Crane Watch 2013
Up to half a million Sandhill Cranes visit central Nebraska annually.
They are a magnificent sight to see. Cranes are gray with a red crown on their head. Their height ranges from 2.5 feet to almost 4 feet. They weigh 8-10 lbs. The wingspan can range between 5 -7 feet.
Sandhill Cranes have migrated through a 75-mile-wide area along the Platte River valley, between Grand Island and west of Kearney, for centuries, possibly millions of years. The shallow route creates one of the most beautiful events in nature – the flight of the Sandhill Crane.
Cranes stay in Nebraska for a few weeks beginning early March until early April. They gain about 80 percent of their body weight during their stay in the Husker state. The cranes depart for their summer breeding areas in Canada, Alaska and Siberia.
Thousands of people visit the area during crane watching season. They come from all over the world. Dr. Jane Goodall, the famous anthropologist, has visited several times. She has been quoted by news organizations as saying crane season is one of the top 5 wildlife events in the world.
During our annual trip, we saw people from other countries. We even visited with a man, who our group believes was from Italy. It was his first time viewing the cranes. He was worried the cranes would not fly overhead at our observation deck. I assured him they would be there like clockwork shortly before sunset. Sure enough, they did start flying in between 6:30-7 p.m.
Overall, we talked with four people who were making their first ever visits to the area for crane watching. Each person was awed by the spectacle.
This was our fifth or sixth consecutive year of making the trip to Kearney. Last year, we took our nephew to his first crane watching opportunity. We visited the Grand Island area. We were disappointed, as there were not as many cranes in the area as Kearney usually has.
This year, we went back to the Kearney area. The birds were plentiful.
We drove to our usual area to watch the birds. An area about 7-8 miles southwest of Kearney was the perfect location for some great crane viewing.
Cranes are timid creatures. They do not trust humans. About a dozen states allow crane hunting, so they are leery of human contact. Nebraska does not allow crane hunting.
As we slowed our vehicle along the side of the road, the cranes start moving away. If you stay in the car or use your car as a blind, once they are again comfortable with their surroundings they may move back toward you. I have yet to find this happen. LOL.
There’s etiquette to crane watching. One thing is to never approach the birds on foot. Always stay a safe distance from them. Another is not to drive on private property, such as farm fields or driveways. You should pull safely off the road to view.
Once the birds moved away from being easily viewable, we decided to move on. So, the quest continued, as we drove along country roads looking for decent-sized flocks to view. Some birds flew away as we approached. The ones who stayed were the focus of our attention and cameras.
Most of the time you watch them, cranes eat in the cornfields. They eat pieces of corn and dig in the dirt for worms and bugs. You may think watching birds eat would be boring, but you’d be wrong. They are just neat animals to watch.
Toward the end of the migration season, when cranes have had enough to eat, they become more active – dancing and playing with each other. When a couple of birds start dancing, many more may join in.
So, we spent a few hours doing this during the day. We find it fun to spend that time traveling the area and watching the cranes.
The cap to the day is watching the cranes come in for the night. They land on sandbars in the Platte River. Flocks stay on the sandbar overnight for protection against predators. Coyotes, foxes and other nocturnal predators will attempt to make dinner of cranes. Staying on the sandbars and shallow water away from the riverbank gives the birds some security. Most predators will make some splashes when approaching from the riverbank. This alerts the birds to get away.
Crane nesting for the night is clockwork, as I mentioned earlier. Small groups start flying in for the night between 6:30-7 p.m.
People gather at an observation area along the river near Gibbon. About 25 people were there to take in the cranes. That seemed like a small number to me, but we did visit late in the season. People lined up with their binoculars or cameras, ready for the evening’s view.
The western sky miles away from us filled up with flocks of birds dotting the sky. The gray sky started to clear a little along the horizon, allowing some sun to peak through. This added to the colors of the sky. It even gave the river a little sparkle.
The dots in the sky started to multiply. Soon, the sky was full of Sandhill Cranes, finding their nest for the night. It seemed like the birds started filling up the sandbars from west to east.
They eventually made their way toward us. A lone crane stood in the water for an hour or so before the flock started landing. Three cranes landed, joining “Fred,” as we named him. A few minutes later, about five more joined. Then, more cranes started landing on the sandbar. Within 20-30 minutes, hundreds of cranes occupied the sandbar.
We were nearing the end of the night flight. The sky overhead filled with cranes. The sound of the cranes honking as they flew was deafening. It’s a sound you have to hear to understand.
The sky darkened and, unfortunately, it started spitting rain. A couple of people in our party had retreated to their vehicle due to the cold wind. Our nephew, who came with us again, was ready to head to the car. So, my daughter’s friend, my wife and I decided to head back, too. It was a good idea, because once we started to drive away, the rain fell a little harder. Plus, the cranes were pretty much in for the night.
While we have been to the area for the past several years, crane viewing trips never get old. It seems like you learn or see something new every time.
I recommend taking the trip to central Nebraska at least once in your life. If you don’t find it special, I’d be shocked.