Haehnle Sanctuary Crane Count 11/11/2024

By Don Henise

Our string of balmy Monday evening weather came to a halt this week. Although it was still warmer than normal, the wind was blowing strong from the west-southwest, sometimes gusting to more than 30 mph, making it feel quite cold. We were all trying to huddle in front of the observation hill kiosk to get some shelter from the wind. The number of Sandhill Cranes dropped off this week with only 541 staying to roost in the marsh with another 600+ flying by heading to other areas for the night.

Don Henise

With the high winds, very few songbirds were active, so we only managed to record a total of 25 bird species. A Golden Eagle spotted in the distance to the north was the highlight of the evening for the few of us able to see it. Bald Eagles were present throughout the afternoon and evening with 7 being visible at one time across the horizon.

See the link below for the complete eBird checklist for the count.

Total Cranes Roosting: 541

Counters: Ross Green, Robyn Henise, Steve Jerant, Gary Siegrist, Don Henise

Compiled by: Don Henise

Complete eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S202223412

(Steve Jerant)