Cranes

Awesome picture, one can feel the warmth of winter !

Lovely, peaceful picture.

only reason the birds are there is because food is spread for them

very nice pic...thanks

Looks like of em lost a contact lens

I can personally attest to the grand landscape and nature around Kushiro, it is worth a visit for nature lovers.

Beautiful creatures

Luckily, most cranes in Japan can keep their day job.

"only reason the birds are there is because food is spread for them"- this is not the case. These birds have been flying into the hinterlands surrounding Kushiro for much longer than the farmers have been there. Most of the pastures around these areas are used for dairy farming and in the summer, which is the only time when the soil is not frozen, they grown corn and other crops to feed the dairy cows in winter. After these crops are reaped in the autumn they leave behind grains which the birds like to pick through when they return here to mate. They are magnificent creatures to witness up close.