The sandhill cranes of the North American central flyway are making their way south from their nesting grounds in Canada, Alaska and Russia this time of year. They will pass through Nebraska but usually don't spend much time here unless the weather dictates. They are headed south to the wintering grounds in Texas, Mexico, New Mexico and other places where they will stay until the urge to migrate north hits in February or March 2011.
We get a lot of questions about viewing the cranes in the fall, but it's much more difficult to find them in the fall.
(See this article that Dan wrote last week) Sandhill cranes are here, and do use the Platte River and surrounding areas, but they don't spend the extended time like they do for the spring portion of their yearly migration cycle.
hit the jump to read on