A Worthwhile Road Trip to See Sandhill Cranes
words and photos by Shelley Weinberg
Being relatively new to birding, I was unaware of the phenomenon of Sandhill Cranes collecting in massive flocks (also known as sedges) in Indiana as they make their way south for the winter. An article in the fall issue of the Audubon newsletter alerted me to the fact that one of the best viewing sites for Sandhill Cranes during migration is at the Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area, only a short drive away from Chicago. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources oversees these cranes and publishes a helpful count of the number of cranes at Jasper-Pulaski each week during migration. You can even sign up on this page to be alerted every time a new count is posted. The November 28 alert showed 32,938 cranes, so the weekend of December 2 seemed like an opportune time to head out and see the cranes for myself. On Saturday, with very little traffic, the drive to the site took only 90 minutes from the near-north side of Chicago. The site is in a pretty rural area, with nothing nearby, so bring snacks and water (and dress warmly) and be prepared to hang out for a while. The Indiana DNR web page also has a link to a helpful map showing where the crane observation area is, as well as the locations of parking and restrooms.
The best viewing times are around an hour before sunset and just before sunrise. We arrived around 2 p.m. CST and spotted small groups of Sandhill Cranes visible from the parking area. (Note that all times I use are CST, but the viewing area borders two counties, and your phone will switch to EST.) We watched the cranes for a few minutes and then made the short walk to the observation tower. There were only a few people up there at the time, but it certainly filled up over the next two hours. Our arrival was a bit early, but it guaranteed a prime viewing spot. Late arrivals could not get near the edge of the platform, and people were lined up all along the fences below the platform as well. At this time, there were a few cranes close to the observation tower, but shortly all the close-up cranes moved to the farthest edge of the field. By 3 p.m. more cranes began to arrive in both small and large flocks. At times, you would see hundreds of cranes circling over the field.
Eventually, the back area of the field started to fill in and the arriving cranes moved closer to the tower. As we watched, more and more cranes began arriving. Sometimes they were in formation and sometimes in a straight line. Over time it became easy to see that there could very well be over 30,000 Sandhill Cranes there. And there were also two small groups of deer. At one point, something spooked the deer and the cranes. The deer ran and the sky was suddenly full of what must have been 10,000 cranes. It was quite a visual spectacle, and a noisy one. At 4 p.m. when we left, there were cranes everywhere, and they were continuing to arrive. If it had been a brighter day, we would have waited for sunset, but it was already getting dark by that time. As we drove away, we kept seeing sedges of incoming cranes. All in all, an amazing experience, and worth the drive. Although the cloudy day was not good for photographs, the overcast sky in no way minimized the spectacle.
It is possible there is still some good crane viewing left this season, and if the reported numbers continue to look good, I highly recommend taking a ride.