Before dawn is the best time to find the maximum number of cranes on the Platte river. At various points along an 80 mile stretch starting around Grand Island and going westward, there are places where you’d think you could never fit another bird in…these are popular hangouts with numerous shallow water sandbars. It’s a remarkable place to be nearly every morning in the early spring. Turn up the volume a bit on the video, and you’ll see, and hear, the reason why.