Bye Bye Gainesville

The Sandhill Cranes that over winter here by the thousands, have begun their 'Kettling". February is the month when these large, beautiful birds typically begin their migration northward. Last year I blipped this  impressive event on the 11th of February...GOODBYE. The Sandhills circle in large groups, calling loudly as they do. They are calling other Cranes to join them for the arduous trip and when the 'flock' grows to a large number, sometimes a thousand birds or more, they form giant Vs and bid us farewell until next Fall. The sound of their calling is something that once you hear, will never forget! Fly over HERE for a short video on 'YouTube' of this Kettling. I know that I'm not alone thinking of how much I will miss them. Florida has a resident year-round population of about 500 or so Sandhills and I see a couple here and a couple there. But nothing like the spectacle we witness during the Winter months.