March is for Cranes

One of the largest numbers of American birds congregating at one stop during migration occurs in the middle of the country on the Platte River of Nebraska. From late February to mid-April over one million Sandhill Cranes eat and roost in and about Kearney Nebraska. The cranes feed during the day on the waste grain in the nearby farm fields and return to each night to the river to roost. The large flocks leaving the river in the morning and returning at sunset make for spectacular viewing opportunities. There are birding blinds set up on the river banks to observe and photograph the cranes. It is one of the most impressive spectacles in birding migration. And if you can't make the trip out there, here is a wonderful web cam that captures all the activity day and night.

Sunset screenshot from the Audubon web cam on the Platte River. In addition to watching the beauty of the cranes circle in to their river roosting spot, many of the sunsets on the River are quite spectacular.

Right now mornings on the Platte are fulled with lots of ducks.

Hay bales and ducks - mostly pintails.

At night the infrared vision picks up the roosting flock of cranes as they sleep. Being in the river and huddled as a group protects them from any predators such as coyotes. Make sure to have the sound on as they will call all night long.