(Video) Wild Wednesday, Sandhill Cranes

It's November and like many birds, the Sandhill Cranes are preparing for their long journey south.

A couple weeks ago, Zach and I came upon this staging area of Sandhill Cranes. A staging area is where cranes gather in large masses to migrate south for the winter. 

The first time I saw a Sandhill, I thought it was a Whooping Crane, I remembered vaguely seeing one in a bird book a while back and I knew they had similar coloring with a red spot on the head, and I knew they were in danger.

I was so excited, frantically grabbing at my camera, I imagined  submitting my photos to The Audubon Society, or at least the local nature center. Turns out, it was a Sandhill Crane, which wasn't quite as exciting as a Whooping Crane, but none the less, pretty cool.

The Sandhill Crane is the tallest bird in Michigan. To view more interesting facts about the Sandhill Crane, visit Sandhill Crane Fast Facts. Make sure you click the Vocalizations tab, to hear what they sound like. They are EXTREMELY loud!

Here are some photos I took last spring. He is trying his best dance moves to impress her, and sadly, she is completely ignoring him.