The late naturalist Aldo Leopold called it “a pandemonium of trumpets, rattles, croaks and cries” – the chorus of sandhill cranes as they rise up into the air like something out of the Jurassic period. The big, leggy birds live in pairs but travel in flocks, and in preparation for migration, they congregate or “stage” in wetland areas. By the mid-1930s, the sandhill crane population in Wisconsin was down to 25 breeding pairs, which in 1937 prompted Leopold to write his “Marshland Elegy,” a lament for our loss of wetlands, and by extension, cranes. He would be thrilled to know that, today, in November and December cranes stage near the Baraboo home of the Aldo Leopold Foundation by the thousands. Viewing opportunities – mostly from the comfort of your car – abound in Wisconsin’s wetland areas. Pack your binoculars and long-lens cameras before heading out to these hotspots:
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
Horicon Marsh
DODGE AND FOND DU LAC COUNTIES
A silted-in glacial lake, the largest freshwater cattail marsh in the U.S. is divided between state and national refuges for 50 square miles of prime migration viewing. “We see the highest numbers of sandies at Horicon in November,” says bird photographer Claire Werner. “Last December, there were still a couple thousand in the farm fields along Highway Z.”
Crex Meadows State Wildlife Area
GRANTSBURG
Follow the 24-mile auto tour through 30,000 acres of restored wetlands, flowages and prairie in northwestern Wisconsin. Crex posts wildlife updates on its website, including best locations and times of day for viewing.
Necedah National Wildlife Refuge
NECEDAH
These 44,000 acres are part of the 7,800-square-mile Great Central Wisconsin Swamp, the state’s largest wetland bog, and is popular for cranes, including the rare whooping crane.
White River Marsh
PRINCETON
The marsh sees large numbers of cranes, and a rustic road that offers excellent wildlife viewing runs right through the heart of it. Whooping cranes are released here, so it is closed to the public until Oct. 16.
Shack of All Trades
A CHICKEN COOP Leopold converted into a cabin along the Wisconsin River near Baraboo is the site of the state’s largest crane congregation. The Aldo Leopold Shack and Farm is open for visitors May through October but becomes crane central for the two months thereafter. Options include viewing tours, bird blinds and even virtual tours with world-renowned ornithologist Stan Temple. On Nov. 10-11, The Shack and the nearby International Crane Foundation will host the second annual Great Midwest Crane Fest, which will offer guided tours, photography and crane behavior workshops, and conservation-related lectures. Tickets are required for all these events.
