Friends, this Sandhill Crane has either just molted into his formal gray or has arrived from Northern clearer waters.  He is a clean gray and not stained red from the iron-rich waters of Crex.  I found lots of molted feathers around the feeding fields of Crex which suggests that the Cranes are molting and shedding those red worn feathers.  Some of the feathers are gray at the base and red on the outer tips.  The Cranes are flying about getting ready for the Great Fall gathering on the marshes of Crex. I am practicing my flying shots so I will be ready for the fall migration that is the highlight of my year at Crex.  Thousands of cranes concentrated on a few marshes flying into a roost in the evening and out of the roost at sunrise is a sight that should not be missed by any bird/nature lover.  They will soon be everywhere in Crex Meadows of NW Wisconsin.  til Tomorrow MJ