migrating cranes

[biss...@juno.com]

Cranes are migrating right now.   It is 11:45 am in Lake county

 

Richard Biss

Lake Villa

[M.Bernat]

Sandhill Cranes were observed over south Cook County at 2:35 p.m., in case there are any other migration nerds like me out there who like putting together the puzzle pieces of their migration times and routes. In this end of the Chicago Region, I generally see their fall flocks in mid afternoon, like today,  and their spring flocks in mid morning. 

Last week there were 3,700 cranes at Jasper Pulaski, ~6,000 lower than last year at this time and the lowest count over the last 4 years at this time. But they’ve been known to  increase from one November week to the next by more than 24,000 (2022)!

Thanks to Richard for the puzzle piece from about as far from the WI border as I saw flocks today from the IN birder. 

Mary Bernat

South Cook County 

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[Jeff Smith]

Hi Mary,  I started tracking crane numbers by the hour today at the Hawkwatch.  We had 258 before 11 am when I began the hourly count. I don’t know when the first group went by. From 11-12 630, 12-1 825, 1-2 1995, 2-3 522, and 3-3:30 30. Total number was 4230.  They were widely dispersed from far to the west to barely visible in the east. A family of 3 cranes dropped out and landed on the hillside. Jr must have been too tired to continue. After a while the adults took flight and circled up while calling to Jr. I hope it was directions to J-P. He was still on the hill when we left for the day. 

Jeff Smith 

Greene Valley Hawkwatch 

DuPage Co

Sent from my iPad

On Nov 16, 2025, at 6:20 PM, M.Bernat <mbe...@fastmail.com> wrote:



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[Jimf142]

we were at JP last night. we didn't count but easily several thousand flew in. 

jim f

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[M.Bernat]

Jim and all,

J-P’s count numbers are still low. 

https://www.in.gov/dnr/fish-and-wildlife/properties/jasper-pulaski-fwa/sandhill-cranes/

But they can fluctuate wildly between counts. The lowest number was when we followed immediately after a rare November tornado, when just a few flew into the observation area. It was an interesting experience nonetheless, with people raking their yards of branches left by the tornado that had just passed while looking up at the sky that was split exactly in half overhead with black clouds to the east and blue sky to the west. Life in the midwest….

I think the west-northwest winds today may be favorable for observing cranes close to the lake, if they’re on the move. That could mean fewer than last Sunday’s 4,230 at the Greene Valley Hawkwatch in DuPage County. 

Mary Bernat

South Cook County

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On Sun, Nov 16, 2025, at 6:49 PM, Jimf142 wrote: