Greetings All:
Rich Kostecke located one of the Common Cranes at about 8:30 this morning.
It was with a group of roughly 5000 Sandhill Cranes foraging in a field to
the east of CR 555 and south of CR 490. There is one other large group of
Sandhill Cranes in the area - located in the fields west of CR 555 and
north of FM 1076. It is just as cold this morning as it was yesterday but
the winds are not as bad, making for better viewing. There is enough
terrain in the area that thousands of cranes (including the other 1-2
Common Cranes) might well be out there, foraging in an unviewable
depression.
The key is to find the largest groups of cranes, track the comings and
going - and roll with the fact that they could be foraging just about
anywhere within a rectangle formed by CR 515 to the west, CR 550 to the
north, HIghway 168 to the east, and FM 1076 to the south. They also tend
to disappear in the direction of completely off limits Mound Lake at about
11:30.
Do not drive on any unsigned roads. If it is not signed it is a crop road,
maintained by a local farmer to provide access to crops and irrigation
equipment, and it is completely off limits. Terry County deputies are very
responsive to request from local farmers to deal with
trespassers.
Be patient - there are lots of raptors and Coyotes about and they shift the
cranes around enough that any unviewable flock will, in time, become
viewable. The more time you spend looking for the Common Crane(s), in
fact; the more time you get to enjoy the antics of the Sandhill Cranes
(some have begun dancing a little bit) and the ever-attendant Coyotes.
Anthony 'Fat Tony' Hewetson, Lubbock
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