Cranes of Izumi

In December 2012, I was lucky enough to get to visit Izumi, in Kagoshima Prefecture on Kyushu Island.  The area is one of the biggest wintering grounds for several species of cranes, particularly Hooded Cranes and White-naped Cranes.  I was there a bit early during the season before the peak of the wintering population arrived sometime in January, but I witnessed 30,000 cranes taking to the sky as a truck came to dispense food through the dawn mist.  The video below doesn’t do it justice – amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKZm8UwWeCg