Sand Hill Cranes Hiwassee Refuge

Every afternoon the sand hill cranes can be seen and heard as they head back to the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge down river from Whitestonr Country Inn. Approximately 10,000 sand hill cranes and a few whooping cranes migrate and spend January and Feburary in this refuge on the Tennessee River.
I have been to the observation deck there in late afternoon several times. On sandbars where the Hiwassee River joins the Tennessee River thousands of these big birds can be seen and heard (they are loud) at one time. Many of our guests make the less than one hour drive to view this spectable. Judging from the number flying over now the refuge must be already filling up.