It’s Only Natural

Text By Shelley Harms
Photo By Savage Frieze

Some special summer Norfolk residents have returned from their winter sojourns in the south. Sandhill cranes have always migrated through Connecticut, stopping here briefly in spring and fall, but in Norfolk, two pairs have decided to stay for the summers. Last year, both pairs succeeded in raising a colt (baby crane) here for the first time. 

Sandhill cranes are large, tall birds with long necks. They are gray with rusty upperparts, pale cheeks and a patch of red on the crown. In summer, they nest in the north from Alaska to Massachusetts (and now Connecticut) and spend the winter in the south, mostly in Texas and Florida. The migration route is a dangerous one, as there are crane-hunting seasons in many of the states they must cross. Norfolkians breathe a sigh of relief when “our” cranes return safely in the spring. 

This year, two groups of three cranes, believed to be parent pairs with their colts, were sighted in early March. The cranes were observed in pairs, singly and occasionally with all three together. 

The Norfolk cranes can often be seen foraging in the middle of large fields. They are omnivorous, eating mostly plants but also earthworms, insects and even small mammals. Their usual haunts are private properties, so it is best to observe them from the road. 

The good news for the cranes is that many of the places they frequent locally are protected lands. One pair is often on Westside Road, on the field owned by the Wind Fields Limited Partnership, conserved with an easement held by the Norfolk Land Trust. The other pair can be seen at Aton Forest near Benedict Pond. That area is double-protected—owned by the forest, a conservation group, and protected by a conservation easement held by the land trust. 

For as long as the cranes return to Norfolk, these places will be there waiting for them. It will be interesting to see whether they can build up a healthy nesting population here.