March 2005 - Nebraska - Annual Sandhill Crane Migration

One of my favorite things to do for spring break is to take a trip to Nebraska to witness one of the greatest migrations on the planet. Every year Sandhill Cranes descend upon the Platte River in central Nebraska during their regular migration. The site is incredible. In a small patch of the river you can see hundreds of thousands of cranes all coming to roost for the evening. The river is just shallow enough for them to sleep in the water and remain protected from any predators. During the day they all scatter and feed in the fields, but at night they all return to the river to roost. The site is amazing to witness, and the sound is other-worldly. Imagine thousands of cranes all “cawing” as they drop from the sky for an evening of rest.

I’m hoping to make the trip this Spring. The other day my sister asked me if I was going to make a “Crane Viewing Pilgrimage,” and also asked if I had any pictures from previous trips. So, thank you Emily for motivating me to post these pictures. These are from a trip I took in 2005. There must have been something magical about that year because these are by far my best pictures from the several trips I’ve taken. I’m gonna post a lot :) Here they are!