This month, the famous sandhill cranes have returned to Great Sand Dunes (@greatsanddunesnps) and the sprawling San Luis Valley, where the birds spend each spring and fall. ❤️ “Cranes mate for life, but each spring they renew their bonds through a courtship ritual that includes dancing, bowing, chortling, and throwing tufts of grass in the air,” says Patrick Myers, who has been a ranger at Great Sand Dunes for 27 years. . . . . . . . #sandhillcrane #cranes #greatsanddunesnationalpark #sanddunesnationalpark #uchealth #sanluis #sanluisvalley