Register on 9/14 to secure your spot!

These tours are not exclusive to Kestrel members. They are an opportunity for Kestrels to meet up at a public event. Multiple dates are available; currently there are Kestrels hoping to meet for the Oct 17 and the Oct 31 tours. You must register via the Sherburne NWR site (linked above) - spaces are expected to fill fast!

Full event description from Sherburne website:

Join us for a free viewing opportunity to experience migrating sandhill cranes at Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge. Registration is required, and spotting scopes and binoculars are available to borrow.

The program meets at the Oak Savanna Learning Center where participants will load onto the refuge shuttle for a behind‑the‑gates tour with the potential to see thousands of staging sandhill cranes flying overhead as they leave roost sites on refuge pools. The experience concludes with a sightseeing drive through the refuge, ending back at the Oak Savanna Learning Center. Restrooms and water fountains are available only at the Learning Center and will not be accessible once the tour departs.

This tour will be observing wildlife in a nature setting and every tour will offer a unique experience. The viewing area is near a crane roosting site, but crane locations vary daily based on where they choose to roost. Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge is currently experiencing drought conditions, which may further influence sandhill crane migration patterns and roosting locations on the refuge. As a result, crane viewing may vary, but this tour still provides one of the best chances to see these magnificent birds up close.