Location
43.091621878278, -84.279362149961
Date & Time
Number of Cranes
2340
Method
Point count
Habitat
Wetland
Notes
Rush Township, Shiawassee County, Michigan--Parmenter Marsh roost [at Al-Par Peat Company, c/o Brian Parmenter, 5900 Henderson Road, Elsie, MI 48831, PH: (989) 661-7850].
While this count is substantially higher than my counts from a couple of years ago, I believe that it is probably still an undercount. I could not view the southerly approach. Also the cranes came is so fast and heavily that it was a challenge to count them accurately, even with image-stabilized binoculars and a partner to write the numbers down. Perhaps I will have to arrange for assistants in the future!
Observation was made during flyover from the corner of W Allan Rd and N Friegel Rd (Latitude: 43.100443359090264 Longitude: -84.26539106634051). There were hundreds of cranes on the ground in the cut corn fields to the southeast, in the north half of section 17. Sandhill Cranes also flew in high from the north, northeast, and east, and as they came in, all the cranes on the ground lifted off to join them, and all funneled west into Parmenter Marsh which is primarily in Section 18. These played-out peat bogs have been terraformed by the owner into a waterfowl wetlands which has no springs and is fed by agricultural run-off only. The eastern side of Section 18 is still under construction and is mostly bare earth with some water but little vegetation. The cranes prefer the western portion of the section where the water is deeper and hidden by cattails, etc.
While this count is substantially higher than my counts from a couple of years ago, I believe that it is probably still an undercount. I could not view the southerly approach. Also the cranes came is so fast and heavily that it was a challenge to count them accurately, even with image-stabilized binoculars and a partner to write the numbers down. Perhaps I will have to arrange for assistants in the future!
Observation was made during flyover from the corner of W Allan Rd and N Friegel Rd (Latitude: 43.100443359090264 Longitude: -84.26539106634051). There were hundreds of cranes on the ground in the cut corn fields to the southeast, in the north half of section 17. Sandhill Cranes also flew in high from the north, northeast, and east, and as they came in, all the cranes on the ground lifted off to join them, and all funneled west into Parmenter Marsh which is primarily in Section 18. These played-out peat bogs have been terraformed by the owner into a waterfowl wetlands which has no springs and is fed by agricultural run-off only. The eastern side of Section 18 is still under construction and is mostly bare earth with some water but little vegetation. The cranes prefer the western portion of the section where the water is deeper and hidden by cattails, etc.
Spotter
DebBenedict