Hundreds of Sandhill Cranes are staging at Crex Meadows Wildlife Area north of Grantsburg, Wisconsin, as they prepare for migration. The birds roost in Crex wetlands at night, leaving at sunup to feed in ag fields to the south and east of town. They return to the refuge 60 to 90 minutes before sunset. The photo was taken Tuesday at roughly 5:30 p.m. The birds will stay at the refuge until rough weather drives them away. The days we're having right now are perfect for a trip to Crex. Grantsburg is an hour north on I-35, then 15 minutes east on Highway 70 into town. The refuge is immediately north of town, the visitor's center at the junction of County Roads F and D. Exit Highway 70 at the stop light, and work your way through downtown going north. Among good places to watch the cranes return are East Refuge Road, Main Dike Road, and Phantom Lake Road, all on the refuge. (Maps should be available at the visitor's center.) The birds stream north across Highway 70 on their way in, so almost any spot along the highway (but not on highway shoulders) with a clear view east and south, within a mile or two of the town limits, would work. The photo was taken from a township road east of Grantsburg and north of Highway 70. I used a 400mm lens on a Nikon D-700 camera, ISO 2000, shutter speed 1/1600, aperture f11.