Trandansen — the crane dance site — is the main viewing area on the lake's western side, with platforms overlooking the fields where the birds gather. Cranes display through the day, leaping and bowing with wings spread, and the noise of several thousand birds calling carries for kilometres.

The Naturum visitor centre at Fågeludden on the eastern shore gives the other perspective, with hides over the lake itself and daily counts posted.

The lake and reedbeds hold a strong supporting cast — marsh harrier, bittern, black-necked grebe, and geese in numbers — and the restoration of the lake from a drained agricultural failure back to a shallow wetland is a conservation story worth reading about.

The surrounding farmland is where the cranes actually feed, and where they concentrate morning and evening before flying to roost on the water.

The crane peak is a narrow window in late March and early April, with numbers posted daily on the reserve's website through the season. Autumn migration brings smaller numbers back through.

Practicalities

The lake is between Skara and Falköping, around two hours from Gothenburg. Both main sites have parking, cafés and paid entry during the crane season.

Check the daily count before travelling — the peak moves with weather each year, and arriving a week early or late means a very different experience. Mornings and late afternoons are when the birds move between fields and roost.