Sand Hill Cranes are leaving the Central Valley and heading north to Northeastern California, the Pacific Northwest, Canada and Alaska. To read more about the migration, view ebird migration maps, see video and photos go to these two posts at Audublog:
http://www.audublog.org/?p=6733
http://www.audublog.org/?p=6756
The cranes will right on time for the March 23 to 25 Othello Sandhill Crane Festival.
The Festival includes:
many tours for crane viewing along with specialty tours. Specialty tours have included Columbia National Wildlife Refuge/Potholes area wildlife tour, Missoula Floods and the Channeled Scablands geology tour, Lower Grand Coulee birding tour and Wahluke Slope/Shrub Steppe birding tour. Pre-registration is suggested to reserve your seat as some fill up quickly.
With admission price into the Festival on Saturday, you may attend free lectures which are repeated throughout the day. Lectures given in the past have included falconry, Missoula Floods and the Channeled Scablands, Woodland Park Zoo, Grouse of Washington, Othello History within the Drumhellar Channeled Scablands, Shrub-Steppe Flora and Fauna, Owls of Eastern Washington and Spring Migration in the Columbia Basin.
Keynote Speakers are Wildlife Photographers: Daniel and Ginger Poleschook and talented bird caller Nicole Perretta
To learn more about the festival including schedule and registration go to: http://www.othellosandhillcranefestival.org/home.html
Natural History Wanderings 
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