Sandhill cranes in the Nebraska Sandhills: 23 March

Cranes in the mists

Friday morning of the crane trip started with a heavy fog over our bridge. It was magic, though the drive there had its white-knuckle moments. As the fog burned off, we started surveying the fields and found the largest flocks we had ever seen, anywhere. As the day progressed, huge flocks broke off and spiraled upward. We were right there for the beginning of the final leg of their migration, north to the Arctic breeding grounds. An amazing day.

Pair overhead

Pair

Fog and cottonwoods

Fence

Cranes and trains

Landing

Trio descending

Trio descending

Robin

Dancing

 

Hawk ruffling feathers

Cranes in the Platte River valley

Large flock

HUGE flock

From one end of the section....

...to the other. Solid cranes. 

Barn

Moving between fields

The first barn quilt I have seen!

Classic barn

Dancing

Dancing

Dancing

Dancing, my favorite shot

Dancing

Giant migration flock

Giant migration flock

Giant migration flock

Giant migration flock

Watching the migration start

High flyers

Smaller flock

 

High and low flyers

  

Farmhouse

Barn

Meadowlark

Small flock

Cars

 

Intersection

Feeding flock

 

Flock at rest

Sandhills and Sandhills

Fog beads

Fog beads

Spider web

Hawk