Nebraska
38,000 Sandhill Cranes Flock to Nebraska in a Record-Breaking Start to Spring Migration
/https%3A%2F%2Ftf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ffiler_public%2Fec%2Fef%2Fecefd7ba-c0e2-40c0-81b3-d83807cdda07%2F7084576035_d0e20a7bec_4k.jpg?ssl=1 "38,000 Sandhill Cranes Flock to Nebraska in a Record-Breaking Start to Spring Migration")
Sandhill cranes fly over Nebraska’s Platte River, where they gather each year during their spring migration, in 2009.
USFWS
A record number of sandhill cranes arrived in central Nebraska during the first week of their annual spring migration, likely lured by mild winter temperatures.
Each spring, hundreds of thousands of the tall, long-legged birds begin making their journey north to breeding grounds in Alaska, Canada and eastern Siberia. Out of all the worldâs sandhill cranes, 80 percent use Nebraskaâs Platte River as a pit stop, where they fatten up on corn kernels left over from the previous fallâs harvest.
Their yearly Nebraska stopover usually lasts from mid-February to mid-April, with individual birds staggering their arrivals and departures. Each bird spends about a month in the state, with their numbers typically peaking around mid-March at roughly 500,000 cranes.
Sandhill cranes can gain as much as 20 percent of their body weight during their stopover in Nebraska.
Frank Schulenburg via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA 4.0
Once migration begins, wildlife biologists at the Crane Trust in Wood River, Nebraska, conduct weekly aerial surveys to count the birds. This year, during their first count of the season on February 14, they recorded an estimated 38,000 sandhill cranesâthe highest first count on record since they began conducting the surveys in 1998. Most of the birds were found along an 80-mile stretch of the river between the towns of Chapman and Overton.
During a typical year, between 6,000 and 8,000 sandhill cranes have usually arrived by the first count. Last year at this time, biologists counted 6,400 cranes.
Scientists werenât surprised by the numbers, however, as they match up with patterns theyâve seen during previous mild winters.
âThe winter of 2021-2022 was also a fairly mild winter, and we had around 27,000 cranes on Valentineâs Day that year,â wrote Bethany Ostrom, a wildlife biologist who conducts the aerial counts, in a February 15 update posted on the Crane Trust website.
The Great Sandhill Crane Migration
Central Nebraska also saw a high number of sandhill cranes during the recent fall migration, with some birds even opting to spend much of the winter in the region. An estimated 14,000 to 15,000 sandhill cranesâand two rare, endangered whooping cranesâstuck around for the holidays.
âWe do have occasional small groups of cranes overwinter⦠but we have never before seen this large of a group stay here for so long,â wrote Ostrom in a preseason post on February 6.
Birders hoping to witness the annual congregation still have plenty of time to get to Nebraska to see the cranes. Though early counts can sometimes indicate when the birdsâ numbers will peak, their arrivals depend more on daily and weekly weather patterns. Cold fronts, for example, can delay the peak.
âThere are many factors that play into cranesâ decisions when to migrate, many of which we probably do not understand,â wrote Ostrom.
Sandhill cranes are one of the oldest bird species on the planet, according to the Iain Nicolson Audubon Center at Rowe Sanctuary in Gibbon, Nebraska. Archaeologists at Ashfall Fossil Beds in northeast Nebraska unearthed the fossilized remains of a crowned craneâa close relative of the sandhill craneâthatâs estimated to be roughly ten million years old. The oldest sandhill crane fossil, found in the Macasphalt Shell Pit in Florida, is roughly 2.5 million years old.
The birds havenât been visiting Nebraskaâs Central Platte River Valley for quite that longâmillions of years ago, the river didnât exist. But, as soon as it formed near the end of the last ice age, around 10,000 to 12,000 years ago, sandhill cranes began stopping by, according to the center.
Birders from around the world often follow the cranes to Nebraska, waiting patiently at dawn and dusk in viewing blinds located along the river. The birds roost on the braided riverâs sandbars at night, then take to the skies at sunup and head toward neighboring corn fields. They return to the safety of the river at sunset.
The birds gather by the thousands along the Platte River.
Sarah Kuta
Sandhill cranes have a distinctive aesthetic: Standing three to four feet tall atop stick-thin legs, they have light gray feathers covering most of their bodies. Their crown is a deep crimson color, and they have white patches below their eyes.
In Nebraska, the birds spend most of their time eatingâthey can put on as much as 20 percent of their body weight during their sojourn in the Cornhusker State. But they also use this time to strengthen their social bonds with one another, especially their mates. Sandhill cranes can be seen âdancingâ with each other in the fields, a behavior that involves jumping up and down, bobbing their heads and extending their wings. As Katie OâReilly wrote for Sierra last fall, the annual gathering is âpart family reunion, part singles dance, part interÂ-flock house party.â
Even when theyâre not visible, cranes announce their presence with a unique trilling sound called bugling. When tens of thousands of them bugle at the same time, âthe sound is deafening,â writes Amber Travsky for the Laramie Boomerang.
Not even more sickness could stop the No. 12 Nebraska men’s basketball team.
With a nasty flu strain ripping through the Huskers and the UNL campus as a whole, Nebraska needed a little more time to take care of Maryland, but freshman star Braden Frager and his team-high 21 points and eight rebounds led a late NU surge for a 74-61 victory over the Terrapins. Forward Pryce Sandfort added to the effort with 16 points and eight rebounds while both Rienk Mast (13) and Sam Hoiberg (12) also reached double figures.
Now with just three games remaining in the regular season, the Huskers venture west for a two-game road trip to L.A., where they start off against a USC team in the middle of a long losing skid. Here’s all you need to know for Saturday’s mid-afternoon showdown between the Huskers and Trojans.
How to Follow Along
- Matchup: Nebraska (24-4, 13-4 B1G) at USC (18-10, 7-10 B1G)
- When: Saturday, February 28
- Where: Galen Center, Los Angeles, Calif.
- Time: 3 p.m. CST
- Watch: Big Ten Network
- Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates
USC Scout
Head Coach
- Eric Musselman | 2nd season at USC; 11th as HC
- 35-28 (.556) at USC; 256-121 (.679) College Career Record
- 6x NCAA Tournament Apps., 2x Elite Eight, 2x Sweet 16, 1x CBI Championship
- 3x MWC regular season, 1x MWC tournament
- 1x MWC Coach OTY (2018), 1x NBA D-League Coach OTY (2012)
- Previous head coach at Arkansas, Nevada, Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors
- Previous assistant at LSU, Arizona State, Memphis Grizzlies, Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic and Minnesota Timberwolves
2024-2025 Record & Awards
- Record: 17-18 (7-13 B1G, T-12th)
- Finish: L, 60-59 to Villanova in CBC Quarterfinals
- All-B1G: 1x Honorable Mention
All-Time Series
- USC leads 6-5
- Jan. 22, 2025, last matchup, 78-73 USC
Key Returners
- Terrance Williams II | F | Gr. | Was off to a great start with 10.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game last year before getting knocked out for the season just seven games in; has not been the same with just 2.5 PPG in 27 contests this season.
Key Departures
- Desmond Claude | G | Transfer | Named All-Big Ten Honorable Mention last season for the Trojans after leading the team with 15.8 points per game, but transferred to Washington over the offseason.
- Wesley Yates III | G | Transfer | Another player that transferred to Washington, the Texas native was second on the team last season in scoring (14.1) and steals (40) as a redshirt freshman.
- Chibuzo Agbo | G | Graduated | Veteran guard that scored 11.8 points per contest while leading the team with 76 made three-pointers as part of his final college season.
- Saint Thomas | F | Graduated | The Omaha native and Millard North graduate scored 9.5 points and grabbed 5.9 rebounds per game in his final college season.
- Rashaun Agee | F | Graduated | A 6-foot-8 veteran forward who proved to be USC’s most dangerous threat off the bench by scoring over nine points per game.
- Josh Cohen | F | Graduated | A 6-foot-10 post that started in 25 of his 33 appearances while adding 5.9 points per game for the Trojans.
- Clark Slajchert | G | Graduated | Another key reserve for the Trojans who put up four points per game in 11 minutes across 27 games.
- Kevin Patton Jr. | F | Transfer | After scoring 9.8 PPG at San Diego, the California native saw limited action for USC off the bench to prompt his transfer to New Mexico over the offseason.
- Matt Knowling | F | Graduated | Played in 27 contests with an average of over 18 minutes, but added little production with three points and 2.6 rebounds.
Impact Transfers/Newcomers
- Rodney Rice | G | Jr. | The third leading scorer from a Sweet 16 Maryland squad last season, the transfer scored over 20 points per game for the Trojans before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in December.
- Chad Baker-Mazara | G/F | Gr. | A veteran transfer that aided Auburn’s run to the Final Four last season, the Dominican Republic native leads all active Trojans with 18.6 points per game and 71 total assists.
- Ezra Ausar | F | Sr. | The 6-foot-9 forward transfer from Utah scores over 15 points per game and grabs over six rebounds per contest in an elevated role after the injury to Rice.
- Alijah Arenas | G | Fr. | The son of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas, the true freshman missed the first 18 games of the season, but he’s been highly productive with a 13.9 points per game average in his first 10 college games.
- Jacob Cofie | F | Soph. | A massive 6-foot-10 forward from Seattle, the Virginia transfer gives USC a weapon inside with 9.8 points and seven rebounds per game as a full-time starter.
- Kam Woods | G | Gr. | A mid-season transfer from Robert Morris, where he led the program to its 10th NCAA Tournament appearance, the Alabama native has added over eight points and four rebounds in 16 contests this year.
- Jordan Marsh | G | Jr. | The 2025 Big South Conference Newcomer of the Year last season at UNC-Ashville, Marsh acts as the sixth man for the Trojans with 6.7 PPG to lead all reserves.
- Jaden Brownell | F | Gr. | A 6-foot-10 bench forward, the USC big man was a 14-point scorer at Samford last season before making his way to L.A.
- Jerry Easter II | G | Fr. | An Ohio native who went to the heralded Link Academy in Missouri, Easter II has earned six starts in his 26 appearances by scoring 4.4 points per game.
- Gabe Dynes | C | Jr. | The 7-foot-5 center led the country in blocks (104) last season at Youngstown State before transferring to USC, where he’s putting up three points per game, but has collected 30 blocks while only averaging 12 minutes per appearance.
Outlook
A veteran head coach at both the college and NBA levels, Eric Musselman was at the center of one of college basketball’s wildest coaching carousel moves following the 2023–24 season, leaving Arkansas for USC and paving the way for the legendary John Calipari to take over the Razorbacks program.
While Calipari marched his team to a Sweet 16 appearance in his first season, Musselman’s debut season in L.A. ended with a quarterfinal loss in the CBC for an underwhelming year. What followed was an exodus from the program, with top-two scorers Desmond Claude (15.8) and Wesley Yates III (14.1) both transferring to Washington despite standout seasons. Six others graduated, including Omaha native Saint Thomas (9.5) as well as Chibuzo Agbo, a veteran guard who scored 11.8 points per game in his final college season.
That resulted in a whole new crop of transfers to join the team, including the crown jewel of the haul in Rodney Rice, who played a big part in helping Maryland reach the Sweet 16 last season. The junior started out hot for the Trojans, logging over 20 points per game, but a devastating shoulder injury ended his season just seven games in, which immediately lowered the ceiling for a USC team with decent talent. Chad Baker-Mazara has stepped up in the place of Rice with 18.6 points per game and a team-high 71 assists after transferring from Auburn, where he helped the Tigers reach the Final Four.
Utah transfer Ezra Ausar has produced at a high level with over 15 points and six rebounds per contest. Despite missing the first 18 games of the season, true freshman Alijah Arenas has averaged 13.9 points per game as a starter. Sophomore and Virginia transfer Jacob Cofie is the muscle in the post, scoring 9.8 points per game and grabbing a team-high seven rebounds per contest. Similar to Arenas, Robert Morris transfer Kam Woods has been a big mid-season addition with over eight points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Plus, Jordan Marsh (6.7), Jaden Brownell (5.3), and 7-foot-5 center Gabe Dynes give Musselman the opportunity to mix-and-match his lineup off the bench depending on the matchup.
The Rice injury is massive, and could end up being one of the primary reasons for the Trojans missing the NCAA Tournament, for which they are a bubble team in the latest projections. It’s crunch time for USC, which is in the midst of a four-game losing streak after dropping contests to Ohio State, No. 10 Illinois, Oregon, and UCLA. Three of those four were winnable for the Trojans and games that could really haunt them as they search for key wins down the stretch to lock up a spot in March Madness.
Against a Trojan team that doesn’t defend well, but ranks as one of the top rebounding teams in the conference, USC is an interesting matchup for Nebraska. Being on the road and dealing with more sickness isn’t helpful, but I’m riding the Huskers for this one to reach 25 wins on the year.
Nebraska
Nebraska State Patrol troopers find 242 pounds of cocaine during commercial truck inspection
LEXINGTON, Neb. (KOLN) – Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol arrested one person after finding more than 240 pounds of cocaine during a commercial vehicle inspection.
On Tuesday afternoon, an NSP Carrier Enforcement trooper conducted a commercial vehicle inspection on a semi tractor/trailer driven by Arwinderjit Singh, 30, of California, near mile marker 254 on Interstate 80.
During the inspection, the trooper became suspicious of criminal activity. An NSP K-9 detected the odor of a controlled substance inside the cab of the semi, troopers said.
After searching the cab, troopers located 242 pounds of cocaine concealed underneath the sleeper bed, NSP said.
Singh was arrested on suspicion of possession of cocaine, possession with intent to deliver, possession of an open alcohol container, no drug tax stamp and displaying a fictitious license plate.
Singh was lodged in Dawson County Jail, and his bond was set at 10% of $2 million. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 12.
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OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Creighton Prep senior Zaiyahn Ornelas won his fourth consecutive Nebraska state wrestling title on Saturday.
According to NSAA records, he joins 39 other wrestlers in state history to accomplish the feat.
“It’s a great feeling,” Ornelas said. “It’s a feeling everybody wants.”
Ornelas won three Class C state titles at Wilber-Clatonia at 106, 113 and 120 pounds before transferring to Creighton Prep for his senior season, where he competed in Class A at 126 pounds.
“Three state titles there and then just thought I could bump up my competition,” Ornelas said.
“Zaiyahn is one of the cleanest technicians I’ve ever seen. That’s a huge testament to his coaching staff at Wilber,” Fisher added.
Ornelas was one of four Creighton Prep wrestlers to win state titles this season, helping lead the Jr. Jays to the Class A team title. Teammates said his presence in the practice room raised their level of competition.
“I could never slack off just because my competition in the state was easy. I always had to come in this room and get better or else I was going to get beat,” said sophomore Cruzer Dominguez, a two-time Class A state champion at 106 and 120 pounds.
Sophomore Kameron Green, the Class A 144-pound state champion this year, also credited Ornelas for aiding in his development.
“Zaiyahn being a training partner has helped me in tremendous ways,” he said. “When he wrestles, he’s not the nicest or shyest kid, but he’s tenacious and tough.”
Junior JT Smith, a two-time state champion at 175 and 190 pounds, said the achievement carries weight for the entire team.
“It’s something really special to have a teammate that’s a four-time state champion,” he said. “That’s something everyone wants to be.”
Fisher said Ornelas’s attitude set the tone from the start.
“He has so many skills and then coming into our room, he’s extremely coachable. Every time he came in here he was humble, ready to work, wanting to get better and that’s why he is as good as he is,” Fisher said.
Ornelas signed to wrestle at the University of Nebraska in November. He said the move to Creighton Prep delivered what he was looking for.
“This is the reason why I came here. I went out to explore, to find the best, and this is the territory that I found. If it wasn’t for these guys — the push — I would have not been there,” Ornelas said.
“It’s hard to believe. That’s kind of what I wanted since the beginning, freshman year,” he said.
—
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