[birdky] RPT: An afternoon with the cranes in western Hardin County :o)

["Palmer-Ball, Brainard \(EPPC OOS KNPC\)" <Brainard.Palmer-Ball@xxxxxx>]

Some 5-10 years ago, a decent number of Sandhill Cranes spent several weeks in 
western Hardin County near the town of Cecilia. I have heard that the birds 
have been back at least somewhat regularly, and with so many birds wintering 
this year in the White River bottoms near Ewing in southern Indiana, I inquired 
about their presence in western Hardin County with Lucia Beeler a couple of 
weeks ago. Lucia, who is a volunteer steward for KSNPC's Vernon-Douglas State 
Nature Preserve east of E'town, lives out near Cecilia and has been the main 
source of information on the birds in the past. About a week ago, Lucia called 
and told me that she had been hearing quite a few but wasn't sure exactly where 
they were hanging out. This afternoon, I finally got a chance to get out that 
way to look around for them. Little did I realize that (at least today) they 
would be so easy to find. As I headed out west of Cecilia on KY 86, a mass of 
small groups milling about down the highway marked the epicenter of their 
activity. In about an hour and a half, I located fields containing 625, 500+, 
250, 1600, and 625 for a minimum count of 3600 birds in about two square miles!
 
Most of the birds were within a half-mile of KY 86, on both the north and south 
sides, just before and just after the KY 86 Volunteer Fire Station, on the 
north side of KY 86 a couple of miles out west of Cecilia. KY 86 goes north off 
of US 62, several miles west of Elizabethtown. This is on page 48 of the KY 
Gazetteer. All of the birds were seen before Frankling Crossroads, but small 
numbers were also heading southwest during the afternoon to a feeding area down 
near Stephensburg off KY 1375.
 
What I had figured would be an exploratory trip turned into my most wonderful 
Kentucky Sandhill Crane experience ever. I just couldn't pry myself away and 
stayed in the area until nearly sunset. Flocks of birds were constantly coming 
and going, with the bugling sound of their calls closeby all afternoon. Late in 
the day, a number of flocks (at least 1500 birds in all) began flying south 
towards Stephensburg; I am not sure if they were heading farther south or just 
deciding that with the cold weather they needed to find a great field for food 
before dark. I guess we'll see if they hang around in these numbers in the 
coming weeks. There was one low wet spot before the Fire Station on the north 
side of KY 86 that appeared to be a possible night-time roosting site. I'm not 
sure if they will hang around if all their water freezes ? ? ?
 
Being close to more cranes than ever before, I had an opportunity to observe 
several interesting things about them that you typically don't get to 
experience in flocks flying overhead. I confirmed for my own sake that they DO 
fly with their legs folded up under their body; MANY birds were using this 
tactic to avoid the frigid winds, holding their legs hidden under their body 
until just before they touched down. Some folded one leg up but left the other 
dangling behind. I also had never seen them lying down before, but a number 
were doing so in loafing groups. I also had never seen them flip sideways back 
and forth in the stiff breeze as they dropped in for landing as Canada Geese so 
often do. As always, the parachuting stance of landing birds was wonderful to 
watch, especially on the birds with tucked legs. Also, I had forgotten how they 
leeeaaaannn warily into the wind right before taking off.
 
While chatting with one of the local farmers, I learned that at least some 
birds have been in the vicinity for about three weeks and that there had been a 
pair of Whooping Cranes with them sometime in the past couple of weeks.
 
The Ewing Bottoms site in Indiana is a great place for viewing, but I would 
encourage anyone close to the E'town area to visit the Cecilia birds as well. I 
only hope they are as accommodating for others as they were for me today.
 
bpb, Frankfort

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[birdky] RPT: An afternoon with the cranes in western Hardin County :o)