Sandhill Cranes near Alta Vista - Page 1

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Sandhill Cranes near Alta Vista

Posted: 8/6/2017 9:36:35 PM EDT

Stumbled onto these on my way home from work tonight. Funny how location makes a difference. Here, among birders, someone sees a sandhill and it's a big deal. Some southern states they're a gamebird and said to be delicious.
Near intersection of 140th ST(Colwell blacktop) and Fayette Ave. Hoping they stick around.

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Posted: 8/7/2017 9:40:54 AM EDT

[#1]

Ribeye in the sky. Nice pic!

Posted: 8/10/2017 10:44:38 PM EDT

[#2]

Cool pic Shack. Thanks for posting it.

Posted: 8/10/2017 11:09:20 PM EDT

[#3]

I've heard them while hunting out by Chichaqua and love their calls, but they've never come in close enough to give me a good look and I've never looked them up once I got home. Thanks for the picture!

Posted: 8/10/2017 11:55:40 PM EDT

[#4]

Quote History

Quoted:
I've heard them while hunting out by Chichaqua and love their calls, but they've never come in close enough to give me a good look and I've never looked them up once I got home. Thanks for the picture!

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I had a pair get in the way when I was duck hunting at Cardinal Marsh last year-near-constant flybys made trying to shoot ducks interesting. They were fun to watch but cost me a few teals too.

ETA-a lady on a birding forum I'm a member of has photos of whooping cranes she saw several years ago near Lansing-now THAT would be worth a trip to see!

Posted: 8/11/2017 1:23:09 PM EDT

[#5]

I was working on Colorado in January of last year and the picked cornfield across the road had near 10,000 of them squawking away. That many made a hell of a racket from half a mile away.

Posted: 8/11/2017 9:07:20 PM EDT

[#6]

Quote History

Quoted:
I was working on Colorado in January of last year and the picked cornfield across the road had near 10,000 of them squawking away. That many made a hell of a racket from half a mile away.

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Hoping to make it to Nebraska next spring to see the migration-10 or 15 of them make a lot of noise, I can't imagine thousands.

Posted: 8/14/2017 8:23:00 PM EDT

[#7]

Hey shack I thought I saw one of these today around East of Newell on 180th looked similar

Posted: 8/14/2017 10:24:51 PM EDT

[#8]

Quote History

Quoted:
Hey shack I thought I saw one of these today around East of Newell on 180th looked similar

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Thanks for the tip, it's definitely possible-maybe even likely. They've gotten pretty common in the area the last 3 years, and this year is the best Ive seen.

Saw this pair again the other night, pulled off onto the gravel road and sat in the ditch-watched for close to half an hour. Farmer came out to run an errand, saw me and stopped to see what I was doing. We talked and turns out these birds have been there all summer, I drive by almost every day and missed them until now.

ETA-found this sharp-shinned hawk Saturday morning in a tree overlooking the Colwell bar. Common hawk but the first one I've gotten pictures of.

Posted: 9/11/2017 4:05:43 AM EDT

[#9]

I haven't visited the Iowa section in a while so sorry I'm late to the party.

I think I've seen one of these going toward AV on Gilmore Ave. Between 155th and 140th St. The first thing I thought was "sandhill crane??"

Every once in a while we have Great Blue Herons that fly over our property going to the nearby creek. We were at Lylah's Marsh last month north of Elma and saw about 10 of them. I've never seen that many together in one spot, even though I've read they congregate en masse.

Posted: 9/12/2017 5:08:48 PM EDT

[#10]

Quote History

Quoted:
I haven't visited the Iowa section in a while so sorry I'm late to the party.

I think I've seen one of these going toward AV on Gilmore Ave. Between 155th and 140th St. The first thing I thought was "sandhill crane??"

Every once in a while we have Great Blue Herons that fly over our property going to the nearby creek. We were at Lylah's Marsh last month north of Elma and saw about 10 of them. I've never seen that many together in one spot, even though I've read they congregate en masse.

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Might be one of the same birds, but it's been a good year for them.

In the last couple weeks I've found out we have a nest of barn owls in AV too. Contacted DNR knowing they're listed as state endangered-turns out it's the first nest reported in the county since they started keeping records of them in 1960, and there have only been 25 barn owl nests reported in the state this year(but that's up from 17 last year). No pics though, haven't found where they sleep in the day and don't have night photo gear.

Posted: 9/12/2017 6:26:37 PM EDT

[#11]

Very cool. My wife has family that lives on hwy 18 near the Wapsi and they've seen some rare stuff too but I can't remember what they were right now.

Posted: 9/12/2017 10:25:22 PM EDT

[#12]

Quote History

Quoted:
Very cool. My wife has family that lives on hwy 18 near the Wapsi and they've seen some rare stuff too but I can't remember what they were right now.

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This corner of the state is very good for snowy owls in the peak of the winter, maybe they've seen some of them? I usually find them by Saratoga, but have heard of them seen near Lylah's Marsh and near your wife's family's house-I've probably driven by many times if that's where they live.

Posted: 9/14/2017 11:02:02 AM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:
I had a pair get in the way when I was duck hunting at Cardinal Marsh last year-near-constant flybys made trying to shoot ducks interesting. They were fun to watch but cost me a few teals too.

ETA-a lady on a birding forum I'm a member of has photos of whooping cranes she saw several years ago near Lansing-now THAT would be worth a trip to see!

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
I've heard them while hunting out by Chichaqua and love their calls, but they've never come in close enough to give me a good look and I've never looked them up once I got home. Thanks for the picture!

I had a pair get in the way when I was duck hunting at Cardinal Marsh last year-near-constant flybys made trying to shoot ducks interesting. They were fun to watch but cost me a few teals too.

ETA-a lady on a birding forum I'm a member of has photos of whooping cranes she saw several years ago near Lansing-now THAT would be worth a trip to see!

They have been nesting near New Albin for some time now. Thats north of Lansing, there is a huge marsh there. As a FWS employee we never did locate the nest but we did see the Colts in 2003-or 04

Posted: 9/14/2017 8:15:32 PM EDT

[#14]

Quote History

Quoted:
They have been nesting near New Albin for some time now. Thats north of Lansing, there is a huge marsh there. As a FWS employee we never did locate the nest but we did see the Colts in 2003-or 04

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Have never seen a nest myself, but there has been a pair on the NE edge of Mason City the past two years, with colts both years. I think I saw this year's young the day or day after they hatched-they were tiny. Can't get photos of them though, 300-400 yards from the road, on posted land and I don't know who the owner is to ask. All that means is they're better protected though.

They've definitely had a few good years though, I see more every season.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Sandhill Cranes near Alta Vista

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