Update:

 

March 6 & 7: Jeff Miller of Cincinnati, Ohio, came here for Jackson County Bird Days at Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge. He e-mailed that a "good time was had by all. Everyone was very friendly and shared information." Here are some photos Jeff took at the Ewing bottoms.

March 5, 2010: Basil reported that the cranes are staying on Slab Road and Co. Rd. 610 S. in numbers of about three to four thousand. If you want to see them though, you must be there early in the morning because they go north after a couple of hours and then come back in the evening right before dark. When it's cloudy, they seem to stay around here longer, he said. Basil also has seen a few coyotes taking advantage of the large numbers of cranes.

Feb. 27: Kim Doty of Harrison Co. came here to see the cranes. Here are some of his photos.

Feb. 26, 2010: Paul Borden of N-I Tech came into the office today and reported there are two or three thousand cranes out at the Honeytown Bottoms. Get your cameras and get out there!

Feb. 22, 2010: Basil Robertson said today that there are about a thousand cranes out at his place on Co. Rd. 225 W. in the Ewing bottoms. Yesterday, seven swans landed about 150 yards from his house. Basil hasn't seen any whooping cranes since Christmas Day. This flock seems to be staying around for awhile, so go check it out right away!

Feb. 3, 2010: It seemed that the cranes were gone, but Steve and Susie Glasgow just reported that they are back! The Glasgows spotted a couple hundred cranes on Co. Rd. 100 N. and 300 W. scattered in the fields. Just go out of Ewing on Slab Rd. (Co. Rd. 100 N.) and continue straight over the river bridge. Take your binoculars, because they are not close to the road.

Dec. 21, 2009: The cranes are still here at Brownstown/Ewing!! Mrs. Robertson came by the office and said that there are a "trillion" sandhill cranes out there in the field by their house and there are some of the whooping cranes mixed in. There are also some on U.S. 50 toward Bedford and in between Slab Rd. and the highway. Hurry out before they decide it is too cold to hang around here!

Nov. 5, 2009: Our spotter, Basil Robertson, reported that he saw the first batch of Sandhill Cranes this week, on their way south. On Tuesday, Nov. 3, Basil saw a small bunch come in late in the evening and the next morning, another 1,000 came in from every direction. As long as we have standing water and corn in the fields, they'll stay around, he said. Go out Slab Rd. from Ewing and turn right after the bridge (St. Rd. 150 W) and the cranes are on the left in the field. Basil said that they were scattered throughout the field eating corn. They like to stand in water about six inches deep and usually come out of the water about 7 a.m. in the morning to feed and again in the evening. A bird watcher from Columbus told Basil that the white whooping cranes haven't left Wisconsin yet, so you may not see them now.

About the cranes: Sandhill Cranes stand 3-1/2 ft. tall and have a 7-ft. wingspan. They are grayish-brown in color with a red patch on the top of the head. They migrate in family groups or in large flocks and have a long, trilling trumpet-like call that can be heard for long distances. Many people who see the flocks going over think they are strange geese because the birds are very large with long, trailing legs. The cranes are beautiful to watch circling in the air while looking for landing spots. These birds are not hunted in Indiana and, while not considered rare, are protected by federal and state laws.
The cranes that show up in the Ewing Bottoms are migrating Greater Sandhill Cranes. Most of these birds nest and spend the summer in Wisconsin and southern Canada. In the winter, they go south and spend the winter over a wide area from the Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area in northwestern Indiana to Florida. Shallow water areas in farm fields or open short grass/hay ground are their favorite feeding areas. The flooded corn fields in the bottoms have attracted cranes for many years and, when water conditions are right, the birds always stop. The peak number of sandhills in the Ewing Bottoms is usually found in late March and November.
Some of the federally-endangered whooping cranes that have been reintroduced to the eastern U.S. have started migrating with the sandhill cranes that visit the Ewing Bottoms. The whoopers have tended to stay far from the roads when they visit, so good spotting scopes or binoculars are needed. Many sandhills, on the other hand, spend time closer to the road and can be easily seen without binoculars.

For more info: Call the Indiana Birders "hot line" (called IN-BIRD) or Mustatatuck National Wildlife Refuge at (812) 522-4352. If you have an update, please call the Chamber office at 358-2930 or e-mail secretary@brownstownchamber.org. Thanks and Happy Bird Watching!