The weather in south central Nebraska in March is a tricky thing. It can be warm, sunny and most spring like or it can be like it is right now. Cold with a strong north wind. The clouds are thick and low in the sky. To add insult to weather injury, there are periods of snow then rain then back to snow. All of which is blowing horizontally due to the strong winds. Needless to say, the weather could be much better for my annual trek to Nebraska for the migration of the Sandhill Crane (Grus Canadensis).
Each and every spring for at least the past 20 thousand years, south central Nebraska has played host to 90 percent of the world’s Sandhill Cranes. The birds spend the winter in west Texas, New Mexico, Mexico and southeastern Arizona. They begin their long migration northward in late Feb and early March. By the second week of March the migration is in full swing. That is why we are here right now.
Huge flocks of Lesser Sandhill Cranes funnel down to an 80 mile (or less) stretch of the Platte River in Nebraska. Here they stop for up to several weeks, feeding and gathering strength to push onward on the longest part of the migration to Canada and Alaska.
For those of you who are familiar with Sandhill Cranes in the eastern flyway, the Lesser Sandhill Crane is a smaller version of the Greater Sandhill Crane. Let’s go over the differences. The Greater Sandhill which occurs mainly east of the Missouri River, stands nearly 4 feet tall at 46 inches. The Lesser Sandhill, which is found mainly west of the Missouri, is 4 inches shorter. This is enough of a size difference to notice from a distance. Mainly the legs of the Lesser are shorter and less robust and when you see them flying the legs of the Lesser don’t stick out as far. There is also a four pound weight difference between the two.
What is really noticeable is the length of the bill. The Greater Sandhill Crane has a bill that is longer than the width of it’s head while the Lesser Sandhill has bill that is equal to the width of it’s head.
This year I have brought 12 brave souls with me to witness what I feel is one of the world’s greatest wildlife spectacles. This year’s group is so much fun and so enthusiastic despite the bad weather. We spend much of our time laughing while we brave the elements. Our transport is a small bus (the magic bus) with large windows. The only problem is, I’m the driver so everyone holds on tight and wears their seat belts.
Each morning we wake before 4 AM, grab a bite to eat and race off down the road to a large blind somewhere along the banks of the Platte River. We pile into the blind in total darkness. The next several hours is spent in a well concealed blind watching as tens of thousands of cranes wake up and get ready to head out into the surrounding agricultural fields for the day.
It’s truly amazing to see and hear the massive flocks of cranes flying around, landing and taking off again. After the blinds in the morning we zoom around the rest of the day in the magic bus finding monster large flocks of cranes feeding in the agricultural fields. We do some general birding, finding species such as Harris’s Sparrow and White-crowned Sparrow. However, at time of year it’s the waterfowl that really puts on a show. Gargantuan flocks of Snow Geese fill the fields to feed on spilled grain from the previous season. Suddenly the geese will lift off sending a torrent of geese into the air. A near defining roar emanates from the flock as they wheel around in the air before landing back in the field again.
Our group stands with binoculars pressed to our eyes watching one amazing spectacle after another despite the wind, snow and rain. We all run back to the bus to get out of the nasty elements and warm up, all the time marveling at the sights and sounds of Nebraska.
But all too soon our four days are up and we have to head back home. So once again the group loads up onto the bus to take the long ride home. However everyone is filled with amazing memories of the sights and sounds of one of the world’s greatest wildlife events. This group can now cross this trip off the bucket list. Until next time
Stan Tekiela is an author / naturalist and wildlife photographer who travels the US to study and photograph wildlife. He can be contacted via his web page at www.naturesmart.com