An uncommon crane in East Canaan

EAST CANAAN — John Harney Jr. spotted a trio of sandhill cranes in East Canaan over the weekend and wondered if this visit to the Northwest Corner by the cranes is a rarity.

Fred Baumgarten, former Lakeville Journal Nature’s Notebook columnist, said the birds “are uncommon in New England but increasingly less so, including in the Northwest Corner. Sightings of small numbers (usually one to three) are a pretty regular occurrence. 

“The two most frequent locations — that I know of — are in the farm fields along the north side of East Canaan, and in wetlands along the rail trail in Amenia. 

“I don’t know the exact reason for their increasing occurrence, other than that birds’ ranges sometimes naturally expand. The warming weather (aka climate change) is also always a possibility.”

Baumgarten congratulated Harney on the sighting. 

“They are majestic birds. I remember going out to that area to see those birds about five or six years ago.”

He wasn’t sure if the same cranes could be returning annually to the area.

For an even greater sandhill crane thrill: “If you ever have a chance to travel to Nebraska in early March, the migration of sandhill cranes is an unforgettable spectacle on par with the herds of wildebeest on the Serengeti.”

— Cynthia Hochswender