PICTURED: Sandhill cranes make Kentucky rest stop
CECILIA, Ky. (AP) — Sandhill cranes have been migrating through Kentucky long before anyone settled in the state. The cranes stopped here for a few short weeks on their way to and from their nesting grounds in the Great Lakes region.
Counts made by biologists with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources show about 12,000 of the birds have stopped at the farm ponds and corn fields around the small town of Cecilia recently during their winter northward migration. These birds, which are part of the eastern population of sandhill cranes, are part of a group estimated to be larger than 70,000 birds, many of which were wintering in Florida.
The winter has been gloomy and wet in Kentucky, but displayed here are images of the birds taken on a sunny day last Friday.
In this Friday, Feb. 6, 2015 photo, sandhill cranes begin to stir after resting for the night at a roosting location along their winter migration route in Cecilia, Ky. According to counts made by biologists with the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Resources, about 12,000 of the birds have stopped in Cecilia this week during their winter northward migration on their way to their nesting grounds in the Great Lakes region. (AP Photo/David Stephenson)
The colorful sunrise, which reflected on the frozen ponds where the birds roosted, made for a beautiful morning. But the biggest surprise came when a bald eagle landed on the bank of one of the ponds where the cranes were still hanging around.
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In this Friday, Feb. 6, 2015 photo, sandhill cranes begin to stir after resting for the night at a roosting location along their winter migration route in Cecilia, Ky. These birds, which are part of the eastern population of sandhill cranes, are part of a group estimated to be larger than 70,000 birds, many of which were wintering in Florida. (AP Photo/David Stephenson)
In this Friday, Feb. 6, 2015 photo, sandhill cranes begin to stir after resting for the night at a roosting location along their winter migration route in Cecilia, Ky. The migration in Kentucky is expected to be peaking at this time based on historical data gathered by wildlife biologists with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. (AP Photo/David Stephenson)
In this Friday, Feb. 6, 2015 photo, a sandhill crane lands at a roosting location along its winter migration route in Cecilia, Ky. According to counts made by biologists with the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Resources, about 12,000 of the birds have stopped in Cecilia this week during their winter northward migration on their way to their nesting grounds in the Great Lakes region. (AP Photo/David Stephenson)
In this Friday, Feb. 6, 2015 photo, a bald eagle stands on the shore of a pond where sandhill cranes had gathered at a roosting location along their winter migration route in Cecilia, Ky. Although the bald eagle is making a comeback in Kentucky, it is still a rare sight. (AP Photo/David Stephenson)
In this Friday, Feb. 6, 2015 photo, sandhill cranes begin to stir after resting for the night at a roosting location along their winter migration route in Cecilia, Ky. The migration in Kentucky is expected to be peaking at this time based on historical data gathered by wildlife biologists with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. (AP Photo/David Stephenson)
In this Friday, Feb. 6, 2015 photo, sandhill cranes begin to stir after resting for the night at a roosting location along their winter migration route in Cecilia, Ky. According to counts made by biologists with the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Resources, about 12,000 of the birds have stopped in Cecilia this week during their winter northward migration on their way to their nesting grounds in the Great Lakes region. (AP Photo/David Stephenson)
In this Friday, Feb. 6, 2015 photo, sandhill cranes leave the area in small groups after they gathered at a roosting location for the night along their winter migration route in Cecilia, Ky. These birds, which are part of the eastern population of sandhill cranes, are part of a group estimated to be larger than 70,000 birds, many of which were wintering in Florida. (AP Photo/David Stephenson)
In this Friday, Feb. 6, 2015 photo, sandhill cranes leave the area in small groups after they gathered at a roosting location for the night along their winter migration route in Cecilia, Ky. The migration in Kentucky is expected to be peaking at this time based on historical data gathered by wildlife biologists with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. (AP Photo/David Stephenson)
In this Friday, Feb. 6, 2015 photo, sandhill cranes feed in the farm fields in the vicinity of a roosting location along their winter migration route in Cecilia, Ky. According to counts made by biologists with the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Resources, about 12,000 of the birds have stopped in Cecilia this week during their winter northward migration on their way to their nesting grounds in the Great Lakes region. (AP Photo/David Stephenson)
In this Friday, Feb. 6, 2015 photo, sandhill cranes begin to stir after resting for the night at a roosting location along their winter migration route in Cecilia, Ky. These birds, which are part of the eastern population of sandhill cranes, are part of a group estimated to be larger than 70,000 birds, many of which were wintering in Florida. (AP Photo/David Stephenson)
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