Autumn time is crane time. As every year, I try to go to at least one place in autumn where I can observe cranes. I have been already at the Baltic Sea in the Fischland-Darß-Zingst region. Or at the crane center Kranorama at the lake Günzer See. Or close to the common cranes in Linum.
Linum is indeed a great place to observe common cranes during their yearly stop on their way to the wintering grounds. I have been in Linum to observe common cranes already for a few times. Even last year.
As I have written already several times about common cranes, I keep it short this time and just share some of the photographs I took this time in Linum. It was a beautiful morning in October. Although it became a sunny day, we had low temperatures. But still, I had excellent chances to observe several common cranes in Linum.
Common cranes are social, gregarious birds while not breeding. Especially in stopover sites like Linum thousands of common cranes may come together to not only rest, but also feed. Typically, common cranes forage in small groups which often consist of pairs or family groups.
I observed several couples in the fields. But sometimes small families and groups, respectively.
In one moment, I observed some interesting behavior among a group of common cranes. Unfortunately, I could not identify the reason for that behavior. I knew that common cranes are famous for their courtship dances in spring. Their dances may even occur at other times of the year. But was that behavior which I observed a real common crane dance? As their dances have complex, social meanings, I am careful with attributing the behavior which I observed to any real common crane dance. Or maybe it was more an aggressive behavior between some common cranes?
Interestingly, the behavior which I observed among two adult common cranes was repeated just a few minutes later among some subadults.
In early October there were about 50.000 common cranes around Linum. In 2022, the number was highest on the 11th of October with 54.190 common cranes. Although I had the best observations this year since I visit Linum every year, the numbers of common cranes were low compared to other years. In 2021, for example, the number of common cranes almost reached 80.000 birds. What might be the reason for that observation? Did the common cranes find other migration routes? Or did the birds fly over Linum without resting? Or did some cranes stay in their breeding grounds? Or did they just leave later their wintering grounds? What do you think or know?
Sometimes I hear the typical loud trumpeting call of common cranes in Berlin. I never see them from up close in the city, but I know from their typical calls that they are high up in the air. In autumn, most birds have already left and the parks and forests have become quieter. Therefore, I'm more than happy to have the common cranes in Linum or at any other place in autumn around me. What is your favorite common crane observation experience?
