Sandhill Cranes at Sherburne NWR Ahead of Migration

ZIMMERMAN (WJON News) -- It's migration time and thousands of sandhill cranes are stopping at the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge to prepare.

Friends of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge estimate that more than 7,600 cranes are currently staging at the refuge and the numbers are growing.

The last week of October is typically the time when there are the most birds and numbers have exceeded 29,000 in the past.

There are opportunities for the public to get a look at Minnesota's tallest birds by visiting the refuge either at dawn when they fly out to croplands to forage for food during the day or at dusk when they return to rest.

The Sherburne County Road 70 parking lot on the northern boundary of the refuge yields large numbers of birds flying overhead, or you can hike two miles from the A5 parking lot to the St. Francis watering hole where cranes, ducks, and swans appear.

The refuge is holding a fundraiser in connection with the migration to support refuge activities, nature education, and a future amphitheater. An anonymous donor has offered to match donations up to $5,000 until the end of October.