Sandhill Cranes return to the North Platte River Valley in #Nebraska
Starting now and running through mid-April, approximately one million #SandhillCranes will spend about six weeks in the Platte River Valley on their way north to Canada and Siberia. 400,000 of these Sandhill #Cranes will spend that time in the North Platte and Lincoln County area in western Nebraska.
Another #record week! On Feb. 24, we estimated 122,700 + 9,100 Sandhill Cranes btwn Chapman and Overton, NE. A large majority of these cranes were roosting btwn Hwy 34 and Wood River, with only a few thousand spread out throughout the remaining river valley. On ave, this time of year (“week 2”) we see about 27,000 cranes.
“Sandhill Cranes, Wetland Pond” — A small group of lesser sandhill cranes stands in the shallow water of a wetland pond.
Sandhill cranes were the main reason that I went to the Central Valley on this winter morning. My plan was to be there before dawn — and I was! — so that I could photograph them taking flight in luminous fog at sunrise. But the fog over-achieved, and was so thick at sunrise that the birds weren’t visible at all. At that point the fog itself become my dawn subject…continues: https://gdanmitchell.com/2024/02/17/sandhill-cranes-wetland-pond/
Zoom in!! These were pics I took earlier of a huge migrating flock of birds. It was truly spectacular to see, I'm so glad I went outside when I did.
I think they're Sandhill Cranes, which apparently you can hunt out here. This makes me sick, they were so beautiful and elegant and lovely, flying through the sky.
My father-in-law and I spotted this sandhill crane family dining by the side of the road today in Kensington Metropark. Papa crane is keeping a very close eye on me.