Warm Weather Brings Record-Braking Number Of Sandhill Cranes

A record-breaking number of sandhill cranes are reported in Nebraska this year. The Crane Trust says there were about 38-thousand cranes in an 80-mile range of the Central Platte River Valley. This time last year, about six-thousand cranes were counted. Peak season is typically in March, with a 500-thousand crane peak. Most of the birds were seen between Grand Island and Wood River. Milder weather is cited as the reason for the higher populations this year.