Sandhill Cranes have begun arriving at Monte Vista/Alamosa NWR! The first hundred or so were seen arriving September 6 by several avid birdwatchers at the Monte Vista portion of the Refuge.  They will be joined by tens of thousands more sandhill cranes on the great migration, and will remain in the San Luis Valley for around a month and a half to two months before heading to the The Bosque del Apache in New Mexico. The Festival of the Cranes is the beloved Festival which welcomes the thousands of cranes to their traditional winter home at the Bosque.