On Christmas Day, as I drove down to visit family, I ran across this pair of sandhill cranes (Antigone canadensis) feeding in a horse pasture. When I pulled over to take a couple photos, they assumed the alert pose with their bodies crossed, looking in opposite directions. This is a common stance for these birds. It allows them to be able to view the surroundings in 360 degrees. Seeing that they were nervous, I stayed in the truck to take my photos, and before long one of them relaxed and went back to foraging. Shortly, the second bird relaxed too, and as I pulled away they were back to being alert, but comfortable. For a pair of cranes, Christmas Day is just another day, but seeing them helped to make my Christmas a little more special.