Each year Sandhills cranes arrive in Nebraska on their way to the artic from Texas and Mexico. The Nebraska stop, which can last for weeks, enables the cranes to fatten up and gather strength for the harsh conditions of the far north.
Daytime finds the cranes, numbering in the thousands (and that is no exaggeration), in cornfields and prairies feeding. At sunset those thousands of cranes begin their nightly flight to the Platte River. They remain there all night roosting in the river’s extremely shallow water standing on very long legs, all the while dancing and honking and clucking with their several foot long tracheas.
Sharleen and I, for the first time, took the opportunity last Thursday to experience the majesty and beauty of those thousands of cranes descending on the Platte to roost. Our two hours in the blind was an experience unlike any we have had in our lives and almost defies description. Next year we hope to return next year to experience the sunrise departure of the cranes from the river for another day of gorging.
You should join us.
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