KEYSTONE HEIGHTS – Several years ago, my husband and I were visiting Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park, one of our favorite state parks. We walked the trail from the picnic area to the primitive camping site and onto the back boundary. As we walked along the northern edge of Lake Johnson, which is now mostly dry, we heard what we both recognized as the call of the Sandhill Crane.

After peering for some time into the marsh area created by the dry lakebed, we both realized that the sound was coming from above us. At quite some altitude, there was a large, V-shaped formation of sandhill cranes. As the cranes passed over, calls were also coming from the marsh, seemingly in answer to the high-flying birds. The almost musical, lyrical sound of their calls prompted us to want to learn more about the species.

We learned that there are two subspecies of Sandhill Cranes in Florida. One (Grus canadensis pratensis) is a year-round resident. The other (Grus canadensis tabida) is migratory, spending winters in Florida and returning to the Great Lakes region for the summer. We suspect it was in November, and the cranes we heard on our walk were on their way to mid-state, where they are most abundant during winter.

In late August, we were once again at Gold Head. After finishing our customary picnic lunch, we returned to the RV camping area, where we spotted the beautiful Sandhill Cranes. We are sure these birds are breeding pairs from Gold Head’s small resident population. We encourage everyone to take a drive through the park. There is no end to what you might see – or hear.