Haehnle Sanctuary Crane Count 11/02/2026 by Don Henise

We experienced another significant increase in the number of Sandhill Cranes using Mud Lake Marsh at the Haehnle Sanctuary as a nighttime roosting location this week. Monday evening, 1,581 cranes were tallied flying into the marsh. The counting became quite hectic after a large group of cranes from a private property to the north of the sanctuary were apparently disturbed and lifted off. Many of them made their way to Mud Lake Marsh while others milled around for a while before heading off in various directions. We did our best to keep track of the cranes that were actually landing in the marsh.

Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis)(Don Henise)

There were no major bird highlights besides the crane flight. A number of raptors were observed and the number of ducks using Mud Lake Marsh is increasing. Many Rusty Blackbirds were heard calling in the trees to the right of the lookout hill. A total of 26 bird species were observed during the count. See the eBird checklist linked below for details.

Total Cranes roosting in Mud Lake Marsh:  1,581

57 F, Light wind, Overcast

Counters: Gary Siegrist, Steve Jerant, Don Henise

Compiled by: Don Henise

Crane Count checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S407625552