$37
Evening Platte River Birding Tour
- 271 Ratings
Spend the evening discovering local birds roosting along a gorgeous stretch of river deep in the heart of America. Work with a professional to get an unforgettable glimpse of cranes as they come home for the night.
What You Will Do
- Observe birds in their natural habitat on a guided tour on the Platte River during the evening
- Watch native critters nesting, eating and soaring along the shore as the sun slowly descends below the horizon
- Listen to stories of the birds and their roosting routines at the Crane Trust Nature and Visitor Center
- Witness the birds heading back to their roost, something they only do in the evening
What's Included
- Guided bird tour
Additional Information
Full refunds for cancellations made at least seven days in advance.
Customer Reviews
- 271 Ratings
- Corinne
Loved having viewing site next to so large a roost, great horned owl in tree overhead, and easy path to and from the blind. But not enough windows for every person in the blind, repeated efforts to quiet the talking were ineffective, no large spotting scope brought by the guide, and the window openings were thin (makes it hard to hold binoculars steady for viewing...a thicker wall or ledge would make that easier). The noise within the blind was the biggest downside.
- SARAH
We weren't as close to the cranes as I thought a blind would allow us to be. There were multiple people in our tour talking louder than they should have been and the guide was also talking louder than a whisper so she didn't ask them to quiet down. The guide nodded off a couple of times before dusk. It might be helpful to send people the rules about camera lights before the tour so they can test their cameras at home. I certainly would have.
- Janie
Great experience overall, but it seemed odd that one of the guides, after cautioning guests repeatedly to whisper and otherwise to make as little sound as possible, spent part of her evening in the blind laughing and chatting in a normal voice. It was distracting.
- Susan
The cranes were magnificent - it was wonderful to see them, even if they didn't settle as close as I might have liked. It was pretty cool to see the eagles, too, despite their making the cranes nervous. I look forward to visiting the trust again in the future - perhaps next time I'll stay in the cabin and get up early for the morning flight! Both the guides did a great job of pointing out wildlife and educating us about cranes and their behavior; the film prior to the tour was very informative, as well. My husband and I both had a terrific time, and would definitely recommend the experience to any friends who might plan a visit to the area.
- Kris
Nice blind, I enjoyed the film. The guides were not very informative in the blind. I had been to a blind at Rowe where they brought high power scopes that were nice. Also I think the position of the Rowe blind was better as the cranes tended to fly over head more which was very dramatic. This night they just staged in a field across the river and hopped in gradually to fill in the space. Foggy evening, which probably made it harder to see. Very nice facilities.
- Richard
How could I choose anything else? It was a wonderful experience and the guides did a great job.
- Chad
The Evening Blind Tour was very nice. The guides were professional, knowledgeable, and friendly. The birds were amazing. The only downside was that the birds did not come into the river until well after dark, so it was very difficult to see them close or get really close-up photos, but I understand that the birds change their timing from day to day and nothing can be done about that. Overall a great experience.
- Becky
Crane Trust is excellent. The volunteers have so much knowledge about the cranes. Was very educational. Will return again.
- Christine
There was a significant amount of talking during our time in the blind. We found it disruptive to the experience, in fact having trouble even hearing the sound of the cranes which was unfortunate. I love the Crane Trust, and our guide was good, but again, so much chatter, it kind of reduced the overall experience for us.
- Diana
We were amazed and very pleased to see large groups of sandhill cranes fly into the staging area along the shore of the Platte River, which happened to be directly across from the Crane Trust blind--initially, there were groups of 20-30 birds, then the groups became 30-50 birds, or 50-100 cranes! The sight and sound of the birds flying to the river was awesome and a privilege to witness! As daylight waned, birds headed into the river to stand in the shallow water overnight, thereby avoiding predation. Our blind was very comfortable with plenty of viewing space for guests who were standing, and there was a two-tier bench the length of the blind for those who wanted to sit.
- Darlene
Very interesting.
- Linda
Enjoyed the introductory program, the guides and the comfort of the blind.
- Cathleen
Awesome watching the cranes land as with the sunset as a backdrop; very informative guides; would go again...sunrise next time to get both ends of the experience!
- Kent
My husband and I participated in an Evening Blind Tour in mid-March, lasting about two hours. It was cold and bleak but worth every minute. Cranes chose to roost near the blind; we watched them fly in, scout out the area, and by the time we left 1/8 to 1/4 mile of the Platte River was covered with cranes, one shore to the other. Fascinating look at crane migration. Guy was an excellent volunteer guide. We hope to send other friends along the way. It is a wonderful protection and conservation service. We are lucky to have this prairie/high plains site. Now, we will make a contribution.
- Rosemary
The accommodations were very comfortable, the food was delicious, the guides were friendly, informative, and great to be around. The blind was great, especially the fact that it was heated, and the entire "wall" facing the river was plexiglass so we could see even if the windows were closed. I think we guests were treated very, very well.
- Holly
Guy was a great guide! Lots of good information! Wonderful to see so many cranes!
January, 2019