If there’s something I enjoy more than nature, it’s urban nature — those moments when the wild shows up in the middle of the built environment and reminds us that it was never really gone.
This weekend, I learned that a Sandhill crane had been spotted in Rahway, New Jersey. It was all the rage in the local Rahway online groups.
Sandhill crane sightings in New Jersey have become more common since the species was first recorded here in 1992, but this one was calmly strutting around a residential neighborhood. That might be a common sight in Florida. In New Jersey, not so much.
When I arrived, the adult crane was walking across a lawn, with several police officers and curious residents standing just feet away.
I sat on the ground to get low for photos, and the crane started to approach me. It came so close that my camera could no longer focus. Then it walked over to my shoe and pecked at it a few times. It was exhilarating — though I’ll admit, the damage that sharp beak could do definitely crossed my mind.
Perhaps my favorite photo from the day captured the crane mid-blink, with tiny blood vessels visible in its nictitating membrane — a translucent third eyelid that sweeps sideways across the eye to protect and moisten it while still allowing vision.
And because it’s campaign season, the crane appeared to be in full GOTV mode.
A few more glamour shots of our famous visitor.
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