Most everyone knows I’m a fan of having eagles around here in the winter months. They are one of the most enjoyable birds to photograph. It’s always good to see them…unless you’re trying to photograph Cranes that is. Having an eagle fly over the Platte, loaded with roosting cranes, is just not what you want to see before the sun breaks over the horizon. Often, every crane in the vicinity will get up in a frenzied mass of wings, and often they don’t come back to the river once disturbed. I’ve had it happen once and it’s quite depressing….as there’s nothing left to photograph within sight and the day hasn’t even started yet.