I often referred to them as the Johnson pair since they wintered on the Johnson Ranch. If I called them as individuals, I called them “Al and Diane,” named after Al and Diane Johnson whose land they live on. The Johnsons are a special couple that sold the salt marsh to a conservation organization to protect it, and sold a conservation easement on the upland part of their property so that it would never be developed. All this land will remain as a home for wildlife forever. In that way, the human couple Al and Diane Johnson are just as special as the long-time crane pair "Al and Diane."

Photo Diane Loyd, 2011