Signs of Spring: Sandhill Cranes return to Saunders Sanctuary

For residents of Trapper Creek, nothing signals spring like the sound of Sandhill Cranes.  Twice a year the majestic birds visit the Dale Saunders Crane Sanctuary, and last week they began to announce their arrival.  

Dale Saunders was a barley farmer who homesteaded in Trapper Creek, Alaska.  In the 1950’s he noticed a few cranes would show up in the spring to feed off leftover barley from the previous year.  Then the birds would migrate farther north.  In the fall, they returned and feasted again before beginning their southbound journey.

The crane gathering grew in number, and now, each spring, over a hundred cranes convene at Dale Saunder’s farm to refresh and feast at the field.  Dale so loved the cranes that, in 2003, he bequeathed his homestead to the Great Land Trust. The Alaskan-based non-profit continues to plant barley and other crops each year in the field for the cranes.

I drove to the Saunders Crane Sanctuary this past weekend.  The field was still covered in two feet of snow but remnants of barley were visible. I counted twenty-two cranes in the field and I watched them peck around.  As I observed the birds, twelve more cranes flew in to join the group.  At one point the entire flock took off and soared in an enormous circle, calling to one another.  Cranes in the distance answered the call.

A full grown Sandhill Crane is almost three feet tall with a wing span of six or more feet.  They are majestic and graceful creatures and it feels like a privilege even to see one of them.

The cranes will feed in Saunders Field, gathering into a flock of 100 or more, before they head north.  Kathy Ernst, neighbor and long-time friend of Dale Saunders, said she tries to spread some barley near the edge of the field so people can better observe the birds up close.

The drive to the Sanctuary is a pleasant drive and directions can be found on Great Land Trust’s website. The cranes should continue to gather for another week or two, after which, they will journey elsewhere, leaving the rest of the barley for other wildlife.  They will return again in the fall to the reliable hospitality of Dale Saunders field.