Searching for Feeding Cranes and Finding Shining Sunflowers

A short excursion to the farmlands

Despite it being late in the season we have been working loads in the last few days. I thought as fall comes around I’ll have plenty of off-time and will be able to skate around the fields with my rollerblades but that wasn’t the case.

However, yesterday on my official off day, Monday, after finishing all the paperwork and other duties I had to catch up on, I strapped on the rollerblades and headed out.

My husband said I was too late since it was already past 5 pm and he knew I wanted to photograph some of the cranes in the surrounding fields but most of them had flown back to the lakes already.

I went regardless. I needed some exercise too.

And I got lucky. Just as I turned off the country road into the farm road I didn’t see any cranes for the entire stretch. Just a few starlings and other songbirds were flying out of the fields.

I continued to skate and then saw the last five cranes just below a small hill.

I intended on trying to get closer to them but first captured a field of wildflowers.

Just a few days ago these fields attracted my attention. The sunflower fields farmers had planted this summer are all dry by now. But many farmers have spread seeds on former crop fields. Flower seeds.

Now, those fields are blooming in what I could identify as 4 to 5 different flowers on each field. Those fields are massive. Sunflowers are in them as well. Small ones.

I don’t know if these fields are created for the bees and if the farmers will just eventually cut the fields and feed the greens to the cattle in winter. I assume so.

However, right now, they are just a very pretty sight.

And then I heard the calls of the cranes. I guess I waited too long. They now started to flap their wings and took up to the skies. Time to go to the sleeping grounds.

Anyway, thank you for the few pictures I still managed to take.

I continue handing my attention to the floral field.

The sunflowers shine in the sunset light and create a beautiful contrast to the bright blue of the sky.

The sun isn’t on the horizon yet but there isn’t much left. Soon the sun will be gone.

I continue my drive and head down the country road on the other side. Pear trees are lining the road and few cars are passing me at a respectful distance.

The church of Fehrbellin appears in the distance. But I turn off again, back to the farm roads. I’m heading back to the airport just outside of town. It’s where we live, in the trailer park.

On the last fields I pass, no cranes are sitting on the ground but several birds of prey. They’d need some poles to sit on and watch the mice below but there’s nothing for them to climb up on. So they sit in the fields watching the grounds carefully.

They were rather far away which is why I couldn’t get a better shot of any of them. I assume they are all of the species of the common kestrel but I could be wrong. The one in the picture at the top right might be a different bird, I’m not sure.

And just to finish off this photo essay as I am skating back the last few meters to our home, I share one more shining beauty with you.

“Sunflowers end up facing to the sun, but they go through a lot of dirt to find their way there.” — J.R. Rim

More about the migration of the cranes:

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