It was a good, relatively normal spring this year on the Platte river. There were a few wet spells, but nothing to make the river too high for the cranes to roost. According to the Crane Trust, the arrival of the cranes started off a bit slower, or slightly later than normal, most likely due to weather conditions in Nebraska in late February. But the numbers climbed quickly and by the third and fourth week in March the numbers were peaking, which is more the norm. By the 22nd of March, around the time this image was taken, the counts were over 500,000 cranes. By April 5th, those numbers had dropped to an estimated 35,000. Which means there’s nothing like favorable winds and weather to keep a bird moving North.
