Sandhill Cranes in Flight

Each year thousands of sandhill cranes stop by the Platt River, in central Nebraska, to feed and rest during their spring migration north.

Sandhill Cranes

Sandhill Cranes

Bosque del Apache

Last fall we went down to Colorado to visit some of my wife's family and take some nature pics in some of the parks in that part of the country. Our original plan was to travel to Arches National Park in eastern Utah to photograph the beautiful scenery there for the first time. Unfortunately snow storms can come early in the mountains and one was predicted to hit just about the time that we would need to cross back over to fly out of Denver. So we decided to rearrange our trip and go to the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado and the Bosque del Apache NWR in New Mexico.We still had to fight the snow as we left Sand Dunes and Colorado but the further into New Mexico that we got the warmer and more beautiful the weather got.

 The Bosque is located adjacent to the Rio Grande River in central New Mexico. The refuge was established in 1939 to protect critical habitat for migrating birds, particularly waterfowl. The 57,000 acre refuge is comprised of a variety of habitats including Rio Grande flood plain, wetlands, arid grasslands, the foot hills of the Chupadera and San Pascual Mountains, irrigated farm land and a cultivated cactus garden.There have been 377 different species spotted on the refuge. Over 10,000 sandhill cranes and a combination of 20,000 Ross' and snow geese migrate down to spend the winter on the refuge. Refuge farmlands help to provide these wintering flocks with food while the shallow wetlands provide them a place where they can safely spend the night. Although this was not my first trip to The Bosque it was Michelle's first time and even though she is not as crazy about getting into nature as I am she was definitely impressed.

Sandhill Cranes

The Sand-Hill Crane by Mary Austin

WHENEVER the days are cool and clear,

The sand-hill crane goes walking

Across the field by the flashing weir,

Slowly, solemnly stalking.

The little frogs in the tules hear,

And jump for their lives if he comes near;

The fishes scuttle away in fear

When the sand-hill crane goes walking.

The field folk know if he comes that way,

Slowly, solemnly stalking,

There is danger and death in the least delay,

When the sand-hill crane goes walking.

The chipmunks stop in the midst of play;

The gophers hide in their holes away;

And 'Hush, oh, hush!' the field-mice say,

When the sand-hill crane goes walking.

Sandhill Cranes at Dusk

Here in the north the our short Summer has come to an end. Even though Fall does not officially begin until tomorrow I have been seeing the signs of Autumn for the past couple of weeks. Leaves on the trees have just begun to change color, woolly bear caterpillars are on the move and the sandhills cranes have begun to descend upon Crex Meadows.
Each Fall the sandhill cranes migrate south for the winter. Before they begin the big migration they gather in staging areas where they get ready for the long flight. Crex Meadows in Wisconsin is one of the places that the cranes use as a staging area. There are quite a few fields around Crex where the cranes can find food but the main reason that they come to Crex are the shallow wetlands that the cranes roost in over night. With their long legs the cranes will often spend the night in pools that are a couple of feet deep. This helps to protect them from land based predators who would have to cross the water to get to the cranes, alerting them to the danger. Many people come to Crex, in the Fall, to watch the cranes fly out from the wetlands to the fields near dawn or return from the fields at dusk. The cranes will usually take their leave at some time in October.

Sandhills at Sunset

Sandhill cranes are very interesting birds. During the day they are often found out in the fields eating grains, seeds and some insects. At night instead of roosting in trees like most birds, sandhill cranes usually roost in shallow pools, ponds, lakes or rivers, as long as they can stand above the water on their long legs. The water gives them an early warning system against land based predators. During migration tens of thousands stop at the Platte River in Nebraska, eating during the day and returning to the river at night. Up at Crex Meadows it is the same situation, only on a smaller scale, as the cranes stage there for the fall migration. So as the sun begin to set if you are in the right location you can take some really cool pics.

Wordless Wednesday: Sandhill Cranes