Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post
Sandhill cranes soar into the sky in Monte Vista above the Sangre de Cristo mountains on March 10, 2021.
Spring arrives in the San Luis Valley on the wings of cranes and other migratory birds such as Canada geese and ducks that roam southern Colorado.
The entire valley is abundant in wildlife and open land, and is home to hundreds of species of birds. Hundreds of thousands of acres have been protected in the area, including the Baca National Wildlife Refuge, Monte Vista Wildlife Refuge, Alamosa Wildlife Refuge, and Medano-Zapata Ranch, where 100,000 acres have been preserved. Medano-Zapata Ranch offers spots to spot wildlife in pristine surroundings while riding horses through the ranch or the Great Sand Dunes National Park.
The towering sandhill cranes are one of the oldest living bird species in the world. They date back 50 million years and extend over several continents.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the 38th annual Monte Vista Crane Festival is taking place virtually. Migration is currently at its peak. Around 23,000 to 27,000 cranes migrate through the valley every two years. The next three to four weeks are easy to see.
During their migration, cranes mainly feed on small grains such as barley and wheat, but they also supplement their diet with roots, seeds, and small vertebrates found in wetlands.
The enormous span of the cranes helps lift them thousands of feet into the sky. Sometimes they disappear in the clouds, leading many cultures to believe that cranes carry souls from earth to heaven. All over the world they have been ascribed mystical properties. In honor of the graceful birds, early Spanish explorers named the eastern San Juan Mountains, the Sierra De Las Grullas, or the Mountains of the Cranes.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post
Sandhill cranes land in fields to feed near Monte Vista on March 10, 2021.
Ranchlands wrangler Lauren O’Toole (second from left) and head wrangler Skye Challener (right) and Ranchlands photographer Madeline Jorden (second from right) show students the abundance of birds, including Canada geese and sandhill cranes, during a drive at the Medano Zapata Ranch near Mosca on March 10, 2021. The group participated in a photography workshop at the Zapata Ranch that followed the COVID-19 protocols and aimed to Bringing people to the ranch not only to experience the spectacular scenery and wildlife, but also to see how a working ranch works. Zapata Ranch is an authentic working cattle and bison gas ranch owned by The Nature Conservancy. It covers more than 100,000 acres and borders the Great Sand Dunes National Park.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post
Sandhill cranes soar into the sky near Monte Vista on March 10, 2021.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post
Ranchlands head wrangler, Skye Challener, runs her horse Walker during a ride near Medano Zapata Ranch through Medano Creek at the base of the Great Sand Dunes on March 10, 2021. She and two other Wranglers led a group of participating photography students in a workshop.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post
Sandhill cranes in front of each other in fields in Monte Vista on March 11, 2021. More than 20,000 cranes spend part of their spring and autumn in this valley each year as they migrate north.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post
Thousands of sandhill cranes soar into the sky in Monte Vista on March 10, 2021.
