Mike’s Journey

Whooping cranes rest and feed on the Platte during migration. In 2018, a few whoopers lingered in the Platte Valley for several weeks. George Archibald of the International Crane Foundation visited with me on the Platte and encouraged me to do a whooping crane book. The idea intrigued me, but I didn’t commit right away.

That spring, I had an intimate encounter with a single whooper on a huge sandhill crane roost on The Nature Conservancy’s river property. I also had additional encounters with a lone bird and a small group of whoopers at the Crane Trust. I started to see the importance of elevating the whooper migration story. After capturing a few key photos, I decided to pursue making a book.