Watch the skies over the few next weeks. Sandhill canes are returning to the Kenai Peninsula. They've already been spotted in the air. Nina Faust of Kachemak Crane Watch spoke with KBBI's Kathleen Gustafson this week and says she has reports of crane sightings, but hasn't yet received reports of a sandhill crane touchdown.
“The last few years from 2017 forward, there were fairly early March 29th in 2017, April 7th in 2018, April 2nd in 2019 and April 9th in 2020. And then this year, the first report was on April 1st,” said Faust
Nina Faust has been collecting data on the local cranes for almost 20 years from her home at Inspiration Ridge Preserve east of Homer. The cranes show up about this time every year from their winter home in Southern California. As they arrive, the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies and Kachemak Crane Watch offer an opportunnity to engage in some citizen science.
There are North Fork cranes, Homer townie cranes that nest, year after year in people's yards, cranes out east and cranes across the bay. Faust says anyone with a paper and pencil, or a cell phone can take notes on crane sightings and contribute to the data.
“The time that you see the birds, the location that you see, the birds, the date, how many grains were they on the ground? Were they eating mating or were they flying by, in which direction were they going and how high, any useful and helpful details that you can give always helps make the observation,” Faust said.
These cranes will choose their local nesting grounds. Some will return to their favored spots and they'll go about mating, laying eggs and hatching crane colts. By the end of the summer, they stage fly ins on Beluga Slough in downtown Homer as they flock up and prepare to head back to California with their newly fledged colts.
“I also get lots of phone calls, people who want more information about cranes, or they have a question about what's going on with their cranes at their house reports of injured cranes attacks on cranes by predators. And I can provide helpful information to help resolve problems,” Said Faust.
To participate in Kachemak Crane Watch's crane count this season, choose a place to keep your notes and report crane sightings to (907) 235-6262, or go to cranewatch.org.
