Cranes are Leaving Monte Vista Refuge

[mvjo...@gmail.com]

Today at mid day, the skies were filled with the croaks of the barely visible Sandhill Cranes, soaring on the lofty winds. It was calm for a change down below and the cranes are finding the conditions favorable to move out. I still managed to see about 2,000 birds at the MV NWR this morning, but they are far into the grainfields and not very close at all.

In the last few days I have received reports of Violet green Swallow, Turkey Vulture, and Western Bluebirds arriving in the San Luis Valley. At Home Lake SWA (Rio Grande Cty), there were Gr Yellowlegs, Kingfisher, Common Goldeneye, and many Common Mergansers. Nice day to be out after so many days with brutal winds....

John Rawinski

Monte Vista, CO