camouflage tent so as not to miss the special moment the next morning.
However, the weather god did not grant me a particularly pleasant night. A powerful thunderstorm with violent squalls kept me busy for several hours and I could have done without the numerous mosquitoes in the tent, of course.
When the night was halfway over and the first hint of daylight appeared, mother crane continued to brood diligently and hid her offspring further under her plumage. Did the second chick hatch or not? A question that could only be answered with a lot of patience.
About 5 hours later, the mother still did not let herself be lured out of the reserve. I knew that the moment would come when the father would return from his search for food. Because that is usually the time when the expectant parents greet each other and make small exploratory tours around the nest.
Crane chick - An emotional moment
I heard before from other wildlife filmmakers that the moment with freshly hatched cranes is something very special that you will not forget for a lifetime. And that's exactly how it happened.
After waiting forever, the father crane finally circled over the nest and then flew through my picture. At this moment the mother finally rose as well.
Immediately I realized that the second chick also hatched and just saw the light of day for the first time. When I saw this little fluffy animal trembling and excited next to his new family, I could not hide my emotions.
It was the first time that tears ran down my face while filming. This alone should make it clear how special and intimate such a moment is in our nature, which I have captured here in the Wildlife Blog would like to share with you. In addition, the relief that the wait and the great effort were worth it. Awesome! 🙂
Do you have any questions, suggestions or your own experiences with the cranes that you would like to share? Then I am happy about your comment.
Have fun with the recordings!
PS.: My Wildlife Blog is a part of the CareElite Blogs. Feel free to look around and be inspired by our unique nature. If you want to see more videos from me, then I recommend to you my wildlife highlights from 2017!
