Hi all,
I hope you got to catch the show on Monday! I had two great guests, Dr. Paul Johnsgard, emeritus University of Nebraska Foundation Professor of Biological Sciences, and the author of more than 50 books, mostly about the biology of birds, and the natural history of Nebraska and the Great Plains. Three of his books deal with cranes, and a fourth (Ancient Voices over America's Wetlands) should be published within a year. I was also pleased to have Linda Brown on the show. She is an almost retired pharmacist at Bryan LGH Medical Center, who took Dr. Johnsgard's ornithology class in 1989 and has planned most of her vacations around birds ever since.
Paul, Linda, and I talked a lot about the spectacular Sandhill Crane migration that happens every year starting in February and going through April in central Nebraska. The majority of the cranes that pass through are Lesser Sandhill Cranes, but we also have Greater Sandhill Cranes, Whooping Cranes, and rarely Common Cranes.
We also talked about the upcoming Rivers and Wildlife Celebration (RWC) that is held in Kearney. This year marks its 40th year, the long-running birding festival of its kind in the nation! During the Celebration you can reserve space in blinds near the Platte River and watch cranes arrive at dusk or depart at sunrise, attend workshops put on by experts, ride along on field trips with bird experts, and attend seminars. This year there will be an addition called the Wild Experience room where families can come and do hands-on activities and see live raptors and herps. The room and Celebration are located at the Kearney Holiday Inn and Convention Center.
Finally, we talked about the opening of a show at the Museum of Nebraska Art (MONA) that will be a kind of a kick off for the RWC. It is a combination of artwork and photography by Paul, Linda, and Allison Johnson from their trip to the Galapagos Islands. The show is called "Celebrating Darwin's Legacy: Evolution in the Galapagos Islands and the Great Plains" and will be held 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 19.
For more information about cranes and the RWC, go to www.nebraska.audubon.org
To learn more about cranes, you can also visit www.savingcranes.org
To find out where you are most likely to see Sandhill Cranes in Nebraska, go to www.nebraskabirdingtrails.com
See you on March 22 when I'll talk about the Check-Off for Wildlife Fund.
Chris the Bird Lady
P.S. Thanks, Dan, for your great assistance!
