Nebraska Sandhill Migration Photo Tour (Mar. 23-27, 2026)

Register

 

PRICE: 

Early Registration: $1995 by February 20, 2026

After February 20, 2026: $ 2095

Maximum number of attendees: 12

Last date to register: March 6, 2026

DATES:

• Monday March 23, 2026 at 5 pm to Friday March 27, 2026 at 10 am.
• (optional) TBD 7-8 pm (ET) Pre-event Preparatory Webinar for participants
• (optional) TBD 7-9 pm (ET) Post event Image Sharing and Feedback Webinar for participants

Registration and Meet & Greet
Monday March 23, 2026 at 5 pm at the hotel breakfast room

EVENT OVERVIEW:

Come experience one of the great wildlife spectacles on our planet, the annual spring migration of Sandhill Cranes in Nebraska. Approximately 80% of the world’s Sandhill Crane population converges on Nebraska’s Platte River during this time. Reserve your front row seat in a private photo blind (just for our group) at Audubon’s Rowe Sanctuary on the banks of the Platte River as tens of thousands of Sandhill Cranes voice their unmistakable call, display their elegant courtship dance and then both lift off at sunrise and descend at sunset for their evening roost in the shallow waters of the Platte River. The cranes are on their migratory journey from their southern wintering grounds to their northern breeding grounds in Canada, Alaska and Siberia. Their stop along the Platte River allows them to rest and put on body fat in preparation for their continued journey north. The location of the river provides an ideal resting spot for the cranes because of the abundance of food from the wet meadows and nearby farmland. The food supply here is critical since food may be limited on other parts of their journey because the spring growing season has not yet started. It is truly an experience of a lifetime simply to witness the migration, let alone photograph it.

The trip will be led by acclaimed wildlife photographers, Mark Gocke and Jeff Vanuga. Mark grew up just a 45-minute drive from the photo blinds at Rowe Sanctuary and knows the area and wildlife well. He then spent a 33-year career as a biologist, educator, and photographer for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, primarily in Jackson Hole. Jeff is an award-winning photographer, including BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year, who has been widely published and has led a variety of nature photography tours all over the world for over four decades. Mark and Jeff collaborated to lead other photo tours for NANPA in the past including at Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

The Platte River is the prime location for photographing the Sandhill Crane migration and we’ll have a front row seat to the action since the highest concentration of Sandhill Cranes converge near the Audubon Society’s Rowe Sanctuary. Over the course of four days, participants will shoot from a photo blind at the Audubon’s Rowe Sanctuary on two mornings and two evenings with ample periods of downtime in between. The photo blind is the only one at the Sanctuary where use of tripods is permitted, and our group will have exclusive, private access to the blind for these photo sessions. While at the Sanctuary, in addition to our NANPA tour leaders, we will have a dedicated Sanctuary guide to support in getting to the blinds, answering questions during the tour, and explain important behavior guidelines during tours. The cranes roost on the river from sundown until sunrise and feed in the nearby fields during the day. Outside of those scheduled private blind sessions, participants will be able to shoot at their leisure as groups of cranes fly low to and from local grain fields throughout the day. There will also be additional shooting opportunities available at public viewing sites along the river for those who want to further maximize their time afield. Often, there are opportunities to photograph other wildlife such as white-tailed deer, bald eagles and a variety of waterfowl including ducks, geese and shorebirds.

At the Rowe Sanctuary for a morning shoot we will enter the photo blind about 6 am, and for an evening shoot we will go in before the birds arrive in late afternoon and stay until after dark. Each photo blind session is roughly 2- 3 hours in duration. Note that once in the photo blind, we stay until the end of the session, there can be no in and out. The photo blind includes wall-to-wall windows that allow for an immersive crane viewing experience. Seating is available, and porta-potties will be available for use.

Your Tour Leaders:

Mark Gocke will be your leader for this event. If there are more than 8 participants on the event, Jeff Vanuga will be added as a second leader for this event. Mark and Jeff have led previous NANPA regional events together in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks.

Mark Gocke

Mark Gocke

Mark grew up just a 45-minute drive from the photo blinds at Rowe Sanctuary and knows the area and wildlife well. Currently he lives in Jackson, WY, and has photographed in the Teton / Greater Yellowstone area for over 30 years. He spent 33 years working for wildlife conservation with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Starting as a Habitat Biologist in 1991 he then found his calling as a Public Information Specialist, which he did for 29 years based in Jackson Hole, WY. A regular part of his job was to document and convey the many field activities of the Game and Fish Department through both video and still photography, activities including a variety of wildlife captures, aerial surveys, prescribed fires, etc.

He especially enjoys teaching what he’s most passionate about, wildlife and nature photography. He’s led many photographic tours of this area on his own, as well as through the North American Nature Photography Association.

Jeff Vanuga

Jeff Vanuga is based in Dubois, Wyoming and specializes in both advertising and editorial media. His work has been published worldwide in magazines and major advertising campaigns.

Jeff leads tours for the largest photography tour company in the world and leads tours for National Geographic Expeditions, Joseph Van Os Photo Safaris, First Light Workshops and the Moab Photography Symposium. His work is represented by the Nature Picture Library stock agency. Some notable career highlights include:

•  First place in the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year and the National Wildlife Photographic Competition
• His book entitled “Fodor’s Compass Guide to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks” took a silver medal in the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill School of Journalism and Mass Communication from a field of 1,161 entries.
•  Photo District News featured Jeff as one of their top 50 States Photographers and he has hosted TV shows on nature photography for the Outdoor Life Channel and Nature’s Best Magazine.

NEAREST AIRPORT:

• Kearney Regional Airport (EAR). There are daily connecting flights to/from Denver and Chicago. Direct access from Kearney to Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island-Hastings and York, is offered through Navigator Airport Express providing 6 shuttle trips per week.

Drive times:

• 2 hour drive from Lincoln, NE
• 3 hour drive from Omaha, NE
• 5 hour drive from Wichita, Kansas

5 hour drive from Kansas City, Kansas.

EVENT TRANSPORTATION:

Transportation to and from the airport and during the event is not included and is the attendees’ responsibility. Car rental (Thrifty Car Rental and Enterprise Car Rental) is available at the airport.

Ride Sharing: We will depart daily from the hotel. Ride sharing is recommended to keep the total number of vehicles down to a manageable size. You are welcome to either drive or ride with someone. This is a great way to meet and have fun with fellow photographers during the event. If you are a passenger in another participant’s car it is customary to offer the driver some gas money and chip in towards any vehicle admission/parking fee as a courtesy.

Note that NANPA, and Mark Gocke and Jeff Vanuga, do not have insurance for carpooling arrangements and assume no liability for them. Carpooling, ride sharing or anything similar is strictly a private arrangement among participants. Participants assume the risks associated with this travel.

LODGING: 

We will be based in Kearney, Nebraska during this photo tour.

NANPA is holding a block of hotel rooms for event participants at a hotel in Kearney, NE at the rate of $139.95 per night plus tax and fees.

Check in time 3 pm, Check out time 11 am.

Hotel details and reservation procedure will be shared with registered participants.

The last day to reserve a room in the NANPA room block is February 21, 2026

MEALS:

All meals will be on your own with the exception of one brunch which is included.

PHOTOGRAPHY LOCATIONS

We will be photographing at the Audubon’s Rowe Sanctuary and some other area locations. Mark Gocke is very familiar with the areas that you’ll be visiting in the Kearney area, and locations will be based on what’s most photogenic at the time, wildlife activity, weather conditions, etc. Mark and Jeff will scout the locations prior to the group’s arrival.

PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE:

Please note schedules are fluid due to weather conditions, recent wildlife sightings and other variables.

Monday March 23, 2026

• “Meet and Greet” at 5 pm in the breakfast room at hotel.
• Dinner on your own

Tuesday March 24, 2026

• Morning photo shoot at Rowe Sanctuary photo blind
• Afternoon crane photography from local public viewing sites and grain fields (Optional)

Wednesday March 25, 2026

• Morning and evening photo shoot at Rowe Sanctuary photo blind

Thursday March 26, 2026

• Morning crane photography from local public viewing sites and grain fields (Optional)
• Evening photo shoot at Rowe Sanctuary photo blind

Friday March 27, 2026

• Morning crane photography from local public viewing sites and grain fields (Optional)
• 11 am Hotel checkout.
• The event wraps at 10 am.

 

HEALTH AND FITNESS

There will be no hiking except to and from the photo blinds up to ¼ mile. Most shooting locations will be close to where we park, but a couple will require a short walk on either flat or varied terrain.  Bring a personal water bottle and snacks. These items can be picked up in town.

WEATHER

Weather conditions can be quite variable in Nebraska this time of year. Expect anything from warm, comfortable conditions to cold with freezing rain or snow as the extremes. It will likely be something in between.

CLOTHING

At least one down layer with a waterproof outer layer/shell is recommended. Weatherproof pants can be helpful as well. Warm boots, a warm hat, neck warmer/buff, and gloves are recommended. Hand warmers (e.g. HotHands) can be helpful as well. Wear your warmest, dark-colored clothes, especially when photographing from the blind.

CAMERA GEAR

• Camera – DSLR or mirrorless, full frame or cropped sensor.
  Also, bring the camera manual should you need to consult it. Cellphone cameras are helpful for group shots.
• Lenses – There will likely be photo opportunities for your full range of lenses, from extreme wide angle to telephoto. We will use lenses in the focal length range from 14 – 600mm, but mostly telephoto. Like most bird photography, focal lengths above 400mm are recommended for effective reach and subject separation. Premium fixed focal length primes lenses work well and generally have the advantage of lower apertures of f/4 or wider (this is an advantage for low light photography situations like dusk). f/2.8 or f/4 primes can also take advantage of use of teleconverters (e.g. 1.4x) for increased reach without too much compromise on light. Zooms offer superb quality optics and offer versatility in the field as compared to fixed lenses.  These lenses offer flexibility when it comes to composing images in the field especially when compared with their fixed lens counterparts.  Image quality is a slight sacrifice in zooms, but image quality has greatly improved over the years.  However, zooms have smaller apertures such as 5.6-6.3 which makes them slower and not as good in low-light situations.  Having said that both Mark and Jeff do use zoom lenses. Mark uses a 100 – 500 mm lens and Jeff uses a 180-600 mm lens. For wider images (like a mass lift off of the cranes) anything in the 14mm through 200mm will work for this trip.
• Lens Cleaning Cloth and Wipes.
• Tripod – Sunrise, sunset, twilight and nighttime light levels are too low to photograph properly without a sturdy tripod. A lightweight carbon fiber tripod with a ball head is recommended.
• Memory Cards for 1/2 day to full day of shooting in the field.
• Camera Battery Charger and Extra Batteries.
• Rain Cover – For camera and lens protection
• Laptop Computer – for downloading, processing and viewing your images.
• Image Processing Software – Good choices include Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop.
• Back-up device – Such as an external hard drive.
• Flash Drive – For sharing images.

 ADDITIONAL ITEMS:

• Flashlight &/or Headlamp
• Cell Phone
• Water bottle/snacks/medicine
• Energy bars or other snacks

GENERAL:

This event is designed for nature photographers at all levels of experience. This tour is open for a maximum of 12 participants to give each plenty of time with the leaders and to retain flexibility based on weather and the best opportunities. For the best experience, please know your camera before you arrive, and bring your manual in case we need to look up something.

Assistance will be available in the field for those who wish to improve their photographic skills. If you already have plenty of photography experience, Mark and Jeff will ensure you get to the best locations at the best times to capture those perfect shots.

Please keep in mind this NANPA Event is designed to be a photo tour, not a photo workshop. In other words, there are no formal instruction sessions planned, there are no assignments, you will not be receiving any handouts or the like. That being said, Mark and Jeff have extensive experience as a photography tour leaders and will be available to answer questions and give you guidance.

If need help, please advocate for yourself, speak up and ask for help. Be aware that many of your fellow participants may also be accomplished photographers and may be able to help you too.  Part of the NANPA Photo Tour experience is the camaraderie that comes from sharing experiences and lessons learned among participants. If you notice someone with the same or similar camera, perhaps they can help you with an issue you’ve been wondering about, and maybe you can return the favor.

Attendance and participation at NANPA Photo Tours is limited to registered attendees only.  Anyone wishing to participate in any portion of, or travel with a registered attendee during the group event must contact the NANPA office and pay the full registration fee.

 

NANPA Photo Tour Cancellation and No Refund Policy:  

NANPA will not offer any refunds for registrations for this event regardless of when the cancellation is made or the reason for the cancellation. NANPA reserves the right to cancel any event or activity due to insufficient registration or any unforeseen circumstances. NANPA will offer refunds if NANPA has to cancel the event. It also has the right to substitute presenters if those originally scheduled cannot attend. Registrants may purchase event insurance as part of the registration process through NANPA’s partner, Allianz. More information on this option will be shown during the checkout process for the event registration. NOTE:  If you do not purchase event insurance at the time that you pay for your registration, you will NOT be able to go back and purchase it with Allianz later.

If you choose to purchase travel insurance separately, you can do so with your own insurance carrier, or NANPA members can receive a special travel insurance rate through USI Affinity/Travel Insurance Services.