Saturday morning, friend Russ and I drove an hour north in the cold dark to wait for sunrise. On the northern edge of the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge, there is a small dirt parking lot that makes a perfect spot for viewing Sandhill Cranes leaving their night time roost in the refuge. During October, the cranes gather to prepare for their long migration south. They spend the night inside the refuge near shallow water sources and forage local farm fields during the day. Other fall gathering spots include Carlos Avery and Crex Meadows.
Despite the cold temps, sunrise was awesome and the flight show was spectacular. Sandhill cranes flew overhead for the better part of 2 hours heading north in search of corn fields.
Still on the to-do list is to watch the spring migration of Sandhills at the Platte River in Nebraska.
