Thousands of sandhill cranes call Indiana temporary home during fall migration

Nick Echterling, property manager for the Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area, sits in his DNR truck watching for sandhill cranes Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area at the end of the year during their migration to the south for the winter.

Sandhill cranes fly over the Sandhill Crane Observatory Tower, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area during their fall migration on their way south for the winter. The birds can grow to about 4 feet with a wingspan around 6 feet. The adult crane is grey with a red crown and white cheeks.

Sandhill cranes fly over the Sandhill Crane Observatory Tower, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area during their fall migration to the south for the winter.

People gather before sunrise at the Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind., for the weekly count of sandhill cranes. The birds stop over at the Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area during their fall migration to the south for the winter.

Nick Echterling, property manager for the Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area, jots down sandhill cranes he counted during for the weekly sandhill crane count Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area during their fall migration to the south for the winter.

Sandhill cranes hang out in the marsh of the Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area where they spend the night Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the nature preserve during their fall migration to the south for the winter. In the morning, they fly out for the day to find food to eat.

Sandhill cranes hang out in the wetlands of the Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area before going out for the day to eat Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the nature reserve during their fall migration to the south for the winter.

A volunteer’s notes indicate he counted 4003 sandhill cranes flying out for the day Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area during their fall migration as they head south for the winter. Staff and volunteers do weekly counts of the birds to see trends in migration numbers. On this day, there were 12,559 birds counted.

Tom Torsell, from left, Rusty Smith and Jim Bergens gather with Nick Echterling, property manager for the Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area, after a morning of counting sandhill cranes Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 at Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the nature preserve during their fall migration to the south for the winter. Echterling and volunteers do weekly counts of the birds during their fall migration stopover to monitor trends.

Nick Echterling, property manager for the Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area, looks at sandhill cranes flying overhead with students from Michigan City’s Edgewood Elementary School, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area during their fall migration to the south for the winter. The students visited the Sandhill Crane Observatory Tower to see the cranes.

Sandhill cranes fly near the Sandhill Crane Observation Tower on the Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area property Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the nature preserve during their fall migration to the south for the winter.

Questions about sandhill cranes challenge visitors on their walk to the Sandhill Crane Observation Tower at Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the nature preserve during their fall migration to the south for the winter. Visitors come to see the birds.

Sandhill cranes fly near the Sandhill Crane Observation Tower on the Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area property Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the nature preserve during their fall migration to the south for the winter.

Sandhill cranes fly near the Sandhill Crane Observation Tower on the Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area property Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the nature preserve during their fall migration to the south for the winter.

Sandhill cranes flock near the Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area Observation Tower, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the nature preserve during their fall migration to the south for the winter. Visitors come to see the birds from the Sandhill Crane Observation Tower on the property.

Sandhill cranes fly near the Sandhill Crane Observation Tower on the Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area property Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the nature preserve during their fall migration to the south for the winter.

Visitors gather at sunset to watch sandhill cranes from the Sandhill Crane Observation Tower, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area during their fall migration to the south for the winter. They leave the property at sunrise to go find food. Around sunset, they return to the property wetlands for the night.

Sandhill cranes flock near the Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area Observation Tower, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the nature preserve during their fall migration to the south for the winter.

Sandhill cranes Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area at the end of the year during their migration to the south for the winter.

Sandhill cranes flock near the Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area Observation Tower, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the nature preserve during their fall migration to the south for the winter.

Sandhill cranes fly near the Sandhill Crane Observation Tower on the Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area property Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the nature preserve during their fall migration to the south for the winter.

Nick Echterling, property manager for the Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area, looks at sandhill cranes flying overhead with students from Michigan City’s Edgewood Elementary School, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area during their fall migration to the south for the winter. The students visited the Sandhill Crane Observatory Tower to see the cranes.

Sandhill cranes flock near the Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area Observation Tower, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the nature preserve during their fall migration to the south for the winter.

Sandhill cranes fly near the Sandhill Crane Observation Tower on the Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area property Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the nature preserve during their fall migration to the south for the winter.

Students from Michigan City’s Edgewood Elementary School and chaperones look at sandhill cranes from the Sandhill Crane Observation Tower, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area during their fall migration to the south for the winter. The students visited the Sandhill Crane Observatory Tower to see the cranes.

Visitors watch sandhill cranes from the Sandhill Crane Observation Tower, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area during their fall migration to the south for the winter.

Sandhill cranes fly near the Sandhill Crane Observation Tower on the Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area property Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the nature preserve during their fall migration to the south for the winter.

Sandhill cranes flock near the Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area Observation Tower, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the nature preserve during their fall migration to the south for the winter.

Sandhill cranes Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area at the end of the year during their migration to the south for the winter.

Sandhill cranes fly out for the day Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 from the Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the nature preserve during their fall migration to the south for the winter.

Jim Hill, from Riverside, IL, joins visitors as they watch sandhill cranes from the Sandhill Crane Observation Tower, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area during their fall migration to the south for the winter.

Jim Hill, from Riverside, IL, left, Colleen Keleher, from Oak Park, IL, join other visitors as they watch sandhill cranes from the Sandhill Crane Observation Tower, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area during their fall migration to the south for the winter.

Sandhill cranes fly near the Sandhill Crane Observation Tower on the Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area property Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the nature preserve during their fall migration to the south for the winter.

Sandhill cranes fly near the Sandhill Crane Observation Tower on the Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area property Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the nature preserve during their fall migration to the south for the winter.

Sandhill cranes flock near the Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area Observation Tower, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the nature preserve during their fall migration to the south for the winter. Deer also can be seen occasionally.

Sandhill cranes fly near the Sandhill Crane Observation Tower on the Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area property Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the nature preserve during their fall migration to the south for the winter.

Sandhill cranes fly back to the wetlands of the Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area for the night Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 in Medaryville, Ind. The birds stop over at the nature preserve during their fall migration to the south for the winter.