Platte River, March 2026: Not Cranes

Cranes were definitely the focus of my recent trip to Nebraska, but that didn't stop some other feathered friends from finding their way in front of my lens.

When I saw a large bird scramble across the road in front of me as I was driving through the corn fields, I immediately thought it was a Roadrunner.  I suppose that comes from living in Texas for eight years.  Upon closer inspection, I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was, in fact, a Ring-necked Pheasant.  

Golden hour one morning brought out more birds to celebrate the new day.  And staying in my car meant they weren't perturbed by my presence.  Shooting from the car also meant that my angle to the sun was what it was, so for this Red-winged Blackbird that meant backlit silhouette...

... while this Western Meadowlark faced the sun with a song in his heart, and I enjoyed the perfect angle to capture his joy.

An American Goldfinch kept midmorning watch along the riverbank at the Rowe Audubon Sanctuary.

While the cranes were definitely the stars of my visit, I also enjoyed these supporting acts!

Related Links:

• Platte River, March 2026: Cranes in Flight
• Platte River, March 2026: Cranes in Corn
• Platte River, March 2026: Sunrise and Sunset

 

Platte River, March 2026: Sunrise and Sunset

Groups of Sandhill Cranes in flight can best be seen around sunrise and sunset each day, as the birds head from their overnight roosting sites in the river to their feeding sites in the nearby fields and vice versa.  And if you don't get views of the cranes, you still get a sunrise or sunset out of the deal. :)

My first night I tried the CPNRD Alda Viewing Deck.  Cranes and humans were gathering well before the sunset, and the cranes were unfortunately choosing to roost quite a ways upriver.  So I shifted my attention from the water to the skies, looking for silhouettes of birds in flight against the colorful sky.

I love how sometimes shooting at a 90-degree angle to the setting sun can give you beautiful gradients of brightness and color.

I was so focused on the river that I almost missed the show just slightly to the north, where the sky was really ablaze and a small pond offered a brilliant reflection.

The next morning I tried the CPNRD Plautz Viewing Deck.  I was glad for some advice I received to get there 90-75 minutes before sunrise, because there was still one parking spot left when I arrived.

After a chilly wait while the sounds of the cranes grew louder, the light revealed that they were also roosting a good distance away from the deck.  So back to silhouettes against the sky it was.

Fortunately, silhouettes are cool.

Eventually I was able to capture some of the late departers still in the water.

I like the leading line provided by the river channel toward the rising sun.

That evening I tried the Fort Kearny Hike/Bike Trail Bridge.  The cranes decided to roost elsewhere, but a couple of crossing deer were a nice consolation.

Like I mentioned, even when the cranes don't cooperate you still get the sun on the horizon. Some days that's all I go out to shoot for anyway.

Back to the bridge for my final morning.  Birds had indeed roosted nearby overnight, but only close enough to hear rather than see especially well.  The sky and landscape again came to my photographic rescue.

If I want close-up shots of cranes in their roosting spots, I'm going to need to spring for a "tour."  That's just a euphemism for paying for access to a blind.  Something to consider if I decide to return in the future!

Related Links:

• Platte River, March 2026: Cranes in Flight
• Platte River, March 2026: Cranes in Corn

Platte River, March 2026: Cranes in Corn

At sunrise and sunset you can find the Sandhill Cranes in the river, where they sleep secure from predators in the shallow water.  During the day, they head to the nearby corn fields to feed.

Even though Nebraska is the only state where the cranes can't be hunted, they're still very wary.  It was a struggle to get close enough for good photos, even using my car as a blind.

In addition to feeding, the cranes sometimes do pair-bonding dances.  I was fortunate enough to see some.

Portraits are nice.  Capturing behavior like this is always nicer.

But portraits were mainly what were available, when I could visually isolate a crane from its companions.

I didn't spend too much time in the fields, since they were spread over nearly 40 miles and spotting cranes I could actually photograph was more often a matter of luck than not.  But I appreciated all the time I did get to see some of these awesome birds!

Related Links:

• Platte River, March 2026: Cranes in Flight

Platte River, March 2026: Cranes in Flight

I have had some great times in the past shooting pictures of Sandhill Cranes, both in Colorado and New Mexico.  I've always heard that if I really want to see cranes on their northern migration, I needed to go to the Platte River in Nebraska.  My Spring Break this year coincided perfectly with the projections for peak migration, when roughly half a million cranes were expected to stop over along on an 80-mile stretch of the river.  So the time for my pilgrimage had finally arrived!

Scanning the skies regularly revealed small flocks heading to or returning from the fields.

As the sun set, silhouettes presented the best opportunities.

Silhouettes were again the main attraction shortly after sunrise the next morning...

...until golden hour began in full, when warm sunlight bathed the birds flying to the fields.

I enjoyed looking for both interesting formations...

...and solo flyers.

The higher the sun rose in the sky, the more important angles became so the undersides of my subjects weren't entirely in shadow.

A crane facing the sun and angled upward was an absolute win. 

I loved both the chaos of some groups...

...and the sublime synchronization of others.

One thing I've learned over my years of photographing birds in flight is that I always wish my lens was bigger and faster.  But then I get home and process my shots, and realize that my trusty Nikkor 80-400 zoom still does just fine. :)

More to come!

Related Links:

• Monte Vista Crane Festival 2013
• Bosque del Apache NWR (2016)
• Bosque del Apache Cranes & Geese (2016)
• Bosque del Apache, December 2020: Sunrise
• Bosque del Apache, December 2020: Afternoon
• Bosque del Apache, December 2020: Evening
• Platte River, March 2026: Cranes in Corn