See Sandhill Crane Migration

From March 8 to April 6 a camera placed on an island within Audubon's Rowe Sanctuary on the Platte River will provide outstanding views of Sandhill Cranes in the shallow water of the Platte. The best time to watch the cranes on the CraneCam is early morning, starting from first light to well after sunrise, and late afternoon until dark. During the day, the cranes are feeding in local farm fields: they return to the river to spend the night on submerged sandbars in the river, where they are secure from predators. The setting has been described as "the world's largest singles bar for cranes."

"The cranes just keep coming. It is an amazing sight to see and hear, and it's available for everyone," said Brad Mellema, Director of the Iain Nicolson Audubon Center at Rowe Sanctuary.

From March 14-16, Audubon's Rowe Sanctuary will offer daily field trips, lectures by expert birders, workshops for photography buffs, and even a session on "Hearing Birdsong with Both Your Eyes and Ears" by Donald Kroodsma from the University of Massachusetts. George Archibald, founder of the International Crane Foundation, will speak on Saturday, March 15. Artist Robert Bateman will lecture Friday evening, March 14. For a full schedule the annual Rivers & Wildlife Celebration of Conference Activities, see www.nebraska.audubon.org/RWC.htm

The cranes usually stay in the area until early April. To plan a visit to see the cranes in person www.rowesanctuary.org

To read more about cranes and this Nebraska habitat http://magazine.audubon.org/features0503/cranes.html