An annual favorite bird viewing event is happening this week. If you haven’t taken the time to observe the sandhill cranes that flock to the Uintah Basin during migration, you’re missing out. “They perform unique dancing and courtship rituals and then choose the best-performing bird as their mate,” shares the DWR announcement. “The birds typically lay two eggs in the spring, and the parents and juveniles spend the first winter together and then separate the following spring. Cranes use their extra-long legs as defense mechanisms, often kicking violently when attacked and threatened by predators. During the winter months, the cranes flock to fields, pastures, grasslands and wetlands before returning to roost along riverbanks and shallow lakes at night.” To enjoy the experience of seeing these in the wild, join one of two viewing events happening on October 12th. For the first, meet at the Jensen Nature Park before 7am for an auto tour that will travel to fields near the Green River in Jensen. The second viewing event will happen on October 12th from 5 to 7pm. Meet at the commuter parking lot along Highway 40 and State Route 88 to head to the Ouray National Wildlife Refuge. Visit wildlife.utah.gov for more information.
