It doesn't take long for the Sandhill Crane to buildup the river roosting areas. The sky is just full of the cranes and they just start landing and soon the river is covered with Sandhill Cranes. This photo was taken just three minutes after the photo of the three cranes landing was taken.

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It was cold and very overcast the day I went to see the Sandhill Crane migration at Rowe Sanctuary and as such photos very dark so I played. This was the first landing of the evening, only 500,000 more to come. As they land it reminds me of ski jumpers as they land at the bottom of the jump. The sounds and sights of the cold evening were amazing.

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Seeing the Sandhill Crane migration is amazing. This is the first landing of the evening and right behind these three were another half a million getting ready to do the same.

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Trying to sneak up on a group of Sandhill Cranes in a field some of them spooked and took flight. As you drive the back roads along the Platte River it is their voice you hear before you can spot them in the fields. They are a loud bunch which helps to locate them since Nebraska is so flat. A great way to see this is to visit via http://rowe.audubon.org/birds/crane-cam and watch them come to the river in the evening.

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One of the great things about Nebraska is the Sandhill Crane migration to the Platte River. The cranes spend their day in the fields feeding and then flock to the sandbars in the Platte River to spend the night. At dawn they take to the fields again or head on up north for their summer season. Last year I witnessed them flocking to the river and this year I wanted to catch them during the day.

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After a few hours of waiting the Sandhill Cranes started roosting close to the blind. By then it had gotten pretty dark out so with the exception of the yard light, it pretty much looks like a black and white photo. To hear these birds is something else.

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One of the last shots of the evening at Rowe Sanctuary. Some of the cranes took to the air to fly upstream and thereby flying right past the blind.

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While waiting on the Sandhill Cranes to come in, one just has to take advantage of capturing the sunset at on the Platte River. A flat wide river and being at the edge of the water really gives a different picture. I have seen a lot of sunsets during my time but this view was very different from the ones I usually see.

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After watching the Snow Geese migration, I got to watch the Sandhill Crane migration at Rowe Sanctuary. The day started sunny but on the way west it became overcast and a little chilly. On the way out a snow squall was encountered as well as corn fields filled with Sandhill Cranes. The Cranes come back to the Platte River at sun down so with an overcast sky it was pretty dark by the time they started arriving. But it was something! The noise they made was something else. One of the guides told everyone to put their hands behind their ears to hear better. I can't believe how much that little gesture increased the sound volume. I will be going back! If we take care of this world, there are wonders to be encountered!

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To watch the migration, http://www.ustream.tv/channel/rowe-sanctuary-s-crane-cam , best watching is sunset, central time zone, USA.