Sandhill Cranes in Kearney Nebraska

In mid-March we took a spur of the moment trip up to Kearney Nebraska to view the migrating Sandhill Cranes.

The migration season lasts about 6 weeks and we were there a little bit before the peak.

Put another way, around 400,000 of the eventual 600,000 cranes were in the area when we were visiting.

Kearney is a nice town with a campus of the University of Nebraska and good food and lodging choices.

And, small world that it is, the person who checked us in to the hotel used to live in Lindsborg!

The best viewing is south and east of town, along the Platte River. There are maps to guide the way and plenty of spots to stop and view these magnificent creatures.

Highly recommended!!

In addition to the photos below, I created a short video showing the cranes flying over at sunset. Watch with the sound on to hear how loud they are!

Sandhill Cranes in flight
Sandhill Cranes in flight
Sandhill Cranes in a field
Sandhill Cranes in a field
Sandhill Cranes in Flight
Sandhill Cranes in Flight
Sunset over the Platte River
Sunset over the Platte River
Sandhill Cranes at sunset
Sandhill Cranes at sunset
Sunset over the Platte River
Sunset over the Platte River
Sandhill Cranes gathering at dusk
Sandhill Cranes gathering at dusk