Posted by Arthur Lund on March 21, 2011 at 11:20 PM
Those who happen by Western Colorado during the next several
weeks might keep an eye on this website. The cranes make an
awesome sight for about 1 hour each morning.
Posted by Kurt Bowman on March 22, 2011 at 3:53 PM
Thanks for the link Art....I was looking for my bookmark this year and lost it. I am heading up to Monte Vista again this year, but never been to Eckert, so I am not familiar with the setting. How different is it for photography on these birds?
Posted by Arthur Lund on March 22, 2011 at 8:41 PM
The cranes come from the San Luis Valley. You can look at the numbers and dates of
previous years on the Eckart site. They start coming in in the late afternoon and evening.
Most of them take off the next morning between 10 and 11. They circle and circle gaining
altitude with each circle. When they think they are high enough, they head across the
desert around the tip of Grand Mesa. I have often seen and heard them overhead here in
Grand Junction about 1 1/2 hour after they took off. I have often seen them circling over
my house noisily circling and trying to make up their mind on which direction to take next.
The next leg of their trip is Vernal, Utah. I have one panoramic photo taken several years
ago that shows you the general place that they congregate overnight. You get there by
driving toward Cedaredge, but turning right (east) right in the middle of Eckert. It is a couple of miles east over a little hill to a reservoir used by the local fruitgrowers. There is
a paved road that crosses the reservoir. The birds congregate mostly on the upper side of
the road on a farmers private ranch.
Discussion
2 repliesweeks might keep an eye on this website. The cranes make an
awesome sight for about 1 hour each morning.
http://www.eckertcranedays.com/counts.html
previous years on the Eckart site. They start coming in in the late afternoon and evening.
Most of them take off the next morning between 10 and 11. They circle and circle gaining
altitude with each circle. When they think they are high enough, they head across the
desert around the tip of Grand Mesa. I have often seen and heard them overhead here in
Grand Junction about 1 1/2 hour after they took off. I have often seen them circling over
my house noisily circling and trying to make up their mind on which direction to take next.
The next leg of their trip is Vernal, Utah. I have one panoramic photo taken several years
ago that shows you the general place that they congregate overnight. You get there by
driving toward Cedaredge, but turning right (east) right in the middle of Eckert. It is a couple of miles east over a little hill to a reservoir used by the local fruitgrowers. There is
a paved road that crosses the reservoir. The birds congregate mostly on the upper side of
the road on a farmers private ranch.
http://www.pbase.com/alund/image/75798746/original