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Winging It over America's Heartland

By Carole Herdegen

"One of the greatest wildlife spectacles in the world will be yours when you enter the blind and view the hundreds of Sandhill Cranes tonight." said Heidi Hughes, the director of Crane Meadows Nature Center and Bird Observatory nestled along the Platte River near Grand Island, Nebraska. For months I had been eagerly awaiting this special time of the year, the return of the Sandhill Cranes to Central Nebraska on their annual migration to their breeding grounds in the far north. It was now March 23rd; the peak viewing season of the Sandhill Cranes at Heidi's newly acquired birding headquarters. It was early evening as we headed in the direction of the riverbank. The Sandhill Cranes would soon be returning to the sandbars along the river after a day of foraging in the fields of nearby farmers.

Before sharing my experience of the natural world in the "Heartland of America", allow me to briefly present some facts about the world's oldest species of birds and the phenomenon of why these cranes return to the same place each year to find refuge and refuel before heading north.

The history of the Sandhill Cranes goes back 8 to 10 million years. We know this because in the 1920's, bones and fossils of crowned cranes were discovered in northwest Nebraska. Early explorers described the river as being over 200 miles long, a mile wide and an inch deep, perfect for the cranes to forage on roots, tubers, seeds, insects, and invertebrates. They also recorded that the cranes returned to the same place at the same time each spring.

Over time, Sandhill Cranes have witnessed an evolutionary but dramatic change to their "rest stop" on the river as well as to their diet since those prehistoric days. The wilderness has disappeared and has been replaced by farming and urban development. However, the hearty and adaptable Sandhill Cranes have adjusted. Today, when the cranes fly off each morning to feed, they now rely on a menu of seeds, small insects and corn that has been left by the harvesters from the previous fall. Unfortunately, the river has become so narrow; the cranes are forced to congregate in only a few suitable spaces. Hopefully, there will be no further encroachment of the river, as this would mean disaster for the future of these spectacular birds.

Because the Sandhill Cranes are one of the most ancient of all birds, they have survived partly because they are the most numerous of all the 15 species of cranes worldwide. In fact, the Sandhill Crane is one of only two species of cranes native to North America. What is also an incredible fact is that 80% of the total population of Sandhill Cranes flies through Central Nebraska every spring.

The majority of cranes arrive from their winter habitats in New Mexico, Texas and Northern Mexico. Some come from as far away as Central and South America on what is called the Central Flyway. Their destination is north to Alaska, Canada and even to such great distances as Siberia. There they will breed and look after their hatchlings until the fall when it is time for them to head back south before winter. On their journey both ways, Central Nebraska is their halfway stop for water, rest and feeding.

For millennia, the Platte River has offered the cranes a perfect rest stop location. They have already traveled a great distance and have lost weight. Yet they still have a long way to go before they nest and produce their offspring. They must regain 20% of their body weight before they depart for the far north. And, they do well considering that over the thousands of years, they have had to adapt to a change in the geographical conditions that have produced a change in available food.

Another species of cranes, the Whopping Crane, is critically endangered. In an interview with Dr. Felipe Chavez-Ramirez, the executive director of the Platte River Whopping Crane Trust near Alda, Nebraska, I was informed there are now only 215 Whopping Cranes that visit the river basin each spring. Through his work with the trust fund, Dr. Ramirez protects, restores and maintains the habitat for these migrating birds. It is not only a dedicated undertaking but it is also the reason why the 215 Whopping Cranes continue to return year after year. I was unable to view the Whopping Cranes during my visit because they arrive much later than the Sandhill Cranes; however, I took a great deal of comfort with the knowledge that there are scientists and conservationists who devote their life to preserving the rarest and most endangered of life species.

All day long, visitors drive around the surrounding farmer's field to observe the activity of the Sandhill Cranes as they eat, dance and flirt with the opposite sex in the ritual of partnering. Each is in search of that special partner to fly and mate with in the breeding grounds of the North.

Each evening as the sun is about to set, the best viewing of the cranes is from blinds that have been built all along the river. After receiving our instructions to maintain silence and refrain from all flash photography, we made our way from the main building to our designated blind.

The Sandhill Cranes had begun to congregate in the large fields surrounding the river. Flocks in the hundreds would take off at one time and fly around and around the area, dipping and diving while looking for the perfect place to spend the night. As more and more groups of cranes took off, the sky literally became darker and the sound from the birds increased. What a spectacular sight to witness! There is no wonder why people come from all over the world to experience this magical time of the year.

When you think that the sky cannot take many more birds, flocks begin to swoop down and land in the shallow water or along the sand banks. There is a great deal of commotion and territorial dispute until the sun finally sets. All the birds have homes for the night. While wading in the water, they will dig for worms and grubs, primp and preen, court and quarrel, and do a tango-like dance that is truly amazing to watch. When my viewing time was over, I quietly retreated to my hotel. My sleep would be short because very early the next morning I would journey to the Rowe Sanctuary & Iain Nicolson Audubon Center to watch the cranes as they fly away to scavenge the farmer's fields.

In the darkness of morning, the cranes are humming their familiar tunes and still in the homes they selected the previous night. Just before the first light of day, the humming begins to increase. It continues as the birds awake and begin to move about. Then something spectacular happens. The humming becomes louder and louder until every crane appears to be chatting to each other. They seem to be saying that it is time to get up and have breakfast. When the crescendo gets as loud as one thinks it could possibly get, the cranes take off in one giant mass. Many thousands of cranes with their wings flapping fly over our blind and up into the sky like one big cloud. Within five minutes they disappear from the skyline. First time visitors like myself stood dumbfounded at the precision of the departure.

It is truly an unbelievable phenomenon of nature to witness this spectacular display put on by thousands and thousands of Sandhill Cranes, a routine that happens daily until all the cranes decide it is now time to head north.

If you decide to visit Central Nebraska during this period of March and early April, it is advisable to call ahead to book your place in one of the many blinds. The blinds are fully enclosed and hold as many as 36 people. They are not heated; therefore one is encouraged to dress warm. This is the best way to view the early morning departure and evening arrival of the Sandhill Cranes.

You can read my review of Michael Forsberg's book on Sandhill Cranes called "On Ancient Wings" in the Book Review section of this web site at www.travelsite.com/carole/reviews.htm.

Tourist Information Centers

Nebraska Division of Travel & Tourism
800-228-4307
www.visitnebraska.org

Kearney Visitors Center
1007 2nd Avenue
Kearney
308-237-3101
800-652-9435
www.kearneycoc.org

Grand Island/Hall County Convention & Visitors Bureau
309 W. 2nd Street
Grand Island
308-382-4400
800-658-3178
www.visitgrandisland.com

Wildlife Viewing Information Centers

Crane Meadows Nature Center
I-80 Exit 305
308-382-1820
888-382-1820
www.cranemeadows.org
Information on where to stay and eat available at www.visitgrandisland.com

Rowe Sanctuary & Iain Nicolson Audubon Center
I-80 Exit 285
308-468-5282
www.rowesanctuary.org
Kearney is the closest town with motels and restaurants.
For information www.kearneycoc.org

Find maps of Nebraska or a city map of Omaha in the TravelSTORE

Omaha - A great stopover in route to Central Nebraska

By Carole Herdegen

I love surprises and Omaha was a surprise for me. It was intended to be a stopover in route to Central Nebraska but it turned out to be a destination that should be on everyone's list as an All American City in the Heartland of America. For a city of its size (population approx. 400,000), Omaha has just about everything anyone would want for a long weekend, especially if traveling as a family on a road trip.

In addition to its many great restaurants and shops in the newly developed historic Old Market area, Omaha offers something to interest every tourist.

My favorite attraction was the Henry Doorly Zoo. In my opinion, it qualifies as one of our nation's best zoos. This is truly a remarkable facility, located in the 45th largest city in the U.S. It is open to the public all year round because it somewhat reverses the roles of visitors and inhabitants. In other words, while many of the animals are enjoying the freedom provided in the re-creations of their natural environment, they can now also observe their human spectators who are viewing them from glass-enclosed, protected indoor corridors or walkways that meander through their outdoor habitats.

The Omaha zoo also has a world-class gorilla accommodation named the Hubbard Gorilla Valley. It is a major player in gorilla conservation and has developed the largest gorilla sperm bank in the world with zoo partners in Europe, South Africa, Australia and North America.

On April 8, 2005, the first test tube gorilla was born at the Henry Doorly Zoo. While visiting, I had the pleasure of watching a staff member feed, nurture and bond with the new offspring. The newly born female requires a 24-7 monitoring routine because its mother rejected this infant just as she did with her own infant two years previously. While we are unable to account for this behavior in nature, we are pleased to report that the infant is doing well. She is strong and healthy, albeit with her adopted, human surrogate parents. In fact, an all-glass enclosure provides visitors the opportunity to observe daily feedings by the zoo's nursing staff.

Another "must see" exhibit is the zoo's newest attraction, an Orangutan Forest, opened in May, 2005 and adding to the growing number of outdoor natural animal habitats. From atop of two, 65-foot man-made banyan trees, Orangutan inhabitants can also enjoy some of the best views of Omaha.

Henry Doorly Zoo
I-80
Exit 454
13th Street (exit South) across from Rosenblatt Stadium
Zoo Information:
402-733-8400
www.omahazoo.com

Find maps of Nebraska or a city map of Omaha in the TravelSTORE

Other Omaha Attractions

Durham Western Heritage Museum
801 South 10th Street
402-444-5071
www.dwhm.org

Lauritzen Gardens - Omaha's Botanical Gardens
100 Bancroft Street
402 346-4002
www.omahabotanicalgardens.org

Joslyn Art Museum
2200 Dodge Street
402-342-3300
www.joslyn.org

Father Flanagan's Boys Town
137th & West Dodge Road
402-498-1140
www.boystown.org

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