We certainly weren't the only lunatics with the idea of braving one of the first really cold mornings of the season. Birdwatchers, photographers, and nature lovers alike flock to J-P annually to witness this event, and sometimes I can't help but wonder if the cranes are there to watch the people.
Just like every other November, the Sandhill Cranes did not disappoint. Each fall (and to a lesser extent in the spring), thousands of Greater Sandhill Cranes flock to the area surrounding Jasper-Pulaski during their migration from Canada, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and northern Indiana nesting grounds to their warmer wintering grounds in southern Georgia and Florida. During their stopover, they spend their days feeding mostly on grains and insects in agricultural fields, and their nights roosting in marshes, but the real spectacle is to see them congregate and socialize in Goose Pasture. When we were at J-P, their numbers totaled approximately 13,000. As of November 30, 2010, just two days later, almost 17,000 Sandhill Cranes were tallied. The highest number of Sandhill Cranes ever seen at J-P was in 1991, when 32,000 individuals were estimated.
Lindsay and I have visited J-P several times over the past ten years to see this event, but this trip was different. All of the other times we had made the hour drive to see the cranes, we had done so in the evening, just before sunset. Kip organized this trip for the opportunity to see the enormous, hungry flocks leaving for a day's worth of feeding.
It was definitely worth getting up early, making the long drive, and standing out in the cold!
As the cranes lifted off, their gutteral, rolling, trumpeting chorus blocked out nearly all other sound. As they made clumsy landing approaches with necks, wings, and legs extended, they reminded me of parachutist dropping to the ground.
It is difficult to get an idea of scale in these photographs, but if you've never seen a Sandhill Crane before, these are big birds. They stand approximately four feet tall and have a wingspan of six to seven feet.
As many times as I have been to Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area, I never tire of going back to see the cranes. If you are within a couple of hours of northwest Indiana and you have never been to J-P to see the Sandhill Cranes during migration, I recommend that you make the trip.
6 comments:
Our neighbor across the road has told me that he's heard them flying overhead here, but I have yet to hear it. I should probably find their call online so I know exactly what I should be hearing.
Love J-P. Fascinating and rare plants there, as well.
That's great, nice photos. I've seen flocks land at Crex Meadows in Wisconsin which is another good place to go if you live further west.
Isn't it so amazing how loud their trumpeting can get?
Hi Beth. You can hear the calls at this link... http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sandhill_Crane/sounds. You will often hear them high overheard, and it is difficult to actually find them because they are up so high. Their calls can be heard from miles away.
Janet,
I've driven through JP and done some roadside botanizing, but I've never made it a point to really botanize there. It's on my list. A coworker and I talked about camping there for several days and botanizing, but we haven't done it yet.
Thanks Heather. Yes, it is amazing how loud they are. It is also amazing how loud a chorus of Spring Peepers can be in the spring, especially given how small they are!
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