Sandhill Cranes...about an hour away

Sandhill cranes were stacked up to nearly 20,000 at Jasper-Pulaski FWA last week; wind added a twist to viewing.

MEDARYVILLE, Ind. — When we passed Thorn Creek Headwaters Preserve east of Monee, I swung around to see if I could find viable access. Such are the side trips I make with John Vukmirovich.

As we circled back toward South Will Center Road, Vukmirovich spotted two dozen wild turkeys tightly bunched and feeding near a fencerow.

Our timing was good for our annual trek to see sandhill cranes at Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area,
southeast of Valparaiso, Indiana. The count Nov. 19 was 19,980, but it had dropped to 11,931 on Tuesday. We spotted our first sandhills — about 900 — south of Jasper-Pulaski, near the intersection of 800 north and 300 east.

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Sandhill cranes in the fields near Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area. Dale Bowman
On Route 49 north of Route 10, we spotted 1,500 in the fields on both sides. Don’t mess around on Route 49; trucks and cars haul ass on it.

We circled the generating plant near Wheatfield. In the wind, Vukmirovich noted: ‘‘They are all stopped and pointed into the wind. It is almost like a weather vane.’’

The other notable response to the wind was the big birds scrunching themselves small in the field.

East of the plant, I stumbled upon historic Dunn’s Bridge on the Kankakee River. Four deer fed in the rain by Route 421.

In a couple of hours of wandering, we found 8,000 sandhills in the fields.

When sandhills started piling into Jasper-Pulaski in the midafternoon, we cut short our driving and climbed the observation tower to watch.

It was fun watching sandhills deal with the gusting wind. At times, they seemed to dance in the air; other times, it looked like they were trying a barrel roll. Mostly, the big birds handled the wind well.

Lulls came in incoming birds as sunset neared. It was time.

The best viewing from the tower is the hour before sunset. But if you go, I recommend driving the back roads nearby and seeing some in the fields beforehand.

Information about the sandhills at Jasper-Pulaski can be found at in.gov/dnr/fishwild/3109.htm.

Stray cast

Watching the Bears or entomophagy? Hmmm.

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Sandhill cranes flying at Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area. Dale Bowman