FreeLists / birdky / [birdky] RPT: Hardin County Sandhill Crane update

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

Amy and I took off from work this afternoon, hoping to see some cranes before 
the frigid weather pushes them out. On our way down the Bluegrass Parkway we 
encountered a bad omen in eastern Nelson County ... a flock of 12 cranes 
heading southwest. Out KY 86 west of Cecilia, we only saw a couple of dozen 
cranes feeding in small groups in the cornfields; we ran a loop down south 
towards White Mills and Glendale (south of the WKPkwy) but saw nothing but 
Turkey Vultures, a few Red-tails and Am Kestrels, and a couple of Northern 
Harriers. Later in the afternoon, we finally found about 250 cranes settling 
into a pond near the Stephensburg Lakes along KY 1375 at the RR track crossing; 
then as we were heading back towards Cecilia we encountered another 150 or so 
heading southwest from the KY 86 area between Franklin Crossroads and Ceclia. 
It was disappointing to see that they have left (at least for now), but 
watching the birds drop into the pond and drink at a couple of hundred yards in 
the afternoon sun was very neat. There were small numbers of Northern 
Shovelers, American Black Ducks and Gadwall with Mallards on the small amount 
of water still open.
 
It is hard to say which factor ... almost all the water being frozen or snow 
cover making food accessibility difficult ... is the most significant reason 
for their departure, but my guess is that they have retreated southward. Any 
crane used to spending winter in central Florida certainly must be thinking it 
should be farther south in the face of this weather!
 
bpb & alc, Frankfort