Sandhill Crane Connections |
| ShareTheRoad Productions' links to Sandhill Crane media (photo, video and audio), organizations & viewing location information On our site: Our Conservation Mission: Sandhill Crane inspired educational media as functional works of art. We are pleased to share a fantastic morning in the wetlands with you through our latest video production Pink Light Dawn, A morning with Sandhill Cranes. Watch and listen (really...try it with headphones) as the Cranes and their friends awaken to the pink light of an October dawn. Our first video epic, Day Of The Sandhill Cranes, is also available for viewing online. The film premiered at the Galt Winter Bird Festival 2009 (see below) and was awarded the El Capitan Award for Environmental Film at the 2009 Yosemite International Film Festival. The online version is considered a preview due to the much lower resolution of the web than is possible on DVD. The DVD is available to order. To compliment our new video we have produced an audio CD which brings the sounds of the wetlands to you without any music or narration. Just as classical Indian music has special ragas for the dawn and the dusk so do the Sandhill Cranes - Crane Ragas. Our video slideshow Tribute To The Glorious Sandhill Cranes (including field audio recording mp3) is available for viewing. Our Postcard From Modoc National Wildlife Refuge; Summer Home of California's Greater Sandhill Cranes video slideshow can be viewed (and soundtrack played) on line. Video Previews from the Greater Sandhill Crane's summer home at Modoc National Wildlife Refuge. Filmed in June, '09 Galleries of images of Sandhill Cranes are available for viewing. Selected and requested images are available for purchase as professional quality enlargements through our Virtual Store. Sandhill Crane Viewing Opportunities in California's Central Valley (maps): Save Our Sandhill Cranes free tours Free tours to view the Sandhill Cranes both at the Cosumnes River Preserve and at Staten Island where you will have a front row seat as (maybe) thousands of cranes fly through the orange sky of sunset to return to their evening roost site. Bring binos, warm clothes and cameras. Expect to stay about 30 minutes past sundown. This is a fantastic family outing! Watch the website for 2010-2011 Sandhill Crane Tour info. California Department of Fish and Game’s tours at the Isenberg Sandhill Crane Reserve The tour consists of viewing impressive cranes and other birds, hearing a presentation on sandhill cranes and their Reserve habitat, and seeing the fly- in of the cranes at a location that is only open during these special tours. These tours require a reservation and fill up quickly as the Cranes return. Go to the Crane Tour Schedule page for dates, times and registration. These tours are very popular and fill rapidly. Book ahead! Cosumnes River Preserve You may find roosting cranes in the Lost Slough area (across from the Visitor's Center) after sunset and for a few minutes after dawn (be considerate, don't disturb them). During the day you may find them along Desmond or Bruceville Roads feeding and loafing in the fields. See John Trochet's CRP birding site guide pdf, from the Central Valley Bird Club. Live CAM from CRP Visitor's Center parking lot due West. Webcam operates 7:00 am to 7:00 pm daily. Merced National Wildlife Refuge (Google Map) The refuge hosts up to 15,000 lesser sandhill cranes, the largest population in the Central Valley. Peak populations occur during November. A mixture of up to 100,000 geese (Ross', snow, white-fronted, and cackling Canada geese) use refuge marsh and croplands during November to March. Merced Refuge can be reached by driving 8 miles south of Merced on State Highway 59 and then 8 miles west on Sandy Mush Road. Sandhill Crane Viewing Opportunities outside of the California Central Valley Modoc National Wildlife Refuge This is the place to go in the late spring / early summer to view nesting Sandhill Cranes and their young. A gallery of photos as well as a video slideshow and video previews are available on our site. Sandhill Crane Viewing Opportunities Outside of California Iain Nicolson Audubon Center at Rowe Sanctuary - Nebraska Rowe Sanctuary offers guided trips to view the world's largest concentration of sandhill cranes from observation blinds on the banks of the Platte River in south central Nebraska. The trips are conducted every year during March and early April, when over 500,000 sandhill cranes along with hundreds of thousands of ducks and geese converge on the Platte. During the migration the CraneCam is active. A note about viewing cranes in Nebraska and a Spring Migration Guide are available. Kenai River Flats - Alaska Kenai National Wildlife Refuge "The best viewing of sandhill cranes is around the town of Kenai. Beginning in spring, many of these birds frequent the Kenai Flats at the mouth of the Kenai River where an abundance of food is available." - from the Alaska Outdoor Journal. Mississippi Sandhill Crane Wildlife Refuge The refuge, in Jackson County, provides protection and habitat for the endangered non-migratory Mississippi Sandhill Crane (the rarest bird in North America). Best viewing is in January and February. Organizations: Save Our Sandhill Cranes Save Our Sandhill Cranes (SOS Cranes) is a non-profit organization dedicated to maintaining open space habitat and the conservation of the California Central Valley's Sandhill crane populations through education, outreach, and community activism. Save Our Sandhill Cranes as guests on Capital Public Radio's Insight program 11/28/08. International Crane Foundation The International Crane Foundation (ICF) commits to a future where all crane species are secure - a future where people cooperate to protect and restore wild populations and their ecosystems. These efforts sustain the places where cranes live, to the benefit of countless other species. To ask a librarian a research question about cranes or to conduct a keyword search in the ICF crane literature database and receive a custom crane bibliography, click the librarian. ICF is the only place in the world where visitors can see all 15 species of cranes. Sacramento Audubon Society Sacramento Audubon partners with Save Our Sandhill Cranes on many of the Crane Tours. Together you have experienced birders who can point out many wetland species and dedicated "Craniacs" who can elaborate on the Cranes and their behaviors. Best of both worlds. Kachemak Bay (Homer,Alaska) Crane Watch Many wonder where the Cranes go when they leave the Central Valley in the spring. Many of the Lesser Sandhill Cranes migrate to Alaska to nest and breed. Crane Watch documents Crane migratory activity while seeking to protect very important northern habitat. You could easily spend an evening enjoying their web site and following the links. Festivals: Lodi Sandhill Crane Festival Long before Lodi existed, Sandhill cranes descended into the rich delta wetlands at the end of a long migratory journey, some from nesting grounds as far away as Siberia. As they greeted California’s earliest explorers, these magnificent birds, darkened the skies over winter marshes. In awe-inspiring numbers, and with a prehistoric call, stately gait, and elegant choreography, the Sandhill crane continues to attract and inspire visitors. Each year thousands of visitors make their way to Lodi area wildlife refuges and farmlands to experience first-hand one of nature’s spectacles. The abundance of crane habitat is what continues to nourish our agricultural roots, with water, soil, and climate that sustains the birds, enriches our lives, and benefits our local economy. For 12 years, Lodi’s Sandhill Crane Festival has celebrated the return of the cranes. In collaboration with the City of Lodi, the Festival continues this November, welcoming an ever-growing circle of friends to our community to share the wonder of the Sandhill crane ... and so much more. Mark your calendars: NOVEMBER 6-9, 2009. Galt Winter Bird Festival This annual event is geared toward advancing public awareness and conservation of regional wildlife. Sandhill Cranes, Canadian Geese, Tundra Swans, Pintails, and hundreds of other birds live in around Galt and other surrounding cities. Galt's Winter Bird Festival offers everyone a chance to spend time discovering and learning about the importance of these feathered creatures as well as the wetlands, agriculture and open space that is crucial to their survival. Sign up early for bus tours to see our cranes. JANUARY 30, 2010. Festival of the Cranes, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge 2009 will be the 22nd year the City of Socorro, New Mexico and the Bosque del Apache NWR celebrate the return of the cranes with this popular and acclaimed Festival. The festival offers dozens of offerings from refuge tours to bird, biology, geology and art workshops; fantastic keynote speakers; and much more. NOVEMBER 17-22, 2009. Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival Homer, Alaska is a great place to see cranes during the spring and summer. The Shorebird Festival which offers "Cranes & Croissants" and other bird tours. May 6-9, 2010. Othello Sandhill Crane Festival The Festival is a three-day event at the end of March, Friday through Sunday. THE 13th ANNUAL OTHELLO SANDHILL CRANE FESTIVAL WILL BE MARCH 26, 27, 28, 2010 in Othello, Washington. Web Crane Resources: How To Read Crane Bands Get to know your local cranes by noting and reporting leg band marking information. Learn about the process and see some of the banded central valley / delta cranes along with their sighting histories. Video Treat from the Delta California Department of Water Resources' excellent 3-min HD video of the Sacramento / San Joaquin Delta, "California's Delta". You can see and hear Sandhill Cranes in their natural environment. Satellite Tracking of Sandhill Cranes of the Pacific Flyway The web page for the International Crane Foundation's Homer satellite telemetry Sandhill crane research project is available online. 10 lesser Sandhill cranes were marked with satellite radios (PTTs) in early August, 2008, near Homer Alaska. You can view their migratory routes along the Pacific Flyway. Many thanks to Gary Ivey, Western Crane Conservation Manager International Crane Foundation, for his dedication and research. Homer's 10 - Satellite Banding of Lesser Sandhill Cranes A video by Nina Faust featuring Gary Ivey's work to satellite track cranes from Homer, Alaska to California's Central Valley. Cranes of the Pacific Flyway A video by Nina Faust of Gary Ivey's very informative and popular presentation of the life history and migratory patterns of Sandhill Cranes in Western North America. TrackingCranes.org Here is a trilingual (English-Chinese-Russian) crane web site for children. Really Good Reading: South Sacramento (County) Habitat Conservation Plan (SSHCP) Species Analysis: Greater Sandhill Crane - Grus candadensis tabida This document provides an excellent overview of the natural history and habitat requirements of our winter visitor, with focus upon the south county wintering areas. Needs and threats are clearly stated. Sober reading with a thorough bibliography. Many people have worked long and hard on the SSHCP. There efforts are to be commended. The Cranes; Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan - Sandhill Crane U.S. Geological Survey Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center document detailing the natural history, threats and conservation plan for the six subspecies / populations of Sandhill Cranes. Final Sandhill Crane Recovery Plan Washington State Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, 2002 A review of Sandhill Crane natural history, habitat needs and a recovery plan developed by Carole Littlefield and Gary Ivey for Washington state. Where is the California Dept. of Fish and Game Sandhill Crane recovery plan? More To Come... Please submit appropriate links. Video Treat: |
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Going to Modoc (Alturas, CA) to view
the Sandhill Cranes in their summer
home? There are many places to stay
but none better than the Rim Rock
Motel. It's perfect for a day or a week
of Crane viewing at the Modoc NWR.
the Sandhill Cranes in their summer
home? There are many places to stay
but none better than the Rim Rock
Motel. It's perfect for a day or a week
of Crane viewing at the Modoc NWR.
| Modoc? |
The entire Modoc County /
north-eastern California is an amazing
place. Wildlife thrives in high desert
oases hidden in small valleys with wet
meadows and ponds. While at the
Refuge check the visitor's center for
current sightings and viewing hints.
If you want to explore wildlife
outside of the Refuge contact our
friend Dave Rhoades, wildlife
photographer and field guide. Dave
can take you in for a "point blank"
view. (541) 420-9779
north-eastern California is an amazing
place. Wildlife thrives in high desert
oases hidden in small valleys with wet
meadows and ponds. While at the
Refuge check the visitor's center for
current sightings and viewing hints.
If you want to explore wildlife
outside of the Refuge contact our
friend Dave Rhoades, wildlife
photographer and field guide. Dave
can take you in for a "point blank"
view. (541) 420-9779
Day Of The
Sandhill Cranes
Winner of the El
Capitan Award for
Environmental
Film at the 2009
Yosemite
International Film
Festival.
Sandhill Cranes
Winner of the El
Capitan Award for
Environmental
Film at the 2009
Yosemite
International Film
Festival.
| Low Resolution Sample of Dawn - Isenberg Sandhill Crane Reserve from the Audio CD Crane Ragas |
| Sandhill Cranes on Ice Filmed at dawn with an ambient temperature of 25F. Runtime 2:40sec / 5 Mb @ 256 Kbps You may want to pause the page background sound before running this video (controls below) |
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