Crane Viewing

Marjie Ducey Omaha World-Herald      Nov 9, 2021 Updated Dec 16, 2021

As the sun came up Saturday morning, Dave Baasch couldn’t believe what he was seeing at the Crane Trust near Alda.  Ahead of him in a field were 46 whooping cranes, one of the most endangered bird species in the world. It was the largest group ever documented in the United States outside of the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas, where they overwinter.

“This job is the love of my life, and I’ll never see it again," said Baasch, the threatened and endangered species specialist for the Crane Trust. “That’s a huge moment I will never forget.”

Those birds were part of an even larger group of 95 whooping cranes that have stopped during their migration south, more than ever before seen at one time in the area around the Platte River in central Nebraska.

Could birder tourism catch on in Nebraska? The Platte River Recovery Program counted the birds between Chapman and Nebraska 10 near the Audubon Rowe Sanctuary on one of the daily flights it’s been doing during migrations since 2001.

The Platte River valley and neighboring Rainwater Basin provide essential food and nutrients for Sandhill Cranes, Whooping Cranes, and other waterfowl during migration and during nesting season. At least 257 species of birds have been observed in the Rainwater Basin including 27 species of waterfowl, 27 species of shorebirds, and 5 threatened and endangered species–whooping cranes, bald eagles, least terns, piping plovers, and peregrine falcons.

Disturbances can jeopardize their health, physical condition and reproductive success. Encourage others around you to use the following proper etiquette:

• Do not approach cranes or waterfowl while in the field. It will disrupt their feeding.
• Do not approach birds on their roosts. Panicked flights use up precious energy resources.
• Do not honk your horn, flashlights or yell at migratory birds. It is illegal and disrupts the bird watching experience for others.
• Do not stop on roadways, driveways or any other farm road or gated entry. It’s unsafe to stop on roadways & most land in this area is private property.

In 1993, a task force of various governmental & private agency representatives was brought together by Central Platte NRD to develop ideas in response to concern about safety for local residents, farmers and crane watchers in the Central Platte Valley, especially during early morning and late afternoon hours on local roads. The Task Force developed a comprehensive plan known as the Central Platte Historic, Scenic & Trails Project to be completed in phases.

Approval was granted in 1994 by the Nebraska Department of Roads under the federal Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) for Phase I of the comprehensive plan developed by the task force. According to the grant application, the multi-year project promoted awareness of the historic importance of the Central Platte Valley as a transportation corridor dating from the early 1800s. The corridor was used by explorers such as Stephen H. Long and John Charles Fremont and by fur traders who passed back and forth on and along the Platte River. In the period from the 1840s-1860s, the Platte River Valley was a virtual “superhighway” as the major transcontinental route of the covered wagon migration; it became known as “The Great Platte River Road.”

Three roadside turnout areas between Doniphan and Shelton on the road along the south side of the Platte were developed in Phase I. A portion of the cost was paid under the ISTEA and the remaining cost was contributed by the NRD and participating counties-Hall and Buffalo. The Audubon Society provided land for a roadside turnout near Shelton. Use of the Platte River for recreational purposes occurs now, but it is restricted by accessibility and use of the river by endangered and protected wildlife species.

The public viewing decks provide free crane/waterfowl viewing and provide a safe and bird-friendly way to view cranes throughout the day. Parking is available at each deck. Locations: Richard Plautz Crane Viewing Site is 1.5 miles south of 1-80 Exit 285 (Gibbon), Alda Crane Viewing Site is 2 miles south of 1-80 Exit 305 (Alda), three additional roadside turnouts are located south and east of the Alda interchange on Platte River Drive, and west of the Rowe Sanctuary office on Elm Island Road.

For more information on CPNRD’s viewing sites, contact David Carr 308-385-6282.