The Meadowlark and Sandhill Crane

Sandhill Cranes are on their annual northbound migration. Every year thousands of cranes fly from all points South in North America to the far North. From Florida, Texas, California they migrate thousands of miles on the longest migration of any crane species in the world, with destinations ranging from Washington to Northern Canada, Alaska, and even (some) to the far eastern edges of Arctic Asia. It's a long trek, so midway on their journey they stop to rest, feed, and build energy reserves for the second half. For the Lesser Sandhill Cranes (Antigone canadensis canadensis) of central California, that resting spot is the large Marsh Unit of the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge in Othello, Washington. They trickle in at first in mid-March, but their numbers quickly grow and compound daily until mid-April when they fly out over 1-3 days. It's a slow build with a rapid departure. The Marsh Unit serves as their nightly roost and place of safety. By day they disperse to the surrounding corn fields to feed. The morning fly-out starts just before first light and finishes a bit after sunrise. The evening fly-in starts before sunset and tapers off just past last light. On this morning of April 18, 2026, a Western Meadowlark sings from a Sagebrush near the canyon edge. In the faint distance Quail call and gulls mingle in the air. A lone crane lazily flies overhead, calling out to its brethren to wait, wait while it catches up. Its dinosaur calls echo off canyon walls on the way, a reminder that this is coulee country, the channeled scablands of central Washington's Columbia Plateau. Learn more about Sandhill Cranes and Western Meadowlarks at eBird: https://ebird.org/species/sancra https://ebird.org/species/wesmea Learn more about Columbia National Wildlife Refuge and just what the "scablands" and "coulee country" are: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/columbia Maybe check out the Othello Crane Festival: https://www.othellosandhillcranefestival.org Like my recordings? To hear more or license bird sounds for your project, feel free to message me directly in SoundCloud or click on one of my too-many social media buttons. If you feel like fueling my activities, feel free to buy me a Ko-Fi, at ko-fi.com/northwestsoundscapes Happy Listening!