You won’t have to watch cranes very long to see a few start to play and dance around in this herky-jerky fashion. Sometimes it’s a couple birds together or sometimes its just a single bird all off on its own…having a grand old time. I’m no crane expert but to me it looks like they … Read more
Today I stand on the banks of the Platte with camera in hand as my witness. The river rushes above me, below me and through me. My photographs are a way to help me remember who I am, where I come from, and who I am becoming. And I hope I can return again and … Read more
Springtime in the Midwest, at least for many birds, means migration time. The cranes of Nebraska are no exception. After a few weeks of hanging around the Platte, feeding and re-energizing, they are looking for the right winds to continue on their migration north. Wind direction is everything really. When the north winds blow they … Read more
Sandhill Cranes who roost on the Platte River at night will sometimes leave the water well before dawn. They can see quite well in low light so it could be because they are simply ready to go to nearby fields to begin feeding for the day. Or they may have been spooked by a predator … Read more
It was a good, relatively normal spring this year on the Platte river. There were a few wet spells, but nothing to make the river too high for the cranes to roost. According to the Crane Trust, the arrival of the cranes started off a bit slower, or slightly later than normal, most likely due … Read more
I go to Nebraska pretty much every year now…at least once in the spring…sometimes twice in March or early April. The trip is mainly to see the crane migration but it might also involve Prairie Chickens or Sharptail Grouse…all are birds I enjoy taking pictures of. On this last visit, I came across a new … Read more