We had an estimated total of 1200 cranes seen. We counted 617 roosting in the marsh. We saw a lot of cranes to the north going down left of the barn. Ron Hoffman and Don Siegrist were counting over there tonight. It will be interesting to hear what numbers they ended up with. Ron did call early on to tell us that they had the Whooping Crane fly out going north from their sight.

We had lots of cranes fly into Haehnle from overhead to the delight of all the visitors. The Northern Shrike made a couple of appearances. The marsh really lit up as the sun went down and we were blessed a gorgeous rainbow.

Don’s eBird checklist is available at:  https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S49383486

Crane counters:   Don Henise & Robyn Henise
Compiler:  Don Henise
Submitted by Don Henise

Crane Count:  617 (1200 observed flying in area)
Species count:  36

200       Canada Goose Branta canadensis

60         Wood Duck Aix sponsa

3          Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata

10         Gadwall Mareca strepera

5          American Wigeon Mareca americana

200       Mallard Anas platyrhynchos

12         American Black Duck Anas rubripes

3          Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris

3          American Coot Fulica americana

1200     Sandhill Crane Antigone canadensis

617 roosting in Mud Lake Marsh

7          Great Egret Ardea alba

3          Northern Harrier Circus hudsonius

2          Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus

1          Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis

1          Red-bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus

3          Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) Colaptes auratus auratus/luteus

1          Northern Shrike Lanius borealis

35         Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata

7          American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos

2          Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus

3          Tufted Titmouse Baeolophus bicolor

1          White-breasted Nuthatch Sitta carolinensis

7          Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis

20         American Robin Turdus migratorius

17         Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum

4          House Finch Haemorhous mexicanus

2          Purple Finch Haemorhous purpureus

3          American Goldfinch Spinus tristis

4          American Tree Sparrow Spizelloides arborea

1          White-crowned Sparrow (leucophrys) Zonotrichia leucophrys leucophrys

4          Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia

1          Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgiana

2000     Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus

8          Rusty Blackbird Euphagus carolinus

100       Common Grackle Quiscalus quiscula

1000     blackbird sp. Icteridae sp.

1          Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis

You can view past postings and historical crane counting data at http://www.haehnlesanctuary.org/crane-count 

11/05/2018 Correction:  12004 seen in area corrected to 1200.