Spain, February 2006
The Laguna de Gallocanta is one of the most important stopover sites for migrating common cranes in Spain, being able to give shelter to an average population of 20,000 birds at one time. This lake is situated on a high continental plain at an altitude of almost 1,000 m.
Years ago I visited this area in wintertime, which means it was really, really cold there.
Very early in the morning thousands and thousands of cranes fly from the marshes, where they spend the night in safety, to the fields near the village to feed on whatever they can find.
The sound of these thousands of cranes flying in at first light, is something I will never forget.
After feeding for most of the day, the cranes will rest a bit and clean their feathers. Then in the late afternoon they will fly into the setting sun again, back to their save marshes for the night.
