Omaha Forums

Brad wrote:Awesome catch Candleshoe!

Rowe Sanctuary wrote:We saw our first cranes on Saturday here at Rowe Sanctuary. The excitement begins to build!!

Brad wrote:

Rowe Sanctuary wrote:We saw our first cranes on Saturday here at Rowe Sanctuary. The excitement begins to build!!

Coyote wrote:

Brad wrote:

Rowe Sanctuary wrote:We saw our first cranes on Saturday here at Rowe Sanctuary. The excitement begins to build!!

About right on time... First arrive around Valentines Day, the height at St Patrick's Day...

David Hendee 
/ World-Herald staff writer wrote:Continuing a soaring trend, Nebraska hosted a record 146 known bald eagle nests last year, with adult pairs actively incubating eggs or tending to young in 111 of them, according to the State Game and Parks Commission.

bbtran72 wrote:Spotted a group of cranes in the middle of a field a couple mile south of the river on alda road, too far away for me to shoot.

GetUrban wrote:A week ago Sunday, I saw 3 bald eagles in an open field along Pershing Drive, north of Eppley, just north of the Abbott/Storz split. There were quite a few geese hanging out on the small pond in front of the John Day Company across from Lozier. I assume the eagles were having some goose for breakfast.

Although they were at least 50-75 yards away, I couldn't believe how big they were.

Coyote wrote:A couple more (to remind Brad to post his...)

David Hendee / World-Herald staff writer wrote:A changing global climate could be a new headwind for sandhill cranes to battle in coming decades, according to the National Audubon Society.

Brad wrote:Candleshoe or bbtran72, Any updates on the number of cranes out there right now?  I am getting worried all this heat will push them out...

Joel Jorgensen, NGPC wrote:Any long time resident of Nebraska knows there is no such thing as a “normal” spring*. This spring provides more evidence. The bitter cold snap of late February extended into the first days of March and today (16 March) the afternoon temperatures are going to be bumping 90. Long time resident birders and birdwatchers know that weather in late winter/early spring will affect the progression (e.g., arrival) of the first waves of migrant birds. The bitter late winter cold snap, which extended well south of Nebraska, is likely one of the factors which has slowed down this year’s Sandhill Crane migration.

1) Experience the cranes. The Sandhill crane migration is one of the most accessible and magnificent wildlife migrations on earth. Our Rowe Sanctuary guide told us that the birds arrive in waves starting in mid-February and are gone by mid-April. Eighty percent of the world’s cranes pass through an 80-mile stretch of the Platte River valley. Each group spends three to four weeks feeding on waste corn in the farmland around the river to refuel for their journey north to Canada, Alaska and Siberia.

Book crane-watching experiences with Rowe Sanctuary or Crane Trust, or hope to see them on your own at places like the Fort Kearney State Recreational Area. You’ll have no trouble spotting cranes in local fields during the day (but be sure to observe crane-viewing etiquette).

2) Walk over an interstate—in a museum. The Archway, spanning Interstate-80 just east of Kearney, traces 170 years of transportation history along the Great Platte River Road. It takes about an hour to see exhibits that detail the area’s role as a gateway to the West for Oregon Trail pioneers, Lincoln Highway motorists and more.

3) Visit other local treasures. Love old homes? Head to The Frank House at the University of Nebraska Kearney for a free tour of a late-19th-century mansion. Into cars? The Classic Car Museum displays more than 190 gleaming vehicles; ogle the tailfins of a 1959 Cadillac or peer into a 1938 Ford four-door sedan.

4) Relax over pizza and beer. We’d recommend Thunderhead Brewing Company, where the Thunder Pie pizza (Alfredo sauce, chicken, bacon, jalapeños, pepper Jack and mozzarella cheeses) pairs nicely with craft beers like Cornstalker Dark Wheat. (Potato-lovers: Order the Thunder Spud!)