Hi Tweeters:
Does anyone out there know where the Sandhill Cranes are feeding this year?
I'm co-leading a field trip over to E WA this Saturday, and more-less
"promised" Sandhill Cranes. Yeah, right.
I went scouting over there yesterday, and the weather was warm and a little
breezy, but not bad. Got a small amt. of rain briefly a couple of times.
About 4pm I headed east on hwy 26 from the Vantage area. Mission: to see
Sandhill Cranes. At 4:40 I was starting to look and listen for them near
Dodson Rd and hwy 26 (East of Royal City). Nothing. The breeze would make
it hard to hear them in the distance. I jogged north on Dodson Rd, and then
north on SR 262, the road to Potholes Nat'l. Wildlife Area. No birds. I
headed a little farther east on 26 and turned south on Corfu Rd to Lower
Crab Creek Road. On Crab Creek road I drove the dirt road east to where it
comes into hwy 26. It was almost dark.
I was defeated. The field trip was going to be a disaster.
As I headed west to go home at 6pm, there they were, a little west of Corfu
Rd! Several hundred beutiful cranes flew over hwy 26, coming from the
north. As I drove west the birds could be heard, but I couldn't see them
very well. They were flying toward lower Crab Creek which is south of hwy
26.
So here is my question. Has anyone seen some fields where these birds are
feeding? I'd like to take the field trip people to an area where we could
see the birds feeding (and dancing?) in good light in the afternoon, before
they fly south to Crab Creek to roost for the night. Any information would
be most appreciated. When I first saw the birds flying over the hwy, I was
near Division St, but it doesn't look like that road cuts through to the
north. I guess it would help to know if there are any corn stubble fields
up in that area north of hwy 26.
Thanks so much for any information I can get about these birds and where we
can see them.
Yours, Carol Schulz
DesMoines, WA
linusq at att.net