We are close to Westfield WI, so further north and west of Horicon. We didn't have any nesting real close to us until this pair came. We saw them pair up, they do this dance that was really neat to watch. This will be their third year here. I was so thrilled to see them this morning! They are the first migratory birds that I've seen back. Glad they survived their travels. Last year I visited the international crane foundation. They do amazing work there. There is always an ad in the local paper in spring asking for volunteer counters. I hope to be able to participate this year. Their population in our area is doing well. Next to the loon I love their call the best. Expect robins and red winged blackbirds to follow soon after the cranes.

Cool! I live in central Indiana and we heard quite a few of them last week. A place in northern Indiana (Jasper-Pulaski game preserve) is an area where they stop over in the Fall migration (maybe spring too?). We went one year and around dusk, they started flying in from all directions. According to the DNR, their numbers reach 30,000-40,000 that stop there. I guess they spend the night in a marsh area nearby and then continue their journey. We're under their flyway, and I look forward to seeing/hearing them every Fall and early Spring. The Indiana DNR keeps tracks of their numbers, so that people who want to see them stop-over in northern Indiana know when to go to see the most. About 30 years ago, when we first moved out here into the country, they landed in a field next to us. So neat!! 2 years ago, I heard them in January. I could never figure out why I heard them at that time.....although I think that was just before our drought.....so maybe they knew something we didn't. Here's a pic I got of them a couple years ago. Wish I could have gotten a closer pic. I like to look for the occasional whooping crane that sometimes travels with them, but haven't seen any yet.

they are my FAV bird! I love them sooo much! I pass Casselberry Golf Course on my way home from work each day and there is a mom-dad pair who had a set of twins this summer that live on the lake by the course. I look for them every single day, I call them my Crane family LOL. It's amazing how tame they are. ~ liz

Oh wow whass........what a great shot! They never seem to land around here (central Indiana), but they fly over every spring and fall. They stop over in northern Indiana by the thousands in October. How cool for you that they stopped by your house!