This is a link to the Crane Cam through Rowe Sanctuary, in which you can watch the cranes from the sanctuary throughout the day. Also, in the "What to expect..." post, it was said that 50,000 cranes migrate through the Platte River Valley each year. It is actually 500,000 to 600,000 total from mid February to mid April, with the peak being the month of March.
The Platte River Valley is where most of the migratory birds meet in the Central Valley flyway, which is an hourglass shape from northern Mexico and southern U.S., all the way up to Alaska, Siberia and across Canada. The skinny part, and most congested area on the flyway, is through Nebraska, and then the Dakotas, into Canada. Sandhill cranes stop in the Platte River Valley to roost and refuel for the nesting season ahead. According to Kent Skaggs, office manager at Rowe, they stay 3 to 4 weeks eating mainly waste grains from the corn fields and then some various grasses, insects and invertebrates, like snails. This food will give them energy for the rest of the journey north and also necessary nutrients for the eggs.
One thing I found interesting was that the cow pies in the fields are an excellent source for finding food for the cranes. They will pick out insects that are hiding underneath in the warmth, and food that has not been fully digested. Before modern agriculture, cranes had the same relationship with wild bison.
Brooke Tacker
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