Sand Hill Cranes!

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When we first moved here almost nine years ago,would you believe I thought the noise was from very loud pigeons! No, it was the Sand Hill Cranes! Then an elderly gentleman on the CB,named Old Timer, told me how they always come back between March 9-11. We started marking the calendar and,lo and behold,they do! I suppose this is trivial to some, but to us, it is a sign that life goes on-that Spring is coming. There is something almost primal when we go outside on a clear cold morning and hear their call echoing from the hills. Life is renewing itself. God bless!

-- Ardie from WI (A6203@hotmail.com), February 16, 2001

Answers

Cool, aren't they?!?! I have spotted a pair that nest in the same area every year, and have seen them on occasion, but got an enormous charge out of seeing them last summer out walking with their chicks!! It's hard to believe that people want to go and shoot them.

-- Julie Froelich (firefly1@nnex.net), February 17, 2001.

That's funny about the "loud pigeons" Ardie, because I heard a flock of sandhill cranes for the first time this fall (near Lake Geneva and Delavan), on their way south. I thought they were "loud pigeons" too!

I never saw a sandhill crane until I was an adult, even though I've spent all but 2 of my 48 years in this state. There were HUGE efforts, over many years, to bring them back from the brink of extinction. Now they're beginning to prosper.

Winter still has her grip on us here. No signs of Spring yet, no geese flying, pond's still frozen. But I imagine a month from now, it'll be a LOT different!

-- Joy F (So.Central Wisconsin) (CatFlunky@excite.com), February 17, 2001.


Lordy,Joy I hope so! I see, in another thread that you are a "bird" person. My daughter and her husband are also. They have various birds and belong to a local bird club. I'll tell her that you are one too. One never knows where connections can lead us!

-- Ardie (a6203@hotmail.com), February 17, 2001.

Ardie, I worked one fall on a big construction job several miles from a wildlife refuge in Northern Indiana. Working about 200 feet up in the air, you could see thousands and thousands of cranes and geese eating out of the corn and bean fields that surrounded the site. There were so many you couldn't hear anyone talk unless they shouted.

They do sound kind of like pigeons. They make that weird sound I've never been able to describe or duplicate. That's how you can tell 'em apart from geese when they are flying waaaaaaayyyy up in the air in a big Vee. I look forward to hearing that call soon.

-- John in S. IN (jsmengel@hotmail.com), February 17, 2001.


Ardie! I worked late and just got home at 9pm. Got out of the ol' s- 10 and heard a whole bunch of cranes flying over. It sounded like a large group or maybe 2. No moon out yet. I've seen geese fly a lot on nights w/ a lot of light, but never saw (heard in this case) them do it w/o moonlight at all. Very clear and the stars are bright. Gave me a thrill. Knocked on the window for my son to come hear.....and scared the BeJeebers out of him!!!!!

It won't be long for you! They're on the way.

-- John in S. IN (jsmengel@hotmail.com), February 19, 2001.



The cranes are magnificent to watch and i enjoy their coming and going every year. I saw 2 bald eagle this weekend also. I have been getting ready for the ones that live behind us to come home. They will be awhile yet. I drove by a field full of turkeys and saw the biggest male. His beard was very long. Birds are amazing creatures.

-- Shau Marie in WI (shau@centurytel.net), February 19, 2001.

Lots and lots of cranes flying today. Really high and moving fast. I don't know how fast they can fly, but it looked like they had to have been doing 30 -40 mph. They seemed to go across the horizon in no time. Spring is coming!

-- John i nS. IN (jsmengel@hotmail.com), February 21, 2001.

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