People Flock To See Sandhill Cranes In Lodi

The annual Sandhill Crane Festival is underway in Lodi. It continues through Sunday.

"More than one-thousand people are expected to visit wildlife refuges and wetland areas in the Lodi area to see the Sandhill Cranes this weekend," says Gordon Christianer with the Lodi Sandhill Crane Festival.

The festival celebrates the migration of the stately birds that stand four-feet tall and have a six-foot wing span.

Christianer says earlier species of the Sandhill Crane were flying into the delta wetlands centuries before Lodi existed.

Some of the cranes come from nesting grounds as far away as Siberia.

Christianer says the birds have a unique sound that makes him smile. [He made a trill sound to imitate the cranes, which can be heard in the audio version of the story above.]

There is no admission charge for the Sandhill Crane Festival or most events at Hutchins Street Square in the City of Lodi, including workshops and presentations.

There is a charge for various tours, that transport visitors to wetland areas to view the cranes, as docents talk about the history of the birds. But, there are also viewing locations where people can watch the cranes for free.