During the first week of March, there are plenty of unique opportunities in the Platte River Valley. As the Sandhill Cranes first arrive, you will have the opportunity to watch foraging behaviors in cultivated fields as the cranes first arrive in the valley. Thousands of Snow Geese, Canada Geese, and smaller numbers of Cackling Geese and Greater White-Fronted Geese pack into riverine sandpit lakes and the Platte River itself. Cranes, geese, American White Pelicans, and ducks like Blue-winged Teal, Mallards, and Northern Pintails are usually visible from our river discovery stations during your tour. Early March is also an excellent time to spot large groups of Bald Eagles, since they spend the winter communally along the river. Our trail network that begins at the Audubon Center is a great place to view winter sparrows, including Dark eyed Juncos, American Tree Sparrows, White Crowned Sparrows, and Harris’s Sparrow among many others. While there are plenty of birds and great viewing from the discovery station, there are typically less people that visit early in the migration, providing more opportunities to interact with staff and volunteers at the Iain Nicolson Audubon Center, and less crowded viewing both in the discovery stations and on the roadside. To warm up in between bouts of crane viewing, attend one of our many events and speakers at the Audubon Center, or head to Gibbon, NE for a warm cup of coffee and a pastry at Rise and Grind. Kearney, NE is also a wonderful place to check out over 6 museums, a local event, or our excellent local breweries and restaurants.

During the first two weeks of April, the cranes are searching for the best weather conditions to migrate. You will observe large groups of cranes circling in the air to test the thermal currents. Since they have spent several weeks refueling in the river valley by this point, the cranes tend to spend more time on the river, which makes for prolonged morning crane viewing from our discovery stations. Early April is also one of the best times to spot a Whooping Crane in the river valley, since their migration tends to begin later than that of the Sandhills. As our trails open after tours, head out to a discovery station to search for early-arriving shorebirds on the river. Greater Prairie Chicken leks tend to be most active in late March and early April, and there are several outfitting business within 30 minutes of Rowe for a private morning lek tour. During the day, crane viewing in the fields is still excellent and there are typically less people viewing cranes on the roadside. Outside of the cranes, tourists enjoy strolling along over 25 miles of Kearney’s bike trail, visiting the outdoor botanical gardens and walking paths at Yanney Heritage Park, and venturing up into the Sandhills grasslands just north of Kearney, which represent the largest stabilized dune ecosystem in the Western Hemisphere.