The Crane Fest

Last Sunday David and I traveled a few miles south to Bellevue, MI to witness part of the Sandhill Crane migration.

On our drive there, all we really knew was that we were headed to a "Big Marsh Lake" that Sandhill Cranes visit in droves during their migration south. A church member had told us about it. What we didn't realize is there is a Crane & Art Festival centering on this migration that hundreds of people attend.

So, though completely unexpected, we took advantage of the many attractions: a guided nature walk, art exhibits, birds of prey exhibit, and hillside nature chats. Of course, the main attraction was the Sandhill Cranes, which were flying back to the marsh for the evening from grazing in the nearby fields. Here are some shots we took from our hillside vantage point, while sitting on a picnic blanket, munching on festival caramel corn.