Vacation!

[dcross]

A buddy and I are non-planning a road trip from here(East WI) to NE to check out the cranes in late March.

Now taking suggestions for adventures along the way. Thanks!

[phil c]

Check out Desoto Bend refuge on the Ia Ne border. Cool place to get some river history and they have a museum there of an old river boat that wrecked and was salvaged. Lots of wildlife as well, they probably get ome cranes too. Also check out the Loess hills area pretty cool formations.

[JohnK and Sheri]

If the weather cooperates and the bees get back early you could stop and help us make splits.:thumbsup:
Oh, you wanted crane related? If you wait til the middle of April you can go on the annual sandhill crane count with me. Nothing quite like getting up at 4:30am to go driving around with the windows open in freezing temps. They tell us to keep our eyes open for whoopers too but haven't seen a one so far.
We have sandhills that nest in the wetlands behind our house. We see them almost every day and I saw them dance in the back field once which was a treat. I think they are awesome but there are some farmers that shoot them if they think they can get away with it.
Sheri

[dcross]

I just can't believe I'm driving to NE to see swamp ostriches:) Turned the corner around the sweet corn patch two years ago and startled a trio into flight, almost had a heart attack. Hearing rumors of homebrew poisons for them:( I hope my onions are in the ground before we leave...

[dcross]

Oh, you wanted crane related?

No relation to cranes necessary! Anything to make the trip interesting! This spring I'm preeeeetty well booked for work, my dad just had hernia surgery and I'm helping to pick up the slack on the farm. Got to climb a silo three times yesterday. In sneakers with no tread left on them. And I left my hooded sweatshirt at the other farm, ahhhh, chaff!

[Sundance]

If you pass through the Decorah formations in Iowa
you can get some pretty cool Ordovician fossils.
Easy to come by.

And NE has the Ashfall fossil beds. (http://ashfall.unl.edu/)

[Bob Nelson]

DeSoto Bend is a great recommendation. There can be large concentrations of ducks and geese, or not. Usually no cranes. If no birds the steamboat exhibit is fascinating. Located between Missouri Valley, IA and Blair, NE on IA side.

Mid to late March the cranes are in Nebraska south of the Platte River (I80) from Grand Island west to Kearney. The vast majority of all sandhills concentrated in this small area. You will not be disappointed.

Though rare and a long shot, there have been some whooper sighting in the last month.

http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/wildlife/guides/migration/migration.asp

http://www.rowesanctuary.org/

[dcross]

Yep, Rowe Sanctuary is where we're headed, the end of this month.

[Bob Nelson]

Was in Columbus, NE yesterday. There was a large (10,000's) concentration of snow geese just north of there all day. They were just east of Highway 81 and around Lake North a couple miles to the east. No telling how long they will stay but sometimes do for a time.

[Da Yooper]

Last week when it got warm out the pair of sandhill cranes that have been in the field on the corner for the past 2 or 3 did a fly by. I don't know if they leave for the winter or not. But they are incredible birds. Very large and when they fly overhead it is neat how you can hear how much air they are moving with their wings. And their call is loud and unique.

Last year, for the first time, they had young. They were very cute "little" fury things that didn't take long to grow. After a while they went down to two young. That was a night after we heard the coyotes howling. I guess they have to eat too.

Have a wonderful trip.

Fred

[dcross]

Last year, for the first time, they had young. They were very cute "little" fury things that didn't take long to grow.

Supposedly one of the fastest growing organisms on the planet, especially in the Arctic with the long days. In "The Echo Maker" it was claimed that one or two usually starve to death because the more aggressive one or two eat everything in sight, or something like that.

Sundance, the Decorah formations, I assume they're in the NE part of Iowa? Just drive around and look for an outcropping at the roadside? I had come across a site for a state park that had a quarry, have to find that again...

[dcross]

The cranes put on a heck of a show Fri. morning, two major fly ups, the second one due to an eagle cruising overhead. Rowe's blinds put us right by them, decided to skip the fossil digging in Rockford IA due to the weather. Wish we would have left a couple of hours earlier, from Platteville to Fond du Lac the driving was pretty white knuckle:(

Also wish I would have been a little less aggressive for at least a few miles in NE as I'm now sending them a $200 stimulus package:(

Good times!