Colorado Crane Conservation Coalition

Presenters of the Yampa Valley Crane Festival

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First Crane Sighting Contest

Our annual First Crane Sighting Contest starts in mid-late February as Sandhill Cranes start arriving in the Yampa Valley. The first person to spot a Sandhill Crane in the Yampa Valley and to document their sighting with a photo or video can submit their entry as part of this contest. Prizes are given to the first sighting in West Routt, North Routt, South Routt, Steamboat Springs, Craig, and West Moffat.

Photo by Holly Harker

2023 First Crane Sighting Contest Results

Colorado Crane Conservation Coalition (CCCC) is pleased to announce the results of the 2023 First Crane Sighting Contest!

This year we received 43 sightings of Sandhill Cranes in the Yampa Valley!

The returning cranes were first reported in Moffat County and then South Routt County. The first crane sighting on March 7 was comparable to previous years.

Even with all the snow the Yampa Valley has received this year, the cranes returned right on schedule. They will seek out areas with exposed soils and melting wetlands to find food while they wait for the snow to melt.

In addition to the Grand Prize (given to the person who spots and documents the very first crane seen in the Yampa Valley), the First Crane Sighting Contest awards a prize to each individual with the photo or video of the earliest sighting in West Routt, North Routt, South Routt, Steamboat Springs, Craig and West Moffat.

Entries with an asterisk (*) indicate that a photo is included in the photo gallery below.

Photo by Annette Zuber

Here is the summary of the 2023 contest winners by zones:

Grand Prize: 
Garrett Grieve. 3/7/23: Report of 5 Cranes in a field in North Moffat County.

South Routt: 
Tami Eggers. 3/14/23 at 8:30am. Reported cranes in the field at Creek Ranch.

Moffat: 
Jason Musser*. 3/14/23 at 2:30 pm. Reported cranes near Bear River Ranch in Sunbeam.

Craig: 
Annette Zuber*. 3/17/23at 1:00 pm. Reported 3 cranes near Craig Golf Course Rd.

West Routt:  
Jayden Salazar. 3/18/23 at 1:15 pm. Reported cranes off of Highway 40 west of the Yampa River State Park.

North Routt: Thomas Reilley. 4/6/23 at 7:05 pm. Reported cranes near CR 54 and 129.

Steamboat Springs:
Therese Ronayne & Sara Lustbader. 3/18/23 at 2:37 pm. Reported cranes in Marabou Ranch.

Photo by Jason Musser

CCCC appreciates ALL the submissions that we received during the course of the contest.
 The reports help us learn more about the areas cranes use as they return to the Yampa Valley and about when they are returning every year. This contest helps us with our mission of conserving and protecting Greater Sandhill Cranes and their habitat in Northwest Colorado.  While we are unable to post all of the photos and videos that we received, we do want to recognize all those who sent in crane reports during the course of the contest.  Listed below are all the other participants in the 2023 First Crane Sighting Contest.

March 15 at 9:00am – Kris Nisbeth reported multiple cranes in Maybell

March 17 at 4:00 pm – Karen Eitel reported cranes near the Yampa Valley Golf Course

March 18 – Adam Cozzens reported cranes along CR 25 Moffat County

March 18 – Cheryl Jensen reported cranes 1 mile west of the Yampa River State Park

March 18 at 12:55 pm – Kendra Kimball reported cranes over the Yampa Valley State Park

March 18 at 1:45 pm – Justin Rehfeld reported cranes flying overhead in North Moffat County

March 18 at 3:00 pm – Brandon Seick* reported 22 cranes in a field along CR 21 in Moffat County

March 18 at 5:40 pm – Ron Murphy* reported cranes 4 miles west of Hayden

March 19 – David Dietrich reported cranes along CR44 by the Elk River in Steamboat Springs

March 19 at 9:10 am – Robin Wahlert* reported cranes along the Yampa River in Craig.

March 19 at 3:23 pm – Toni Raftopoulos reported many cranes in a field along CR 21 in Moffat County

March 19 at 4:56 pm – Lauren Hilley reported cranes at Yampa Valley Golf Course in Craig

March 19 at 5:15 pm – Joey & Carter Chadwick* reported cranes on Ranney St, in Craig

March 19 at 5:30 pm – Tim Wohlgenant reported cranes on near Elkhead Creek

March 20 in the morning- Nathan Browning reported cranes South of Craig

March 20 at 12:43 pm – Jeff Goncalves reported cranes on CR 21 near HWY 318 in Moffat County

March 20 at 2:30 pm – Landa Raddon reported cranes by the Craig Water Plant

March 20 at 5:30 pm – Adam Rodgers reported cranes along CR 80 in Hayden

March 23 at 12:56 pm – Gabriel Elkinton reported cranes flying above the Hayden Library

March 23 at 3:00 pm – Suzanna Bloom* reported cranes HWY 394 / Water Plant Rd

March 26 at 11:57am – Silas Ebbert reported cranes flying above CR 69 in West Routt

March 27 at 4:31 pm – Bryan and Jennie Dorr* reported cranes along the Yampa River, South of Craig

March 27 at 5:30 pm – Tom and Beth Gilchrist reported cranes along Rammey St in Craig

March 28 at 3:00 pm – Kaby Rogers reported cranes in the City of Craig

March 29 at 10:30 am – Suz Syvertson reported cranes walking near Golf Course Rd in Craig

March 29 at 4:50 pm – Kim Ducklow reported cranes flying over Dry Creek Village in Routt County

March 31 at 5:00 pm – Cassidy Gorham reported cranes outside of Hayden

April 1 – Katie Wackowski reported cranes along CR131 near Catamount and again just outside Oak Creek- 2 separate sightings in one day!

April 2 at 8:30 am – Allen Hischke reported cranes near the airport in Craig

April 2 at 3:00 pm – Jessica Poma reported cranes in a field near Oak Creek

April 2 at 5:43 pm – Lyn Howe reported a crane in West Routt, flying toward Elkhead Resevoir.

April 3 at 9:00 am – Kacey Green reported two cranes in a field in North Moffat County

April 4 at 11:35 am – Steve Hilley reported cranes in Moffat County

Thanks to all of you who sent in your first crane sightings!

We hope to see you at our 12th annual Yampa Valley Crane Festival, August 31 – September 3, 2023.

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Colorado Crane Conservation Coalition, Inc.
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