The summer season may be winding down, and cooler days starting to settle in, but the wildlife is still buzzing!

Visitors this fall might find rattlers’ sunning on prairie dog towns before they make their way to their hibernaculum, a location in which they over winter.  In fact, snakes can travel great distances to find their winter home, so, if there’s a hibernac near you, you just might get lucky to see an increase in activity this fall! Read more here: http://bit.ly/1rfRUgq

Another super easy find is the black tailed prairie dog, you can see them out here almost year round, basically any time it’s above freezing. As a pioneer species, you’re likely to spot more than dogs in these town! From HWY-85, head East on CR-114 and in just a few miles in you’ll see two large towns on either side of the road. Read more here: http://bit.ly/1vLwlcf

I can’t say this last critter is the most interesting, picking the most interesting is basically impossible, but it certainly rates high on my list of species to spot, the Sandhill Crane. This time of year these birds are just passer’s by, thankfully, Colorado sits inside their migration! Did you know these birds can travel around 12,000 ft in the air! Neat, right?

Little shared secret, couple years ago, one of the research techs, while conducting prairie dog surveys, walked over a hill and flushed an entire flock! Man, what a site that would have been. Word to the wise, Grasslanders, keep a look out for these magnificent birds. Read more here: http://bit.ly/1qcOqLF

Have a story to share?!? We’d love to hear them!

~SGRC