NE-  Day 38, Friday July 15, 2022 At Grand Island NE (Home of the Sandhill Cranes)

The title today does include the "Home"of the Sandhill Crane, BUT only when they feed by the hundred of thousands  before journeying north to their breeding ground during Migration. We stopped at the "Crane Trust Center" today (about 8 miles away) and found that during the last week of March and early April they have counted (2022) over 500,000 Sandhill Cranes were here at one time. That's a bunch. We were here once in spring, and watched them, especially in the evening, coming to roost on the sandbars on the Platte River  with their graceful landings and energy calls. The Eskimos call them "Luk Luk" because of that call.

There were no Cranes there today, but their Art gallery was filled with wonderful an inspiring paintings and photos of them .

A 1941 Chevvy truck.

One of the old, still working windmills

Of course Ruth spotted this barn, (See more!)

 

As it was fairly early we did continue to drive the rural roads looking for birds. There are a number of rivers that flow into the Platte and we picked up two of them to explore. One was the Wood River, which  along with the Platte River, at one time, separated Grand Island from the  mainland. Hence its name. But after a few years the town was moved to the mainland where it is today. We did get a few birds near the Wood River and Ruth found a barn she liked so photographed  that as well. Ruth found three barns today as  they are  getting more numerous as we move east again. The steel  sheds of Wyoming and western NE are far behind us now..  En route, we did see a Ferruginous Hawk fight off the Red Winged Blackbirds in its struggle to remove itself from their nesting areas.

Another barn past its  prime.

Corn is well tasseled here...but...

Don't ask what kind of bean (1 of 400 possible)

 

It was amazing to see the thousands and thousands of acres of corn and beans, mostly,  that stretched on for mile after mile with no wasted land in between. That is quite a contrast from a few hundred miles  to the west,where it was so dry. There are also more trees, but not often. Speaking of dry, one of the trees that is common here is the Linden tree. It tolerates medium dryness and is good shade cover for birds and animals. It is common on many roadsides where there are trees and here in the Park.

 

A fence with boot caps on every pole.

One of the roads today. ...Oh! It IS gravel.

Using a scraper to berm the ditch. For what purpose?

 

On the "back toads"we gave way to many of the farmers getting their work done including some who were "ditching" along side the corn rows, in  order to keep the water in the rows when it is irrigated.and to keep weeds from growing in the ditches. We mainly drove  paved roads today and I don't think we traveled on a gravel roads today except to turn around, and we did that many times.  (Different angle or better view.)

 Along the route through Marquette and Alda, we ran across a memorial park that had day camping and full hookups for some spots.It was a very neat park and dedicated to a couple that donated the land there. We asked Oliva if we could eat lunch there in the shade and she said that would be fine. We did eat lunch there.

Site nearAlda, NE

Yes, this is the North Platte River near Gd. Island

A public use camping park. Had fullhook ups.

 

That route on the east side of Grand Island took us through Aurora and back to the main road to the trailer.

Only 22 birds today but it did include a Scrub Jay right here in the Campground.

'53 Chevvy

And it's twin?

Another of Ruth's barns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We cooled off for a few hours and ordered pizza right here in the campground, AND, they deliver it to your site. (The campground has a franchise to sell "Hunt Brother" pizza.) Not related to the old Hunt Catsup/ketchup family that we know. It was very good Pizza and we enjoyed the change of pace.

Tomorrow we will try to find that Buffalo herd that is managed by the Crane Trust just west of town. They're in a  2,000 acre impoundment, and are the most "pure" Buffalo in the USA, having been bred from the "original" stock in North Dakota.

Its cooled off to 87 F at 8:00 Pm.