Sandhill Cranes going north

[IndyGal65]

We saw probably 100 or so yesterday flying over Speedway, close to the track, around 4:00 in the afternoon. Sounded great and flying so high in the sky!

 

[jgressley2003]

We saw some as we was riding on the Nickel Plate trail around Denver on Saturday.

 

[MCgrease08]

We laid my wife's mother to rest yesterday after her battle with cancer. It was a nice moment when we heard the cranes as we arrived at the cemetary for the burial.

 

[Bill B]

Saw some today over Hammond. I heard some yesterday too, but didn't have my glasses on and couldn't see them.

 

[K_W]

Saw about 50 of them circling then forming up V's over I-65 and Southport today.

 

[FCS-04]

I wish we had hunting numbers here, they sure are delicious.

 

[trucker777]

We saw /heard them in Westville and LaPorte yesterday.

 

[tmschuller]

They should change the name a little : DUI crane with no sense of direction.. I watch several flocks go over and split fly in a circle and then head straight and do it again.. maybe A.D.D. crane or I did not ask for directions and cant make my mind up bird??

 

[hoosierdaddy1976]

I wish we had hunting numbers here, they sure are delicious.

We have plenty of them, but the smattering of whooping cranes mixed in will keep them from ever being hunted.

 

[KMaC]

They should change the name a little : DUI crane with no sense of direction.. I watch several flocks go over and split fly in a circle and then head straight and do it again.. maybe A.D.D. crane or I did not ask for directions and cant make my mind up bird??

I've seen the flock circle for a few minutes then head NW leaving one or a few behind to circle. After a few minutes another flock shows up and the stragglers join up with the new flock. Does anyone know whether they are actually leaving guides behind to show the next flock which way to go?

 

[Butch627]

They used to fly directly over my house, sadly for the last few years they always to be several miles South. so far away that I usually can barely see them. They never seem to just fly past the flock always seems to be in a constant state of being reformed. Here they are always flying almost straight West and a little North possibly to avoid Lake Michigan.

 

[MCINDIANA]

Saw and heard several flocks of them on Sunday morning in Michigan City.

 

[Michigan Slim]

They should change the name a little : DUI crane with no sense of direction.. I watch several flocks go over and split fly in a circle and then head straight and do it again.. maybe A.D.D. crane or I did not ask for directions and cant make my mind up bird??

Catching thermals. They can move hundreds of miles at a time that way. Highest flying bird in the US. 30,000 feet and got hit by an airliner.

 

[goldtrigger]

Some flew overhead of me here in Martinsville a few days ago. Coolest thing to see!

 

[rugertoter]

Just heard my first groups of Sandhills going back north for the season. I live in N.W. Johnso County.

Sure seems early for this to be happening.

 

[shooter521]

Sure seems early for this to be happening.

Peak Sandhill migration has been occurring earlier and earlier over the past several years. A decade ago, it was around the first week of March; this year, it was the first week of February! What we're seeing now is kind of a secondary peak, as birds that had been wintering farther south begin to move north. I had about 400 birds pass over my neighborhood yesterday. There are still decent numbers staging at Goose Pond and other places, but they won't be around much longer if the warm weather and southerly winds keep up.