My Name is Jo, and I am a Craniac.

Disclaimer:  I am not a "birder" by any means, but  growing up in the Central North American Flyway I just assumed the migration of  cranes was something everyone got to see.   Not true.  Ever since  I moved East  I have to miss  the annual migration of Sandhill cranes, now taking place....back home.  I am a craniac.  A lover of those long, leggy birds that come by the thousands and fill the skies at sunrise and sunset. They are a wonder to watch - they dance, they call, they huddle, feed, and sleep.   They are tall - three feet, plus.

From the International Crane Foundation website:

Mated pairs of cranes, including Sandhill Cranes, engage in unison calling, which is a complex and extended series of coordinated calls. While calling, cranes stand in an upright posture, usually with their heads thrown back and beaks skyward during the display. In Sandhill Cranes the female initiates the display and utters two, higher-pitched calls for each male call. While calling, the female raises her beak about 45 degrees above the horizontal while the male raises his bill to a vertical position. All cranes engage in dancing, which includes various behaviors such as bowing, jumping, running, stick or grass tossing, as well as wing flapping. Though it is commonly associated with courtship, dancing can occur at any age and season. Dancing is generally believed to be a normal part of motor development for cranes and thwarts aggression, relieves tension, and strengthens the pair bond.

Watching them dance  moves something inside you that cannot be put in to words - it is primal, intimate  and awesome.  I am so thankful to the  Audubon Center at  Rowe Sanctuary for soothing my homesick soul with their wonderful CRANE CAM.  Viewing is best in the early (sunrise)  or late (sunset) hours of the day - do remember they are in the Central Time Zone.  If no birds are visible, it's still nice to listen to the Platte River ("a mile wide and an inch deep") roll past.
Remember when CBS Sunday Morning used to have that nature piece at the end of every show?  Now they call it a "moment of nature" because that is how long it lasts. Back in the day  it used to roll about 2 minutes long, with extraordinary footage of some fabulous location, animals, or volcanic activity.  ( If you are listening CBS -  I miss that.  Anyone with the attention span longer than that of a gnat misses it, too.)   I remember several years ago on  a Sunday, watching that show on my 2nd or 3rd cup of coffee when the nature segment came on and the  announcer said,   "We leave you today on the Platte River in Nebraska, where the Sandhill cranes are making a stop on their annual migration."  I watched with pure delight - and then I burst into homesick tears.   It was fabulous.  I have a connection with those birds.  I am a craniac.

PS - the camera at the Rowe Sanctuary is Flash based, meaning  we can't watch it on our iPads.  Along with CBS Sunday Morning butchering their nature segments, the lack of Flash capability on their devices has also earned  Apple and Steve Jobs a special place on my  "Turd in the Punchbowl" list.