BRODHEAD — A beautiful, crisp morning on Saturday, March 23 had the air full of the calls of migratory birds moving north for the spring. Unseasonably warm weather triggered the move north early for many wildlife species where early nesting signifies a reaction to the phenological change. An avid birder and former board member for the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, Quentin Yoerger, was walking the trails at Three Waters Reserve (TWR) when he spotted a Sandhill Crane nesting on site and reported it to TWR staff.
Having spent the last century as the Decatur Lake Country Club and Golf Course, the land at TWR has undergone significant ecological restoration. These changes have improved the native landscape enough to now support the return of these prehistoric creatures. The oldest known fossil of a Sandhill Crane is dated to be 2.5 million years old.
The landscape of the TWR is a great habitat for Sandhill Crane nesting as they stake out land that is an open wetland surrounded by trees. Staff went quickly to work by temporarily closing trails around the nesting site, creating land management plans to give the cranes proper space during nesting (mom and dad get very territorial with their nest and babies), consulting with crane experts from the region, and collecting data for the onsite field station to further the research that is being conducted at the Reserve.
To their surprise, TWR staff were able to identify and observe not one, but two eggs in the nest. An average clutch ranges from 1-3 eggs in size and typically only one egg survives and hatches.
While cranes are experts at finding their ideal habitat with standing water to protect themselves from predators, it had staff holding their breath as they watched the carefully chosen nesting site rise and fall with the weather patterns.
After consulting with experts from the International Crane Foundation, TWR staff continued to monitor the family from a distance and began counting down the days to the anticipated hatch date. Sandhill Crane eggs are approximately 3.6 inches long and 2.3 inches wide. They range in color from olive to pale brown, with brown markings. The incubation period lasts between 29 and 32 days.
Tracking the incubation period, the staff kept their eyes peeled and ears open for any crane activity. Each morning arriving at TWR for work, Southern Wisconsin Land Conservancy President Steve Apfelbaum would listen and hear the unison call sent out by the cranes.
Sandhill Cranes make over 20 different vocalizations to communicate a variety of different needs and situations. This unison call is unique, made not only to protect their territory but also to strengthen their bond with one another. The sound from this unison call can travel up to 2.5 miles and is reminiscent of prehistoric wildlife.
Wildlife photographer Craig Ellefson visited TWR and was lucky enough to witness the parent sitting on the nest with a colt, a baby crane, at its side. He and TWR staff were able to observe the parents with binoculars with two hatched, healthy, and active colts.
Within eight hours of hatching, colts are able to not only walk, but can swim. Within a day of hatching, the twins transitioned to land with the parents. It is an important step for safety and food sourcing for the twins to survive.
Throughout the summer, TWR staff had sporadic sightings of the twins and the parents. The tall grasses at TWR serve as great refuge for the colts and the parents. If the parents sense danger, an alarm call is sounded to nearby colts. The significance of this call is paramount to alert colts to drop into the grass and stop moving.
When TWR staff did spot red heads bobbing through the grasses, there was space between the parents. SLWC Board Member, Sue Faville, spent several years as a volunteer at the International Crane Foundation (ICF) in Baraboo. While at ICF, Faville was a “Chick Mom” and offered insight into this behavior.
“In the case of twins when the food source is good, each parent will normally take a colt and strut around with it, teaching it to feed,” Faville said. “If the food supply is scant, they will let one chick take over and both parents will feed the stronger of the two chicks resulting in the passing of the weaker one. It is sad, but that is nature. While volunteering as a chick mom at ICF, one of our responsibilities was to keep the colts from fighting with one another so they could all survive.”
TWR leaders feel fortunate that the reserve is a healthy ecosystem that enabled both twins to flourish.
Cranes begin to stage for migration south in November and typically leave for Florida by December. Sandhill Cranes typically travel 200-300 miles per day and up to 500 miles with the right winds. As the family grows and prepares for migration, TWR staff reflect, hoping they will remember their time on the reserve, and maybe this crane family will come back and visit Green County in the near future.
Those that would like to support the conservation work done by the SWLC at TWR and other sites should consider becoming an SWLC member, or make a donation at www.swconservancy.org. TWR has trails that are open for free to the public daily from dawn to dusk. TWR can be reserved for events at www.threewatersreserve.com. Interested guests can also attend one of TWR’s Friday Night Fish Fry’s at N3941 Golf Course Road, Brodhead.
