On Veteran's Day, the kids had the day off and were helping me putter in the yard, when the unmistakeable croaking of sandhill cranes came overhead. It was a teachable moment for them. And a reminder for me.
I needed to check if it was congregating sandhills had peaked yet at Jasper-Pulaski FWA in Indiana. As the YouTube video from Nov. 2 shows, they're there.
The numbers seem a little low for peak, but Tuesday's count was the third straight week higher than 10,000 (10,990) The previous two weekly counts in order were 10,200 and 10,420.
I try to make a special or stop if I happen be within a half hour drive or so to view the sandhills at and around Jasper-Pulaski, and highly recommend it.
I forget what year this was shot on one of my quick stops to see the sandhills. I think I had stopped on the way back from a fishing trip or maybe it was the year I did the Crane Cruise with my oldest boy.
Crane Cruise is a fun fund-raiser for the Lions Club. It is bike rides of various lengths through loops to view the sandhills. It's usually a Saturday in October. This year's was held Oct. 17.
Jasper-:Pulaski is a good 1 1/2 hours from Chicago, southeast of Valparaiso. For the basics of sandhills at Jasper-Pulaski, go to http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/3109.htm
Back before I lost leg/eyesight and was still driving truck (over the road) I saw one of the most awe inspiring sights ever.
I was in central Nebraska coming up on the North Platte river at sunset. I was west bound into a beautiful big orange sunset when there were 1000's of these huge birds suddenly crossing the bright orange sunset right in front of me . It was one of the most majestic sights I had ever seen. All these birds with their huge wingspans flying across an orange sunset. I later came to find out it was the migration of Sandhill Cranes following the North Platte River down from Canada. I will NEVER forget that sight and thank God that he allowed me to see it.
These Cranes are awesome!
Carl, my to-do list in the outdoors only has a few holes in it. One of those holes is to see the sandhills in Nebraska. Where they count them by the 100s of thousands, rather than the thousands at Jasper-Pulaski.
The sound of the Sandhill Cranes congregating is breath taking. The facilities for viewing them at Jasper-Pulaski are very nicely maintained, this is definitely worth a family trip.