This morning a pair of sandhill cranes woke me up with their weird call.

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Veryan Heal, from English Heritage, said at the time of the fire Sandhill Park was on its "at risk" register.

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Sandhill cranes mate for life, and if it is their first mating season, the bonding begins around the time they get to Nebraska.

BBC: Nebraska��s awe-inspiring crane migration

In addition to black bears, the region is home to red cockaded woodpeckers, the Florida scrub jay, sandhill cranes, Florida grasshopper sparrows and the enormous crested caracara.

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Cattle browsed in the grass, and the distinctive call of a sandhill crane carried on the wind that flowed down from ancient sand dunes in the distance.

BBC: Florida��s newest wildlife refuge

This makes for spectacular and guaranteed crane viewing, but also means that ongoing projects, including clearing vegetation off the sandbars with heavy machinery each year, are needed to protect this last stretch of habitat, not just for sandhill cranes but also for the endangered whooping cranes who migrate through the area around the same time, and of which there are only 300 left in the wild.

BBC: Nebraska��s awe-inspiring crane migration