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SANDHILL
CRANES
COUNTED
THE EVENING OF:
MARCH 2009
Wednesday, March 4 - 240
Crane-spotter, Katie Gnauck, was crossing the reservoir causeway this
evening and spotted about 60 cranes on the Figure 4 Ranch.
She returned the morning of the 5th and was surprised to see
240 cranes lifting off! We're not sure if this is the
resident flock that winters here, or the beginning of the real
migration. In either event, we have cranes. Can Crane Days be far
behind? - Jeanne
Friday, March 6 - 11
The wind has been blowing all day--not the best weather for cranes.
But there were 11 hardy birds at Fruitgrowers when I checked
just before sunset.
- Jeanne
Sunday, March 8 - 450 to 1,000
Two reliable sources, Anne Schmidt & Robin Lightfoot, counted
450 cranes tonight. Evie Horn estimated there to be
1,000 just before dark. - Jeanne & Jim
Monday, March 9 - 0
I was unable to watch the cranes liftoff this morning as I attended the
funeral of a long-time Eckert resident. However, as I walked
out of Eckert Presbyterian Church, 450 or more cranes from
last night were
calling, circling and climbing in the blue sky overhead. What
a fitting memorial to Atha Kendrick, who, from her home next
to Surface Creek, could see and hear the cranes each spring. - Jeanne
Tuesday, March 10 - 0
We drove over to the Reservoir about 6:30 p.m. No cranes
visible at that time, although one stalwart bird watcher was sitting
patiently in his car, spotting scope ready--just in case. - Jeanne
Wednesday, March 11 - 300+
North of North Road ("causeway") - Many cranes were feeding
behind the cattails making it difficult to get an accurate
count.
- Jim
Coming over the hill towards Vela's ranch we spotted 9 deer feeding in
the field below. On the Figure 4 Ranch the newborn calves
were chasing each other in the twilight, then making a beeline back to
their mothers. Spring on the Western Slope! - Jeanne
Thursday, March 12 - 400 +/-
Several late arrivals (about 6:50) - Jim
Just as we were about to drive home, shortly after sunset, the group of
cranes on the southwest side of the reservoir decided to join the rest
of the flock on the Figure 4. The low, dark
silhouettes
against the red sky is an awesome sight. - Jeanne
Friday, March 13 - 0
Cold, blustery sunset a change from a warm friendly day.
Mystery swan - solitary bird near western shore but too far
for
precise ID - dark bill suggests Trumpeter. - Will check
tomorrow.
- Jim
Saturday, March 14 - 200
410
Cranes the next morning. I don't know if
they were well hidden or late arrivals last night .
This is an appoximation because the cranes were in shrubs on the west
shore south of North Road until late (below Vela's crane point parking
area). I quit at 7:00 pm because we had great
friends over
for supper and I didn't want to be late. (I looked for swans
but
saw none.)
[If it stays warm there is a chance tomorrow (Sunday) night could be a
good one . . . and there's worse things you could do than being parked
by the reservoir on a calm evening.].
- Jim
Sunday, March 15 - 200 +
A group of more than 100 arrived after 7:00, many of which landed in
distant fields to the northeast of the reservoir water, but many
rejoined the others about 7:25 in the last light of the day. - Jim
Monday, March 16 - 1204*
At 7:30 p.m. I estimated about 1,200 - * this
after Judy
the whale kisser agreed with hubby Marv that there 2004. Anne and Robin
said there were at least 4. Martha asserted there were 2,204.
So I counted and recounted but couldn't come up with those
numbers, so I conceded the 4. - Jim
Tuesday, March 17th - 1000 +/-
By 7:30 the cranes were in three distinct groups . . . and a
few
late arrivals. Two 1000 crane days in a row does not happen
often.
[Happy birthday brother, N.Patrick Durr - you made it longer than Dad.]
-Jim
Wednesday, March 18 - There are at least, AT LEAST, 1,500 1,200
cranes
and could be up to 1,500
1,800.
(Note
the Morning increases in the count.) At 7:30
they were mostly associated
with the western shore of the Reservoir and south of North Road and
with Velas' fields below the Vela Crane Point area. [Liftoff
the
past two days have been after 10:30 MDT.] - Jim
Thursday, March 19 - 1,000
There may be a bunch more cranes than that - in
fact, others
have suggested that my estimates of birds has been low for the past few
days, which may be true. -- Still you got to call 'em as you see 'em,
and guess on the other ones you think are there.
Lots of
movement between the landed groups of cranes from 7:00 to 7:30 pm.
- Jim
Friday, March 20 - 100+ 200 by Saturday morning's count.
After a record 4 evenings in a row with more than a thousand
cranes landing each afternoon, we are going have a tenth of that with a
much bigger audience tomorrow morning. (If anyone
knows
the official email to arrange crane flights into Hart's Basin, PLEASE
send it to us.)
Reminder - check the Event Schedule page for tomorrow's
presentations. - Jim
Saturday, March 21 - (1,000)* -
This number comes courtesy of Chip Clouse, American Birding
Association, who hung in there late to show others
Sandhill
Cranes with his scopes. I didn't have time to do an accuratee
count, but from what I saw I'd have to agree with Chip. -- Jim
* Another estimate the next morning (Sunday) suggested as many as 1,400.
-- And a big THANK YOU to John Vradenburg and Rich Durnan for
their marvelous presentations today. John said that yesterday
there were still many cranes at the San Luis Valley.
Sunday, March 22 - Morning -
I went to the Reservoir to count the cranes I didn't have a chance to
count last night. Instead I saw a great many cars parked
unsafely, too many engrossed bird watchers forgetting that north Road
is still a public highway, and an occasional local driving with a
regret that he is unable to drive that stretch of North Road with his
customary 10 mph over the speed limit. When so many are drawing
deep experiences from observing the cranes and other birds at the
Basin, it is hopeful that no one gets hurt in a moment of
thoughtlessness.
My other reaction to this morning's events is - when did crane watching also become a dog show?
Although we have the best dog in the county, I would never think
of subjecting him to other birdwatchers. Yet it seems
several of today's dog owners held leases but not binoculars. - Jim
Evening - 88
With today's high winds blowing in all that red Utah dust, it
didn't seem likely that many cranes would be here, so we didn't go
look. Once again I relied on the observations of Jim Wallace who
counted with a spotting scope bounced by the gusts. It is not
known if these few birds are tonight's arrivals or holdovers.
- Jim
Monday, March 23 - 64+
Cold, bustery, miserable weather today. I am sure I saw 64 and
I'm sure I missed some because the cranes were hunkered down in the
cattails and reeds on the north side of the road. So the
question is - are these the same birds from yesterday? - Jim
Tuesday, March 24 - 0
None seen, none heard, no surprise - given the cold windy weather.
Wednesday, March 25 - 0
Same weather, same result.
Thursday, March 26 - 0
What ever happened to Spring?
Friday, March 27 - 0
We tried to count a couple of herons as cranes, but we didn't have any red paint to dip their heads in.
For those of you who think the migration is over -
I'm not sure that even half the cranes have come through yet. -
Tomorrow's weather forecast looks hopeful for crane arrivals
late in the afternoon, but the weather we've had the past four
days hasn't given us much to work with for tomorrow morning.
Tomorrow we will still have our presentations at Surface Creek Winery - see the Event Schedule page. - Jim.
Saturday, March 28 - 2
(2,000+ cranes didn't show up tonight. Go figure.
Clear Skies, no strong head winds, warmer temperatures. I
think I'll try giving up predicting anything about cranes. )
Strange gull - Ross or Bonaparte? Thought we saw a black collar.
Will check it out in the morning and report back. - Jim
Sunday, March 29
MORNING REPORT:
1) I received a report that one or more of you went to the
reservoir expecting to see 2,000+ cranes. Sorry there were only 2
there. I hope no one came any long distance because of the
misunderstanding. ( Not only do I need to rethink trying to
predict crane behavior, it appears I have to rethink making fun of my
ability to do so.)
2) Got there too late to see the gulls to fine tune the identification.
i.e. NO GULLS this morning. If I get a reliable id from
someone I'll pass it along.
3) Marvelous Western Grebe courtship displays. - Jim
EVENING REPORT - 19
It looks like the 2 from last night were still there.
Considering today's winds, where the other 17 came
from is not known.
Monday, March 30 - 2
Again a pair along the NW shore. It's winter again.
Tuesday, March 31 - 0
How many different ways can you write about nothing? I prefer to blame it on the weather. - Jim
Wednesday, April 1 - 0
No joke.
Thursday, April 2 - 700
The weather broke and these cranes made a break for it. 700 is an
estimate because so many were in brush and high grasses and cattails.
Other significant sighting: Evelyn Horn prowling the north shore.
Friday, April 3 - 900+/-
A late count (7:20pm) had cranes landing from wherever
and many birds still hunkered in catail cover (blowing rain).. Today's
windy, overcast but warmer weather suggests that at least some of these
cranes either stayed on the ground or lifted off and returned (I did
not monitor them today). But there does seem to be noticeably
more tonight than last night. - Jim
Saturday, April 4 - No count
Sorry, had to celebrate Jim W turn really old so we weren't around
Sunday, April 5 -
MORNING COUNT: 670 -
Also saw my first Canvasback of the season and three white geese that
were hard to determine until they flew overhead - no Dick Cheney snear
on the bill so they were Ross's Goose.
EVENING: 300 to 600
WHAT?? Simple - there were close to 600 at 6:30 pm
and only half that at 7:45. I don't know what happened , but I am
trying to contact someone who might have been watching. - Jim
Monday, April 6
MORNING - @ 500
Around 9:00 am there were more than the 300 - it looks like a bunch had
gone into the tall grasses beyond what was evident last night. -
Jim
EVENING - 1,000 +
This is the probably the beginning of the end of this spring's Sandhill
Crane migration. - A warm, windless evening with lots of other
waterfowl to watch.
(Evelyn Horn's phone message said she estimated 600 cranes tonight.] - Jim
Tuesday, April 7 - 850+
The kind of spring weather we all (cranes included) have been waiting for! -Jim
Wednesday, April 8 - 300ish
Thursday, April 9 - 125
(According to Evelyn Horn)
(236 counted the next morning)
Friday, April 10 - 180
Most were very late arrivals.
Saturday, April 11 - 32+
Sunday, April 12 - 5
(At 7:10 pm saw 20 cranes flying towards the Grand Mesa)
Monday, April 13 - 80+
[Sorry -out of town so no timely report - Loons have been reported by the dam.]
Tuesday, April 14 - ?
[Sorry - no chance for a count yet]
Wednesday, April 15 - 18
The best I could do -extreme wind - whitecaps on the reservoir.
PARKING:
PLEASE
find a place to park that is off the pavement and PLEASE do not set up
your tipods on the pavement! The Sheriff's
Department join
many of us with concern about safety from irresponsible
behavior
on the county road (drivers and bird watchers) while crane watching.
General
disclaimer:
We
try to count Cranes around sunset
to
include the late arrivals,
and
to provide you with an idea
of
how many birds you may encounter
the
next morning at “liftoff” (usually
between 10:00
and 11:00 a.m daylight savings time).
Crane
counts are estimates of what
was
seen by one or more observers.
The
bigger the number of Cranes counted
the
less likely the number is accurate.
These
numbers are most useful
when
looked at as relative numbers
of
Cranes from day to day.
Sometimes
the counts we post
in
the evening are modified the
next
morning when we feel more
confident
with the accuracy of
the
morning count.
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OTHER
BIRD SPECIES SIGHTED 2009
at,
or adjacent to, the RESERVOIR:
American Bald Eagle
American Coot
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Canada Goose
Western Meadowlark
Common Raven
Red-shafted Flicker
Common Merganser
Red-tailed Hawk
Great Blue Heron
Red-winged Blackbird
Northern Shoveler
Green-winged Teal
Brown-headed Cowbird
European Starling
Northern Harrier
Swan (Trumpeter?)
Killdeer
Ring-necked Pheasant
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler (nm)
American Kestrel (nm)
American Robin
American Avocet
Mourning Dove
Redhead
Ring-Necked Duck
Double-Crested Cormorant
Western Grebe
Bonaparte's Gull (nm&bd)
Canvasback
Ross's Goose
Golden Eagle
Red-necked Grebe
Eurasion Collared Dove
Violet-green Swallow
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Crane Sightings and Other Observations at Fruitgrowers
Reservoir and the Surrounding Area
CRANE
COUNTS FOR 2008
