Sandhill Crane Migration, October 2016, iPhone Video, Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge, Santiago, Minnesota, October 2016, photo © 2016 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.
Years ago I traveled to a blind near the Platte River in Nebraska to see the sandhill crane migration. And on another road trip through North Dakota, I witnessed The World’s Largest Sandhill Crane. A few weeks ago, I drove just outside of Zimmerman to view the cranes again at the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge in my homestate of Minnesota (go to the link to download a crane viewing map). By the middle of October, the refuge hosts more than 6000 cranes as they roost at night in refuge wetlands, then fly out to area croplands to forage during the day.
Part of the thrill of the migrating sandhill cranes is hearing their collective call and recognizing that some studies date their DNA back to the dinosaurs. For more information about the evolution of the sandhill cranes in Minnesota visit The Resilience of Sandhill Cranes, Once common here, then rare, this native bird has returned to Minnesota by Carrol Henderson.
-posted on red Ravine, Saturday, November 5th, 2016
I used to work in a restored wetland outside of Cleveland, Ohio. We had a few sandhill cranes there, and visitors were always delighted to see them. Like in Minnesota sandhill cranes have become much rarer in northeast Ohio than they once were, so their return is a good sign.
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Hi Josh, the sandhill cranes always bring me joy. To me they represent continuity — wildlife that continues to survive through the ages. You are in a fascinating line of work. Love your blog. Look forward to reading about the direction you are headed next. Thanks for stopping by.
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That’s an excellent point about the sandhill crane’s continuity. They have survived a host of challenges throughout time, despite their delicate appearance. It’s quite remarkable.
And thanks for the kind words! They’re greatly appreciated.
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