Craning Our Necks

Cory and I were given a tip that we might be able to see Sand Hill Cranes at the Crex Meadows Wildlife Area in Wisconsin. We were given the tip while photographing Bald Eagles in southern Minnesota. It has been really cool connecting with people and sharing information about good wildlife viewing.

Crex Meadows is roughly 1 hour north of the Twin Cities. It is kind of a marshy grassland with intermittent hills breaking up the landscape. While there were not thousands of cranes, the trip was not in vain. We did in fact spot Sand Hill Cranes. From a distance they deceive your eyes a bit. On several occasions Cory thought there were deer in the field, as we got closer it turned out to be more cranes. These birds are rather large at 4.5-5 feet tall, their profile can be deceiving.

These are some of the tallest birds I have ever seen and they are only slightly smaller than the Whooping Crane, which is the tallest bird in North America. Cory and I drove around and hiked a bit, but it seemed like we were never in the right place. We managed to some pictures. Though, I really wish I could have gotten closer to the cranes as the sparred against each other sporadically, pecking around the field for food. Maybe we will be luckier next time.

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