The central Platte Valley and nearby Rainwater Basin provides some of the best spring birding opportunities in all of North America. For most of March about seven million waterfowl and nearly half a million sandhill cranes pour into the region, remaining until late March in the case of the waterfowl and about the second week of April in the case of the sandhill cranes.

Birding in the central Platte Valley during March is a chancy affair in terms of weather; late winter snowstorms may blanket the entire area in a foot of snow, which when melting leaves country roads slippery at best, and thus driving requires a good deal of care. This is especially true in the western Rainwater Basin, an area of clay soils that prevent water from percolating down, and thus is rich in temporary wetlands (locally called "lagoons") just at the peak of spring waterfowl populations. This is only true during years when winter snowfalls or spring rains allow the basins to fill; in drier years only the deepest lagoons or those that are kept wet by pumping (Funk, Johnson) can accommodate the hordes of ducks and geese passing through. During such years the stresses caused by bad weather and overcrowding can set off outbreaks of fowl cholera, and kill tens of thousands of birds in only a short time. Some of these birds are consumed by wintering bald eagles, hundreds of which occur along ice-free areas of the Platte from late fall until early spring. A good viewing area for these birds is at the J-2 Hydro Plant near Lexington. This area is open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. with weekday reservations possible for groups (call 308/995-860l for information).

The best way to watch cranes during the day is observing them field-feeding from a parked car, with observers remaining quiet and inside the car. Opening a door and leaving the car will guarantee a rapid departure of the birds. Gravel roads on the south side of the Platte River are usually better than those on the north side of Interstate 80.

The most rewarding way to watch cranes is from riverside blinds near roosting locations (see accompanying maps). Such blinds are maintained by the Whooping Crane Trust on Mormon Island (reservations required; cost $20 per person, contact Crane Meadows Nature Center (308/382-1820 or 888/382-1820, see below), at the Audubon Society's Lillian Rowe Sanctuary near Gibbon (cost $20 per person, for reservations phone 303/468-5282), and possibly the Fort Kearney State Historical Park near Kearney (308/865-5305).

If it is not possible to arrange a blind viewing, several bridges such as the hike-bike trail bridge near Fort Kearney or the bridges over the middle Platte channel south of Alda (exit 305) and Gibbon (exit 285) provide a less thrilling but still exciting view, both at sunset and sunrise. Information on crane viewing and accommodations can be obtained from the Kearney Visitors Center (308/652-9435 in-state; 800/227-8340 out-of-state), the Grand Island Visitors Bureau (800/658-3178 or 308/382-4400), or the Hastings/Adams County Visitors Bureau, 100 N. Shore Dr., Hastings (800/967-2189 or 402/461-2370).

The Hastings Museum (14th St. & Burlington Highway, 402/46l-4629) and the Stuhr Museum at the southern edge of Grand Island along US Route 34 (308/385-5316) both provide tourist information and sell informative books or pamphlets on local tourist attractions. The Central Nebraska Wildlife Viewing Guide, published yearly and distributed free at many tourist outlets and nature centers, provides excellent information and regional maps.

An excellent source of both general and specific information on birding in the Platte Valley is available in Gary Lingle's book Birding Crane River: Nebraska's Platte, which is locally available for $11.95 in many stores and the just-mentioned museums. It also includes complete county maps and detailed bird-finding advice for seven Platte Valley counties. The Nebraska Game & Parks Commission (308/865-5310 in Kearney, 402/471-0641 in Lincoln, or PO Box 30370, Lincoln 68503) can provide free informative materials.

Visitors to the Platte Valley are urged to dress warmly, drive carefully over the narrow and sometimes slippery roads, and be prepared for rain, snow, and possibly even tornadoes, In recent years tornadoes have struck as early as mid-March, and in one case killed tens of thousands of snow geese near York. Sick or dead birds found in the field should never be handled, as they possibly have become infected with diseases such as fowl cholera or botulism. This is especially true in the Rainwater Basin, where these diseases sometimes constitute a special problem.

The annual Audubon Rivers & Wildlife Conference, held in Kearney during mid-March of every year, has many expert speakers and field trips, and is also a highly educational event (call 308/468-5282 for information). – Paul A. Johnsgard

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