2011 Sandhill Crane Thread

Post by **Brad** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 1:39 pm

2011 Sandhill Crane Thread

The first Sandhill Cranes of the year have been Spotted!!!

They were seen this past weekend near Alda Road just south west of Grand Island.

Candleshoe · Post by **Candleshoe** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 7:21 pm

Darn! And I was out in that exact spot over the weekend and didn't come across any!
Did talk to somebody who said there were a couple of hundred already staking claims out near Minden.

TechnicalDisaster · Post by **TechnicalDisaster** » Wed Feb 16, 2011 11:18 am

I'm looking forward to our yearly trip. Â Candleshoe, are you going to join us in person this year? Â We always get great insight from you.

Candleshoe · Post by **Candleshoe** » Wed Feb 16, 2011 10:30 pm

Candleshoe, are you going to join us in person this year? Â We always get great insight from you.

Just say "when"!

I've checked with the folks at the Nebraska Nature and Visitors Center. One of them spotted a few cranes down by the Alda Bridge south of the Interstate last weekend, but none since. However, they can hear them in the evening, so they're out there somewhere. Their blind tours begin the first week in March... that's their best guess when the viewing should be dependable.

Post by **Brad** » Thu Feb 17, 2011 12:41 am

Candleshoe wrote:
Candleshoe, are you going to join us in person this year? We always get great insight from you.
Just say "when"!

Coyote, Technical Disaster, and myself are planing on a morning trip in the second half of march.

Candleshoe · Post by **Candleshoe** » Sun Feb 27, 2011 10:46 pm

This afternoon, just a few miles west of Doniphan. When we left the house, the sun was shining and it was nearly 45. Twenty minutes later, overcast and mid 30's. timing is everything...

"I don't think this is the right way..." by candleshoe, on Flickr

The Sandhill Cranes return! by candleshoe, on Flickr

and a few of the jillions of snow geese

Snow goose abundanza by candleshoe, on Flickr

Post by **Brad** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 4:05 pm

Nice Shots! Â I can't wait to get out there!

Candleshoe · Post by **Candleshoe** » Fri Mar 04, 2011 5:36 pm

A snow storm...
A private lake IN Grand Island, about a half mile south of Fonner Park. This shot is from the road and represents about a quarter of the lake.

020 by candleshoe, on Flickr

About every twenty minutes or so, the snow geese need to reposition themselves as they drift into the shore. So, a circuit around the lake once or twice and then they settle on the other side.

077 by candleshoe, on Flickr

Post by **Brad** » Sat Mar 05, 2011 10:51 am

Awesome! Â I guess Squaw Creek has about 1.4 million snow geese this year!

Post by **Brad** » Tue Mar 15, 2011 9:08 am

Interior secretary watches cranes

http://www.omaha.com/article/20110315/N ... hes-cranes

David Hendee WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER wrote:From about mid-February to mid-April, an estimated 500,000 sandhill cranes concentrate along the stretch of the Platte extending from Chapman west to Lexington and beyond. The birds stay for four to six weeks to feed on waste corn in farm fields, and insects.

Salazar's Nebraska visit came on the eve of a 10-day period when the largest concentration of cranes is expected to be in the state before they continue their flights north to nesting grounds in Canada and Siberia.

He stopped in Nebraska to highlight the work of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, private landowners and many other partners in Nebraska in working to protect, restore, enhance and manage Rainwater Basin wetlands.

Candleshoe · Post by **Candleshoe** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 10:21 am

A few shots from Tuesday morning along Platte River Road, near Doniphan

landing gear, up. by candleshoe, on Flickr

eye in the sky by candleshoe, on Flickr

Out standing in it's field... by candleshoe, on Flickr

fun and games by candleshoe, on Flickr

221 by candleshoe, on Flickr

Post by **Brad** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 10:23 am

Great Shots Candleshoe! Â We will be out there next Thursday and Friday!

TechnicalDisaster · Post by **TechnicalDisaster** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 11:16 am

Awesome shots!

nativeomahan · Post by **nativeomahan** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 8:50 pm

Wonderful!

Post by **Coyote** » Sat Mar 26, 2011 4:58 pm

More pics to come later - but this long distance shot is of one of the estimated remaining 250 worldwide Whooping Cranes in the world today. Brad may have a better pic to share.

Post by **Coyote** » Sat Mar 26, 2011 5:26 pm

Â

Post by **Brad** » Sun Mar 27, 2011 2:54 pm

Great Shots Mark!

Post by **Brad** » Sun Mar 27, 2011 5:49 pm

Here are a few of Mine.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21

22.

almighty_tuna · Post by **almighty_tuna** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 9:04 am

Nice shots, guys. Â Brad how did that 100-400 work out? Â Pics look nice, but what about actually working with it?

Post by **Brad** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 9:57 am

almighty_tuna wrote:Nice shots, guys. Brad how did that 100-400 work out? Pics look nice, but what about actually working with it?

Wasn't worth it... Â I have a 200 2.8 and a 2x teleconverter, basically a 400 5.6. Â well I rented a 400 5.6, however the 2x teleconverter is not compatible with the 400 5.6 so basically I had 2 of the exact same lens! Â Next year I will definitely rent the 300 or 400 2.8 Â Can you imagine 800 5.6! Â

almighty_tuna · Post by **almighty_tuna** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 10:44 am

That sucks!

Â I was hoping it would be somewhat redeeming, despite the push/pull lens.

Brad wrote:Can you imagine 800 5.6!

Yes, yes I can!!

Â This is the Woodman from the first base photo pit at the Blatt. Â 400mm lens + 1.4x extender + 1.6x crop factor=896mm

Post by **Coyote** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 2:45 pm

Nice pic Brad!

TechnicalDisaster · Post by **TechnicalDisaster** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 4:08 pm

Brad & Coyote - Excellent shots! Â You did a morning tour at Rowe, correct? Â How was it?

Post by **Coyote** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 4:51 pm

[wmp]http://necoyote.com/video/MOV05430.MPG[/wmp]

Post by **Brad** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 4:53 pm

TechnicalDisaster wrote:Brad & Coyote - Excellent shots! You did a morning tour at Rowe, correct? How was it?

Morning is without a doubt the way to go if you want to photograph cranes on the water!

Post by **Coyote** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 4:57 pm

TechnicalDisaster wrote:Brad & Coyote - Excellent shots! You did a morning tour at Rowe, correct? How was it?

The tickets to Rowe's blind were sold out for that day weeks ago. We were on a bridge the evening before when a group from Wisconsin told us a couple couldn't make it out of the snow - so we got there at 6 and waited to see if there was an opening and there was. It snowed the night before and it was pretty foggy as you can see. Brad got there around noon I got there around 3 and we drove around as usual. If we had a regular sunrise it would have been way cool.

And hotels.com never sent our reservations to our hotel - and with the state speech tournament and another tournament and other birders all the hotel rooms were booked. We were lucky to find one of the last ones in Kearney.

Candleshoe · Post by **Candleshoe** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 6:51 am

Great shots, guys! Especially considering the conditions!

almighty_tuna · Post by **almighty_tuna** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 9:30 am

Coyote wrote:It snowed the night before and it was pretty foggy as you can see.

But the fog is fantastic! Â #19 could be one of my fav crane photos.

Post by **Brad** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 7:01 am

Quite a coup for crane watchers

http://www.omaha.com/article/20110405/N ... e-watchers

David Hendee WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER wrote:An estimated 51 to 56 endangered whooping cranes — about one fifth of the total population — were in the state Saturday and Sunday during their migration north to Canadian nesting grounds, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The number of sightings is a record for Nebraska. Usually a dozen confirmed sightings would be a milestone day.

“This is just exceptional,” said Mike George, the Fish and Wildlife Service state supervisor in Grand Island.

Candleshoe · Post by **Candleshoe** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 7:17 am

From this past Sunday morning on the edge of Doniphan. Using my new/used Tamron 200-400 f5.6 that I picked up for a nickel ninety eight on ebay, it arrifved just in time for the last big weekend of crane viewing.

On the bright side of the road by candleshoe, on Flickr

Just one look before I go... by candleshoe, on Flickr

Well, guess it's about time to go... by candleshoe, on Flickr

Post by **Brad** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 7:19 am

Awesome!

Post by **Brad** » Thu May 19, 2011 11:28 am

When Coyote and I were out seeing the sandhill cranes, I was fairly certain we saw Thomas Mangelsen. Â We were driving by a guy out shooting and I told Mark, I think that's Mangelsen. Â The next day the same guy was in the blind and I thought, na, that's not him. Â Well after seeing his "New Releases", it was him.

Candleshoe · Post by **Candleshoe** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 8:07 am

The Sandhill Cranes have returned to Central Nebraska for an autumn visit during their trek south. Visiting with a local bird enthusiast, it's guessed that they're traveling a little bit later this year because of the mild weather, combined with a corn harvest that's a little ahead of schedule, giving them some opportunities to hang out and fill up before the final legs. They've been around much of the week and over the course of half an hour I'd guess we saw roughly two thousand fly over.

These were taken at dusk along the Platte, south of Alda. The quality isn't so hot with a high ISO, hand held and zoomed out.

Post by **Brad** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 12:27 pm

Great shots Candleshoe!

Post by **Coyote** » Sun Oct 30, 2011 3:44 pm