I’m in a Sangre de Cristo Mountain mindset at the moment. Yesterday’s photograph was made in 2023 from a perspective near Alamosa, Colorado.
Today, I’m showing you a photo made the day before from a perspective of Monte Vista, Colorado, some 25 or so miles west of Alamosa. Similar shots, sort of panoramic in nature, but today’s photo has the added bonus of showing flocks of sandhill cranes in flight against the backdrop of the mountains.
In a few weeks, I’ll be traveling back to Monte Vista for my annual sandhill crane migration photography trip. One of the things that make it such an enjoyable trip for me is having the backdrop of the Sangre de Cristo range to work with. Monte Vista is a small town in SW Colorado that hosts an annual sandhill crane festival in early March each year, and I normally travel there the week following the festival. There are always some bird fanatics and photographers still there after the festival, but it’s one of the locations that isn’t overrun with tourism or inundated with heavy vehicle traffic. It’s also an easy and beautiful drive getting there from my home in the suburbs of Denver. A great way to kick off my year of photography. Every year is a little different. Weather can be pretty good or it can be a real challenge. Last year we were hit with a major winter blizzard during our trip there and ended up making a end run to the west through Moab, UT to get back home.
I’ve been fortunate to be able to share this trip with a number of friends over the years. The sandhill crane migration is, in my opinion, one of the best wildlife events in the United States. Sitting here in sub-freezing temperatures and with snow on the ground, I need to get my mind focused on something beyond shoveling snow and staying warm. Monte Vista in March helps me do that.
