The Platte River valley of Nebraska was first home to the Pawnee, and afterward travelled by settlers as they journeyed west. Almost two centuries later the Platte River is still a primary migration route used by birds most likely for thousands of years.
Each year 500,000 sandhill cranes congregate on the Platte River as they migrate north to locations as distant as Canada and Alaska. During the migration season, there may be as many as 250,000 cranes at the same time resting on the flats in the river between fattening up on the grain from the fields and awaiting conditions suited to depart for destinations where they will spend spring and summer rearing their young.
In mid-March 2014 I was so very fortunate to be on hand to observe this magnificent gathering on the Platte River. There are numerous ways to see the cranes, but as a photographer I wanted to be in the midst of the action, so I reserved a private 4 x 8 x 5.5 photo blind through the Sandhill Crane Trust for one night on the banks of the river. “Deluxe accommodations” included a straw floor, a latrine pail, and prime viewing slots facing North with alternate views East and West, not to mention North winds of 50 mph with wind chills of 11 degrees, and a 3 inch coating of snow in the morning.
Conditions were too harsh for evening photography and I wasn’t conditioned for the cold temperatures and the fine snow blowing through the inevitable gaps in a movable structure, but I was willing to tough it out for the opportunity to overnight amongst the cranes. A little duct tape in a few strategic places kept me and my gear dry through the night. By the wee hours of the morning I realized the bugle calls of the cranes had dissipated. Curiosity got the best of me. I had to know if they left while I slumbered in my two sleeping bags, so I clambered from the warmth of my bedding only to find that they too had hunkered down against the elements. They wisely huddled in safe spots on the sandbars a little further out on the river.
Before daylight I roused myself and packed everything but my camera gear in anticipation of the early morning flights of the cranes. Before I knew it the cranes were coming and going, dancing and bugling, swooping and soaring, and even feeding last year’s brood. From my vantage point, everywhere I looked there were cranes too numerous to estimate. It was an indescribable experience to be amongst the cranes and watch their antics. The freshly fallen snow made the morning even more magical. By 9:30 am the remaining cranes departed for the feeding grounds leaving me with photos and memories to last a lifetime.
I hope you enjoy this sensational experience with me in pictures. It brought great happiness to my soul.
About Nature With Beth 