OTHELLO, Wash. (AP) — Bird watchers are flocking to Othello to see sandhill cranes.
About 25,000 of the birds, which stand up to 4 feet tall, stop in March at the Columbia National Wildlife refuge on their way to summer breeding grounds in Alaska.
The Seattle Times reports the refuge was created in 1944 as part of the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project. The sandhill cranes began stopping in large numbers in the 1970s, instead of just flying over.
For the past 14 years Othello has celebrated the rite of spring and welcomed birdwatchers with the annual Sandhill Crane Festival. It was nearly cancelled this year because of a shortage of volunteers, but it was revived by the city of Othello, because the event draws up to 1,500 visitors who are good for local businesses.
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Information from: The Seattle Times, http://www.seattletimes.com
