Sandhill Cranes

In Leopold’s Eulogy of the Marsh, he lamented on what looked to be the loss of the sandhill crane.  Since 1948 when A Sand County Almanac came out, we have seen a dramatic rise of these inspirational creatures.  I miss hearing their bugel early in the morning from the Wisconsin prairies.  Well, slowly they are starting to get a leg hold in NYS.  For the past few years sandhill cranes have nested in Waddington and Tupper Lake New York.  There has been a perennial pair in the Montezuma Wildlife Refuge in western NYS for years, but they are finally moving our way.

 

On the 29th of November, I made a run 18 miles north of my house to view a flock of 32 on the Lac-Franaois  Wildlife Refuge just north of the border in Dundee, Quebec.  I must say it is awesome the sounds of crane bugles echoing around the north country.