This past weekend, Boulder County Audubon Teen Naturalists travelled 3 1/2 hours northeast to the Nebraskan panhandle. Our group mentor, naturalist Steve Jones
—author of The Last Prairie: A Sandhill Journal and co-author of the Peterson Field Guides: The North American Prairie
—guided us around a place he's studied for the past twenty-five years. Also on our trip was the photographer and filmmaker, John Weller
—Check out his work on the Ross's Sea at johnbweller.com; it's amazing and relevant!
Our primary mission for this trip was to see cranes . . . lots of them, in fact. 15,000 to 20,000 Greater Sandhill Cranes stop over on the North Platte River near Lewellen, several miles upstream from Lake McConaughy. Additionally, thousands of ducks and geese also use the river and surrounding cropland to gather on their journey north in the spring. It was an amazing trip full of opportunities to photograph and record birds, hike through historically and biologically rich landscapes, and hang out with others interested in the natural world.
Prior to meeting up with the rest of the group in Nebraska, we stopped at Jumbo Reservoir in Northeastern Colorado. Wind was blasting our faces as white caps raced across the reservoir through immense numbers of waterfowl. The biggest spectacle was a massive flock of Snow Geese clustered tightly in the center of the reservoir. Suddenly, a Bald Eagle passed overhead and the geese began to lift and shift like specks in a freshly shaken snow globe only to resettle when danger had passed.
Once at Lewellen, a small, friendly town of 226 or so people, we wandered back roads and came across cranes lifting off from a nearby field and flying right over the top of us at fairly close range. The following photos are all Greater Sandhill Cranes.
by Renée Haip
by Marcel Such
by Joel Such
by Marcel Such
by Marcel Such
by Joel Such
We met up with the others at dusk on the south side of the Old Lewellen Bridge to have dinner and watch the cranes fly in and practice our hand at photographing in the fading light. Some of the images capturing a sense of motion turned out to be very interesting.
Northern Pintails - by Joel Such
Snow Geese - by Joel Such
Greater Sandhill Cranes - by Joel Such
Greater Sandhill Cranes - by Joel Such
Greater Sandhill Cranes and the Moon - by Renée Haip
We split up into two spots for camping; our group of four was stationed right along the river in ear shot of roosting cranes and the nearly ever present whistles of trains. The morning fly out was spectacular though a bit too dark and far to successfully photograph.
Sunrise - by Joel Such
Sunrise on the North Platte River - by Renée Haip
Cranes Flying Over in the Early Morning - by Joel Such
White-tailed Deer near the Old Lewellen Bridge
by Renée Haip
Our morning wanderings took us to the Ash Hollow Cemetery and Ash Hollow State Historical Park, a major stop along the Oregon Trail due to the fresh spring water found there. Distinct wagon wheel ruts were visible on a distant hillside and the cemetery includes one of the few marked graves along the trail. Scratched into local stone, we read that Rachel Pattison, recently wed, died of cholera at the age of 18 in 1849.
Ash Hollow State Historical Park - by Renée Haip
On our way back to Lewellen for a break at The Most Unlikely Place (coffee shop/art gallery/local town hangout), we drove by a grass fire. Though it may have begun as a controlled burn, it had definitely gone wild by the time we got there.
by Renée Haip
Our afternoon was marked by setting up camp in a more sheltered area, as temperatures were expected to begin dropping. Once that was accomplished, we had some free time to explore before heading back out to watch the evening fly-in once again.
The Crew (left to right) - Joel Such, Marcel Such, Levi Stone, Emi Roberts, Alex Posen, and Skye Lewis
A chance to rest . . . getting up early isn't Levi's forte.
by Renée Haip
This raccoon appeared to have been injured by a predator.
by Renée Haip
We were back at the Old Lewellen Bridge one last time for the evening fly-in, and the sunset and birds did not disappoint.
By Marcel Such
By Marcel Such
By Marcel Such
By Joel Such
By Joel Such
By Joel Such
By Joel Such
By Joel Such
Our final morning with the cranes was spent just downstream of the new Lewellen Bridge. It was bitter cold, and the windchill and humidity gave it an extra measure of bite.
Sunrise with the Cranes - By Joel Such
By Joel Such
This sound clip of Sandhill Cranes was recorded during the fly-out.
Waiting for Cranes to Fly - by Renée Haip
After the cranes roost on the river for the night, they disperse into surrounding agricultural fields to feed.
Snow Geese - by Marcel Such
Feeding Greater Sandhill Cranes - by Joel Such
