While doing some fly fishing at some of the Desert Wildlife Area
lakes on Thursday I saw my first of the year Sandhill Cranes. While hiking
north mid-morning from parking area H4 to the lakes (Harris, Tern, Sedge &
Dune), I heard more Sandhill Cranes than I saw, only spotting a couple here
and there. But, after sunset while hiking back to the car, I saw a flock of
about 100 cranes flying and silhouetted against the sunset sky, and later as
it got pretty dark a small flock of 20 cranes flew low overhead, so low that
I could hear the air whistling through their wing feathers. Very cool!
They must not have been able to see me in the darkness. I love hearing the
guttural calls of the Sandhill Cranes as it really marks the seasons for me
as the cranes migrate through our state.



Good birding!



Rex Takasugi

Kent, WA

RexTak at msn.com