Yesterday afternoon, during my daily exploration of our farm, I heard the distant bugling of sandhill cranes. Scouring the clear blue sky, I eventually located the flock, containing about sixty birds. Unfortunately, the high-flying migrants had already moved off to the south and their rattling bugles rapidly faded.
While Rocky Mountain sandhill cranes (which breed in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming) migrate through the San Luis Valley and winter in New Mexico, this morning's flock was likely composed of lesser sandhill cranes, which breed across Siberia, Alaska and Canada and winter in eastern New Mexico, West Texas and Mexico (see Wintering Cranes).
Whatever their destination, I appreciated their journey above our Littleton farm. Indeed, while I have encountered numerous migrant cranes on the Great Plains (see Cranes over Kansas), this was the first flock I have seen (and heard) so close to the Front Range. I'll be sure to listen for others in the weeks ahead.
While Rocky Mountain sandhill cranes (which breed in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming) migrate through the San Luis Valley and winter in New Mexico, this morning's flock was likely composed of lesser sandhill cranes, which breed across Siberia, Alaska and Canada and winter in eastern New Mexico, West Texas and Mexico (see Wintering Cranes).
Whatever their destination, I appreciated their journey above our Littleton farm. Indeed, while I have encountered numerous migrant cranes on the Great Plains (see Cranes over Kansas), this was the first flock I have seen (and heard) so close to the Front Range. I'll be sure to listen for others in the weeks ahead.
