Date: 3/5/26 7:44 pm From: Paul Malinowski <pillarpaul...> Subject: Re: [cobirds] A bit of Monte Vista Sandhill Crane detail for those going to look
I just left this afternoon after spending three days there. When I got
there a refuge employee told me they just cut the field that is on Rd
3E just off Road 7S on Tuesday morning so when I checked it out Tuesday
evening there were thousands there (best time about 4:00 to 6:00 but that
is standard time so adjust next week). They returned to the same spot
Wednesday evening, too, although not as many because maybe half went to the
spot David mentioned. Mornings were relatively sparse in the waters at the
Wildlife Drive both Wednesday and Thursday mornings but large numbers got
to the viewing area on 8S shortly after first light.
By the way, I stopped at Smith Reservoir outside Alamosa on the way and
there were a flock of 25 Snow Geese in the water. I also found two Great
Horned Owl nests in the Valley but obviously will refrain from any more
details.
My annual trip here never gets old.
Paul Malinowski
Littelton, CO
On Thu, Mar 5, 2026 at 8:23 PM David Suddjian <dsuddjian...> wrote:
> I was at Monte Vista NWR this morning, and wish to report these details
> that might help you if you go soon to see the cranes. As John Rawinski
> posted before, it is worth being there "at first light" to see the
> spectacle of many, many flocks flying and 1000s landing near one of the
> viewing areas. Today the first flight activity was 15 min. before sunrise.
> The birds began to gather right away beside the Road 8S viewing area, and
> hardly any birds were near the viewing areas along Hwy 15. Sunlight first
> hit the cranes in the field 4 min. after sunrise. About 26 minutes after
> sunrise someone's car alarm horn went off and most of the birds in the
> giant flock at the 8S viewing area departed in response. So I was glad I
> was there earlier to have over half an hour of watching before they were
> disturbed. I roughly estimated about 9000 cranes, but it is hard to say how
> many were there and flying elsewhere.
>
> David Suddjian
> Littleton, CO
>
> --
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
> "Colorado Birds" group.
> To post to this group, send email to <cobirds...>
> For more options, visit this group at
> http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds > * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include
> bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate.
> * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/membership/ > ---
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
> "Colorado Birds" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
> email to cobirds+<unsubscribe...>
> To view this discussion visit
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAGj6RopXgQcUXcsRKnJ8KJs0trD2%3DHQn7k%<3DiKFyRzqf451RcTw...> > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAGj6RopXgQcUXcsRKnJ8KJs0trD2%3DHQn7k%<3DiKFyRzqf451RcTw...>?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > .
>
--
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group.
To post to this group, send email to <cobirds...>
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate.
* Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/membership/ ---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+<unsubscribe...>
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAMzYqKq%3D80PaGJxP_03zgd26DfosfjL6kbKgk7vG%<3D3TX_ENqug...>
