Platte River – Spectacle of the Cranes
March 25-30, 2008 - Trip Report
Peg Abbott and Paul Irvine, guide, with eight participants

Tues., March 25 Arrival in Omaha / Zoo / Old Town
March on the Platte River is a magical time: a time of great commotion among several hundred thousand cranes, providing a thrill for the watchers who witness their passage. Our group of ten met in Omaha, Nebraska, bonding quickly into a most congenial group. Several had arrived a day early, including Dorothy who had an adventure taking the train from New Jersey. Our first afternoon was a fairly mild one by late-winter weather standards, and we ventured to the Henry Doorly Zoo. Grisell had just recently moved to the U.S. and all the animals were new to her, so it was particularly fun to interpret their behavior and characteristics for her. We saw African Wild Dogs, Lowland Gorillas, Bengal Tigers, Snow Leopards and a real treat, two Sun Bears. One of the highlights was the aquarium, which has a tunnel underwater so one can look up to the belly of a swimming Manta Ray or White-tipped Reef Shark – wow! Time passed quickly; we went back to change clothes, then enjoyed a welcome dinner at Vivace, a lovely restaurant in Omaha’s Old Town. Our large round table, set against brick walls with views of the impressive polished wood bar, was perfect for introductions.

Wed., March 26 Lake Manawa / Joslyn Museum / Cranes Near Kearney
Peg rounded us up early so we could enjoy some birding ahead of our visit to the Joslyn Museum and our drive west to Kearney. Lake Manawa was just a few minutes away, and Paul navigated the bit of morning traffic with ease. On a scouting trip the day before with Omaha resident and friend Julie Schroeder, Peg had spotted an adult and first winter juvenile Glaucous Gull and luckily they were still posing on the same gravel bar on the lakeshore. We put the scope on them for good views.

Ed enjoyed scope views of two Franklin’s Gulls, both with pink breasts -- a sign they are getting ready to breed. There were also Herring and Ring-billed Gulls by the score. A bit further down the lake we encountered a large raft of ducks of many species. Outstanding in this group were the number of Canvasback -- how nice to see this elegant bird in good number, given their overall population decline. Lesser Scaup were also abundant and we found Ruddy Ducks, Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal, Bufflehead and Ring-necked Ducks as well. Two Bald Eagles were perched across the lake and one flew our way, eventually perching for scope views in a nearby tree. This was a juvenile bird with quite a bit of white in the plumage, ripping up prey of some variety – likely one of our ducks!

A cold wind moved us on and we took refuge inside the beautiful marble walls of the Josyln Art Museum in Omaha. Everyone explored at their leisure, taking in rooms of Western Art, Impressionists, Modern Art and a traveling exhibit of Chinese textiles and pottery. We enjoyed lunch in the sunny atrium, and then boarded the van for the three hour trip west to Kearney. Julie Schroeder had called with news of two swans frequenting her lake, and we made a short detour to Waterloo to scope them out, along with numerous Common Mergansers and a few birds at the feeders, including Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers.

Approaching Grand Island we saw our first flocks of cranes, feeding in the farm fields and flying between them. We saw tens, then hundreds, and likely thousands by the time we reached Kearney. After checking in to our hotel and adding a few layers of clothes, we ventured out to the Hike and Bike bridge, walking out through large oak and cottonwood trees to the open sand bar islands preferred by cranes for night roosting. The noise made by cranes was astounding: urgent and increasing in volume as we watched pink light etch the sky. Cranes were arriving from all directions in classic V formation, in long lines and in family groups, identified by the high-pitched call of young cranes. We lingered to soak in the sounds and beauty, finally heading in to dinner at the delightful Alley Rose in downtown Kearney.

Thurs., March 27 Rowe Sanctuary / Minden / Snow Geese Search
We had a date to be in the blinds at Audubon’s Lillian Annette Rowe Sanctuary, so this morning was an early awakening. We had to be on site by 6:30 to meet our local guide and to walk out, in the dark, to the blind. It was a beautiful morning. Just out of the van, D-Ann and Peg commented on the smell of spring in the air. We could hear restless calls of cranes on sandbars of the river, but were not prepared for the massive number crowded on the islands, just out our blind windows. They appeared as lumps in gray light at dawn, then as daylight emerged we could see the fine detail of feathers, wings, the bare skin of red caps and bills.

Looking into the flock one could look at just legs, just wings, or watch the antics of a group dancing – jumping like Masai warriors into the air, stiff legged, spring-loaded and strident! Birds awoke, stretched, and added their voice to the cacophony. Luckily no predator broke in to raise them rapidly from their river perch. We had quite a long time to admire them as they left calmly in groups of ten to thirty. They often circled, and sometimes landed, before taking off again, this time bound for feeding. Waste corn is their main diet item during this time on the Platte, supplemented by invertebrates and shoots of emerging vegetation.

We returned to the Iain Nicholson Audubon Center, an impressive straw-bale construction using recycled timbers and other environmentally friendly elements. Hot coffee and tea were most welcome, and we spend some leisurely time viewing Spotted Towhees, White-crowned Sparrows, American Goldfinches and other birds at the feeders. Harriet enjoyed (and envied!) the photographs of Michael Forsberg new book ‘On Ancient Wings’.

We explored the farm roads going south toward Minden and, as it was getting quite cold and blustery, we ducked into the warmth of a coffee house on the main square where we enjoyed brunch and a bit of local color. Paul admired some of the historic buildings, including an impressive opera house on the square. From here we followed the map to several small ponds of the Rainwater Basin, searching for Snow Geese seen earlier along the river in good number, but surprisingly hard to find. Likely many had gone north in the last week, pulled by the urge to reach the Arctic. It felt like the Arctic right there to us, so we contented ourselves with one good flock to view, picking out the smaller Ross’s Geese in the scope among them. A nap was tempting all of us after the early rising. No one spoke up for a return to Gibbon Bridge for more crane viewing, so we opted for an earlier dinner and a night to relax.

Fri., March 28 Arch Museum / Republican River / Harlan County Dam / Night Cranes
This morning we visited the Oregon Trail vicariously, taking in the excellent exhibits of the Arch Museum. Here one dons head phones and is quickly swept into tales of the journey -- one of America’s most arduous: the movement west. Grisell got a good dose of American history with Regina’s help translating and came out all smiles. She was certainly getting a lot of practice with her English and learning a lot of new words! We returned to add a few layers of clothes and head out for the day, driving south towards the Republican River drainage. We stopped at Funk Waterfowl Production Area (WPA) of the Rainwater Basin en route and had excellent looks at many species of ducks. We also found a group of migrant Baird’s Sandpipers, new for many of our group. Least Sandpipers and Lesser Yellowlegs were other shorebirds; Red-tailed Hawks and Northern Harriers were raptors spotted on patrol. We could have stayed there quite some time as there were so many birds, but we wanted to explore more Nebraska geography. We were all quite taken with the impeccably neat farms, many of them seemingly prosperous.

Lunchtime at the Wilcox Café let us mingle a bit with the locals and our waitress Ruth made it fun. She joked back and forth with Dorothy, kidding her about her New Jersey flair. We ate robust and delicious sandwiches and, thus fortified, continued our journey south. We passed through more farmland, finding American Kestrels and a fine sighting of a Black-billed Magpie spotted by Paul. As we approached trees associated with the Republican River Valley, Peg spotted a few early migrant songbirds – Eastern Bluebird and Eastern Phoebe, which gave its namesake call. We got out to walk a bit and Rolla smiled as she heard the ‘spring soon’ call of Black-capped Chickadee.

We walked again on a Nature Trail beside the river and below Harlan County Lake Dam. Ed found a Northern (Red-shafted) Flicker feeding on sumac berries. It was quite tenacious and certainly photogenic, though neither Peg or Harriet had their cameras in hand! Regina called for a stop to feast on brownies we’d brought from Wilcox, so we settled in at picnic tables within sight of the lake, enjoying scope views of White Pelicans, Double-crested Cormorants, several gull species and myriad ducks. Time passed quickly; we took a peek at an active Black-tailed Prairie Dog colony and then drove north to make our evening blind viewing scheduled at Rowe Sanctuary.

Blue skies had broken through by afternoon and the night held promise of being a fine one. In all the years Peg has returned to witness the Platte River crane migration spectacle, she has never seen such a lovely sunset – what a lucky group! We had light wind, relatively warm temperatures, and just amazing light. Cranes started coming in almost immediately after we entered the blind. Our local guide John pointed out the Unison Call and other recognizable vocalizations of the cranes. He told us many details of their life history and their pathway from winter range to northern breeding grounds. As cranes started to land on sand bars of the river, he called for us to be quiet. For over an hour we watched in reverie. Cranes started to fill the sandbars, packing themselves in so densely it was unimaginable. There appeared to be little conflict, only a bit of feeding, preening, and calling. It was wonderful to watch them extend their legs like aircraft landing gear, somehow landing without knocking out the twenty that had arrived ahead of them. We watched line after line cross the setting sun, which was painting the sky with tones of deep oranges and reds. To the sides the sky was painted with magenta and blue. The river mirrored colors of the sky, making threads of pink and orange between groups of cranes.

Rolla pointed out a beam of yellow that grew and grew, an accent making this light show even finer! Dick was especially taken with this time in the blind. Having been all over the world to see exotic wildlife and cultures, this time with cranes was a real highlight for him, indeed for us all. We stayed until it was nearly dark, then walked quietly back on the gentle trail to our van. We wanted only a simple dinner, and the nearby bar and steakhouse was just right. We had a personable waitress that took great care of us and with warm, full bellies we collapsed into bed.

Sat., March 29 Prairie Chickens / MONA / Farmhouse Farewell Dinner
It was a short night, as Peg had caught wind of a new opportunity and had us up before dawn. We needed to drive an hour and forty-five minutes north to be in a blind at sunrise for another prairie spectacle: the booming dance of Greater Prairie Chickens. In past years our groups had seen them south of Kearney, watching them through scopes across farm fields as they strutted moves of their ancient ritual. Today we would watch them only a dozen yards away through open windows of a school bus set up as a blind! They arrived within minutes of our getting settled, walking up through grasses of a small slope in a farm field. Our guide Bruce, told us that they had used this particular spot for over 35 years and likely the hundred before that. We had 18 males on this lek and in our viewing time about three females came in, each time creating quite a frenzy. It was early in the breeding season but males were on full alert, testing each other with frequency. They bowed, puffed up their bright orange air sacs, elevated feathers that stood like rabbit ears on their heads and danced away. Tails erect, they fanned out bright white feathers from behind. It was difficult to photograph in the dim light but luckily the birds continued to dance until daylight came in full. It was, however, VERY cold in that old school bus and we did not linger long after all had had their fill of viewing. Background music of Western Meadowlarks was a special treat for Dorothy, who hails from the East.

Sue Ann and Bruce Switzer, of Calamus Outfitters (www.Calamusoutfitters.com), were waiting for us back at the lodge and store with a special treat – a great HOT breakfast! We devoured biscuits and gravy and eggs and bacon and juice, Dorothy filling her plate proudly. We enjoyed conversation with the other group there that morning – several staff of the World Wildlife Fund including the program director from Namibia who had just spoken at a sustainable tourism conference in Lincoln. Joe Sebastiani of the Delaware Nature Society group kindly tipped us off to the presence of Long-eared Owls in a grove of Red Cedar near the office, and with diligence our scouting party and guide found them. We silently entered the grove where Peg set up the scope for some silent, quick but wonderful viewing. We added a few more birds to the list as we drove off and made our way back to Kearney on a scenic driving route through the Sandhills, navigated well by Paul.

D-Ann commented on how different the geography was here -- rolling hills, lush vegetation: cattle country. Ed spotted a Rough-legged Hawk out the window, while others nodded off for a nap. Sandwiches from the French Café were welcome and convenient, just right before our break back at the hotel. Once again it was windy and cold and, after a mild day yesterday, we were less tenacious about being outside. So we opted for the MONA Art Museum in Kearney. This was perfect for our last afternoon. They had an exhibit of current artists pieces donated for an auction to support the museum, and there were a few gems among them. Part of the permanent collection included Bierstadts and Morans -- some lovely prairie inspired compositions. Upstairs we viewed a very unique woman doing performance art that was very inspiring. We topped this off with a final visit to Rowe Sanctuary for some shopping and time at the feeders where we picked up views of three Harris’ Sparrows and a number of Pine Siskins in with the American Goldfinches. A fine day!

Our final dinner was a grand one, again with some local color at the White Hill Farm restaurant. We were served family-style some absolutely delicious smoked meats with side dishes of green beans, other vegetables and potatoes -- grand portions of course – this is Nebraska!

Sun., March 30 Departures / Old Town
Paul navigated us back through traffic on the Interstate to Omaha, where we made our flights with plenty of time. Those of us with later flights enjoyed lunch in Old Town where friend Julie Schroeder joined us, steering us to Stokes for one last fine meal!

Photos by: Peg Abbott

 

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