Sandhill Crane

We went to the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge  on 11/21/17.   We arrived shortly before sunset, and looked around a little, then went to Goose Lake, to wait for the Sandhill Crane to fly in. I was not sure we would see any, as the peak time for the migration is December to January. It was about 5 minutes after official sunset when they started arriving, a few at a time at first, and they came in waves for about 40 minutes.  This is a magnificent sight, and while I have seen more Sandhill Crane than we saw on the 21st, it was still thrilling to see the birds fly in.  It is difficult to see the birds in the pictures below, there is  a faint line in the sky that is flock of Sandhill Crane flying it.  Their trill is distinctive, and usually heard before the birds are spotted.  They fly high and depending on the angle at which they are viewed, they are difficult to see.  But it is an awesome sight!