Alan sent me this query and hopefully some folks familiar with the status of
cranes in the Snoqualmie Valley folks can reply with any info they know on
this topic and I will pass it on to Alan.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!

Andy Stepniewski
Wapato WA
steppie at nwinfo.net


Say, I just returned [12/08] from a morning out and about in the Snoqualmie
Valley here...and just north of Fall City I got the treat of viewing a
single Sandhill Crane for almost 45 minutes as it wandered here and there in
one field eating. It was such a great sighting and a very first crane
sighting for me here locally!

Thus I have to ask you if you know details on just how common of a sighting
this might be around here. I only have viewed them in Eastern Washington (of
course around Othello and the Columbia NWR). I also remember vividly viewing
them on our farm in the central Willamette Valley of Oregon when growing
up...just 1-4 at a time in a fall wheat field that wasn't plowed up yet,
etc... So they obviously exist on the west side. I just hoped to learn more
on how regularly they are around here.

Thanks for what info you can provide. The lighting was very nice on this
critter as well for me.

Hope we chat again soon--
Alan Bauer