I was a guest on The Natural Curiosity Podcast recently. If you or someone you know want to hear me ramble on for about 25 minutes extolling the virtues of prairies, check it out! I enjoyed the conversation and host Steven Shephard did a nice job of helping me distill what’s so great about prairies into a tight 25.

Sandhill cranes are in the Central Platte River valley in huge numbers right now, as they are each spring. Over half a million of them were counted in aerial surveys this week. As a result, birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts have also flooded the valley.

I’ve spent much of the last week helping those folks celebrate and learn about cranes. I’ve also tried to build a little enthusiasm for prairies among that same audience. Leading tours through drab brown fields of dormant grass isn’t the easiest way to generate prairie excitement, but I’m doing my best! Thank goodness for photography and the opportunity to provide some visual evidence of what can be found during the growing season.

Every March, the skies above our Platte River Prairies are full of long-legged birds and their calls provide a soundtrack for all our outdoor work. Another less recognized feature of the spring crane season is an abundance of feathers lying around. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed photographing those feathers from various perspectives. If nothing else, feathers are a lot easier to sneak up on than the birds they come from. Here are a few favorites from past seasons.