David Griffin Photography

Straddling the border of Jasper and Pulaski counties in northwest Indiana is a special place for crane enthusiasts.  Unlike Bosque del Apache, Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area is just a stopover area for migrating Sandhill Cranes — rather than a wintering location.  At the peak there can be 10 to 30 thousand cranes in the J-P fields on any one morning.  (Alas, I was there a few weeks before the peak, which is typically in mid-November.)

As the sun rises behind us the cranes take off in small groups.. 2, 3, sometimes as many as 7 or 8.   The sound, which I did not have a chance to record, is as invigorating as the sights of these large birds taking to the wing.  Occasionally they pass overhead and you can hear their seven foot wingspan working through the morning air.

Courtship and bonding is a continuous activity for these birds that mate for life.  Occasional dances could be spotted in the field.

The Indiana Dept. of Fish & Wildlife maintains a very nice (and handicap accessible) observation deck on the eastern edge of one of the larger fields.  From there you can survey the action and, if the wind is right, they will be taking off right at you into the sun.  Driving around the area you will find smaller groups of cranes in harvested corn fields poking for a snack.

I’d estimate fewer than 1,000 cranes were in the field on the day I was there — a tiny disappointment.  I came back in late afternoon — knowing full well that the sun angle would be awful but hoping for some silhouettes.  Unfortunately what few birds were there started to leave, with the deer starting to outnumber the cranes.  I had some trip-related technical issues that required me to get back to Indianapolis, so I left around 4pm, but I don’t think I missed anything.

If you can’t make the trip to Bosque del Apache, New Mexico - I highly recommend taking advantage of some of the midwest migration sites such as Jasper-Pulaski.   If you get the timing right you can witness a spectacle that has been going on in one way or another for millions of years (the crane is one of the oldest bird species still in existance).