Crane Viewing during the Fall Migration
Crane viewing at Rowe Sanctuary during the fall migration is
very hit and miss as the timing of the migration is spread out over a
longer period of time and the fact that most of the cranes just pass
overhead without stopping. The following will try to give you a
better idea of when and where a person can try to see the cranes in
Nebraska during the fall and provide you with other locations that have
crane viewing opportunities.
Even though sandhill cranes stage in the
Platte River valley in large numbers during the spring migration, this is
not the case in the fall. During the months of September and
Ocotober, cranes stage in areas of eastern Alberta, Saskatchewan,
Manitoba, North Dakota, South Dakota and northwestern Minnesota. The
earliest we typically see (or hear) cranes is late September, with the
peak of the migration occurring from late October through early November
and ending sometime in December. During this time the cranes rarely
stay for an extended period, usually just over night.
Rowe Sanctuary is a location where a person
can try to see the cranes during the fall, but we do not have guided field
trips as we don't know when or where the birds might be. Visitors
are welcome to walk our walking trails that lead from the Iain Nicolson
Audubon Center in the early morning and late afternoon to try to catch the
birds on or near the river. You can access these trails seven days a
week, except during rifle deer season which occurs in the second week of
November. Send us an email or give us a call at 308-468-5282 with
questions about viewing at Rowe Sanctuary or to find out the status of the
migration.
Other locations that are relatively close
to Rowe Sanctuary that provide reasonably good opportunities to see the
cranes are located in the
Rainwater Basin. This area is characterized by shallow
wetlands that become wet, you guessed it, when it rains. When these
areas have water during the fall, cranes will use them quite frequently.
The only drawback is that these areas are open to waterfowl hunting and if
there is shooting going on, the cranes will look elsewhere to spend the
night. For contact information to find out what locations have water
and where hunting pressure is the least, visit the web site provided
above.
Other locations where sandhill cranes can
be seen during the fall migration (F) or on their wintering grounds (W)
include:
Arizona
Cibola National Wildlife Refuge (W)
Willcox Playa Wildlife Area (W)
Colorado
Monte Vista/Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge (F)
Indiana
Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area (F)
Kansas
Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area (F)
Kirwin National Wildlife Refuge (F)
Quivira National Wildlife Refuge (F)
Michigan
Baker Sanctuary (F)
New Mexico
Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge (W)
Grulla National Wildlife Refuge (W)
Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge (W)
Oklahoma
Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge (F)
Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge (W)
Washita National Wildlife Refuge (W)
Texas
Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge (W)
Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (W)
Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge (W)
Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge (W)
