Cranes Abundant at Monte Vista

[John Rawinski]

A FEW Rio Grande County, Colorado Updates

At Home lake ….Still good numbers of Cackling and Canada Geese. There was partial ice on the lake today with some open water. Ducks were plentiful with Mallard, Ring-necked Duck, Redhead, Northern Pintail, American Wigeon, and Common Merganser in easy-to-find numbers.

At Monte Vista Refuge….Water is on and Cranes are arriving. Estimated 5,000 cranes, 2000 Cackling Geese, and Canada Geese. Most are loafing west of Co Hwy 15, but they fly out mornings and evenings to feed. First light or 3:00 pm are good times. Expect more bird to arrive this week on warmer southerly winds. A good time to get out and see them with milder conditions. They are arriving on a regular schedule, about right for the season.

Prescribed fire was implemented on the Refuge. It looked like a successful burn to me. There are still unburned areas for the cranes.

Eleven Ross’s Geese are present in the south pond on the Auto Tour Loop. These birds are smaller versions of the Snow Geese. Lately a Snow Goose or two are present for a great size comparison.

Believe it or not, I have already received a report of Sage Thrasher in the Valley. Early but big arrival of them starts in March.

John Rawinski

Monte Vista, CO

[Caoimhín Perkins]

I want to second that first light is a great time to see the cranes at Monte Vista NWR. We pulled up at 6am, complete overcast and fog, astronomical twilight — *before* first light. My partner and I stopped at the very first pond you encounter in the loop and saw the faintest shadows of cranes starting to move in the near-perfect dark. Very magical and mysterious moment, like the cranes were slowly popping into the faintest of existences. We kept driving and around civil twilight, the huge amount of noise at the larger pond they gather at was incredible, as were the huge flocks as they took off, piecewise, over the next hour. 

Afternoon is cool, but seeing them wake up in the dark is something else. Not sure if this is the right time of year, but there were greater yellowlegs in the pond right before the big one when we went.