We've just returned from a week in the Central Platte Valley of Nebraska, where we watched the annual Migration of the Sandhill Cranes. Over a million of these birds gather from across the Southwest (Texas, New Mexico, and Northern Mexico) to rest and refuel before continuing their journey to the breeding grounds of Canada, Alaska, and Siberia.
The Crane Trust estimates the number of birds in the Central Platte (roughly Grand Island to Overton) weekly. On March 17th, It counted 730,000 birds, a record for the number of birds at one time. The count is done by a trained team in aircraft, using visual observation and photography.
This video is from a blind along Platte at Rowe Sanctuary. It can give you an idea of what those numbers look and sound like (play with the sound ON!).
Thoughts on Life and Photography by Dale Grosbach
