BIRDING THE MOUNTAIN WEST - COLORADO

Wednesday, June 9 to Saturday, June 19, 2004

A complete listing of all sightings from this trip, in PDF format, can be downloaded by clicking here.

SUMMARY:  It was a remarkable tour.  We explored 11 discrete habitat types through four different elevational “life zones” and across 11 mountain ranges and parks.  We thoroughly investigated the Southern Rockies, and also spent time in two other physiographic provinces:  the Great Plains and the Colorado Plateau.

The scenery was fantastic, and the diversity of life was incredible.  We observed 167 bird species, 25 mammals, 6 butterflies (too cold and too early for them), 44 wildflowers, and 37 trees and shrubs.

ACTUAL ITINERARY:

Wednesday, June 9 – We met in Denver this evening and went over the plan for the coming 10 days.  Mountain cottontails were plentiful around the hotel, as were Western Kingbirds and a smattering of other things to come.

Thursday, June 10 –  Avoiding Denver traffic, we first headed north of the city, stopping at a prairie dog town where we enjoyed good views of a Burrowing Owl, as well as many Western Meadowlarks singing away.  Barr Lake State Park provided a nice introduction to western birding; for example, we saw both Eastern and Western Kingbirds.  We saw many other great birds here, including Clark’s and Western Grebes, Bullock’s Orioles, Ring-necked Pheasant, White Pelican.  Barr Lake also hosted our only White-tailed Deer of the trip.

After Barr Lake and a brief grocery stop, we headed for Lair O’the Bear State Park, west of Denver, where the highlight was watching an American Dipper at close range as it foraged in the stream, including making some exciting flycatching leaps, and fed young in its nest under a bridge. After an extremely pleasant lunch overlooking Bear Creek and three young brothers fishing for trout, we searched for Pinyon Jays in vain on our way to Canon City.   

Friday, June 11 – Temple Canyon Park was nothing less than terrific, offering great looks at Western Tanagers, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Plumbeous Vireos, Gray Flycatchers, Cassin’s Kingbird, and a remarkable Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. Along Route 50 between Canon City and Salida, we were fortunate enough to spot two magnificent Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep rams silouetted against the blue Colorado sky.  After a splendid Mexican meal in Salida and pausing for a photo opportunity at the Continental Divide near Monarch Pass, we explored the sagebrush country of Gunnison, where Green-tailed Towhee and Sage Thrasher were highlights.

We took a break and then finished the day at the magnificent Black Canyon, where Blue Grouse displayed along the road to close out a terrific second day. 

Saturday, June 12 – One of the first things we saw at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park was an incredible Short-tailed Weasel, which ran across the road in front of us carrying a shrew.  The weasel darted into a brush pile with its prize, but with a little squeaking as coaxing it proceeded to scamper around in front of us, not 10 feet away.  The Rim Trail yielded Orange-crowned and Virginia’s Warblers, plus fantastic views.  Incredibly, the Blue Grouse was in the same spot as last night, and displayed for us again at 11:00 a.m.!  A Golden Eagle soared low in front of us, with the San Juan Range in the background, as we drove down to the East Portal of the canyon. There we saw the mighty Gunnison flowing past, as well as a cooperative American Dipper.

After Gunnison we headed straight for Ouray, enjoying the sights, sounds and tastes of the town before checking out awesome Box Canyon, its roaring waterfall, and Black Swift nests (unfortunately empty).  We then four-wheeled high above town to the old mining sites and ghost town, on the way finding an aggressive Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Red-naped Sapsucker, Audubon’s Yellow-rumped Warbler, Clark’s Nutcracker, Stellar’s Jay, and at the top, the Rocky Mountain race of the Fox Sparrow.  On the way back down we encountered three Snowshoe Hares, brown except for white paws, playing in the road,  and finished by spotting Black Swifts hunting with Violet-green Swallows above Box Canyon.

Sunday, June 13 – Escalante Canyon’s birds were everything we hoped for, and more.  Say’s Phoebe was the first new bird of the trip in the canyon, soon to be eclipsed by a pair of Chukars and their brood.  Lazuli Buntings, Indigo Bunting, and Blue Grosbeak all treated us to sightings and songs, and we were tempted to rename the canyon after the Rock Wrens which seemed to be everywhere. A White-tailed Antelope Squirrel was added to our growing mammal list here.

After lunch in Delta, we checked the Fruitgrower’s Reservoir, where four kinds of grebes (including Westerns with young on their backs) vied with Cinnamon Teal and Yellow-headed Blackbirds for our attention.

Finally, we took the scenic route to Grand Junction by climbing 10,000 foot Grand Mesa, finding Red Crossbills and Cassin’s Finches en route, as well as listening to the trills of Western Chorus Frogs.

Monday, June 14 – Today we found all we hoped for, and more, at dramatic Colorado National Monument. A Black-throated Sparrow family greeted us at the start of the Devil’s Kitchen trail, and a Gambel’s Quail sat cooperatively in a Utah juniper. The scarce and local Gray Vireos treated us to stellar views – we watched one catch and disembowel a cicada. White-throated Swifts exploded past each overlook with their extraordinary speed and giggling calls.  Perhaps the highlight was the huge flock (200+) of Pinyon Jays (finally!) which swarmed around and over us on the Uncompaghdre Plateau.  The plateau also offered great views of Western and Mountain Bluebirds, and Brewer’s and Vesper Sparrows. We finished the day with the long drive back to the Continental Divide at Loveland Pass (11,992 feet), and time to explore historic Georgetown.

Tuesday, June 15 – An early start had us at the base of Mount Evans by 6:30, with bird activity at its peak.  We walked up the road to West Chicago Creek Campground, which swarmed with Broad-tailed Hummingbirds.  Along the road we had stellar views of Stellar’s jays, and also MacGillivray’s Warbler, Lincoln’s Sparrow, and Red-naped Sapsucker.  At the Echo Lake picnic area we found many Red Crossbills and Pine Siskins, and heard (but did not see) Pine Grosbeaks.  We failed to detect the elusive Brown-capped Rosy-finches at Summit Lake, but did spot a beautiful Mountain Goat with a new kid, and also a Bighorn Sheep ewe.  More Mountain Goats were further along the trail, as was a coyote (which uninformed visitors were referring to as “some kind of white fox.”) The spectacular looks we had at a male White-tailed Ptarmigan made up for the lack of Rosy-finches, and we were honored to walk among the ancient Bristlecone Pines.  Lunch at the Mount Evans Lodge featured point-blank looks out the window at hummingbirds, Cordilleran Flycatcher, and Audubon’s Warbler.

We made our way to Rocky Mountain National Park up the west side of the front range, and on entering the park found many elk, including a cow with a newborn calf.

Wednesday, June 16 – We awoke in Estes Park to clouds, fog, and a heavy mist.  Undaunted, we hiked Upper Beaver Meadows, finding amidst the wildflowers our first Shooting Stars and Miner’s Candles, as well as four nesting woodpeckers: Williamson’s Sapsucker, Red-naped Sapsucker, Hairy Woodpecker, and Northern (Red-shafted) Flicker.  Alas, the Three-toed Woodpecker eluded us, but Olive-sided and Hammond’s Flycatchers did not. Pygmy Nuthatches were nesting in the same tree near Cub Lake Trailhead that they have used for at least 4 years. Elk were everywhere in the park, and even in town.

After lunch and a siesta in Estes Park, we returned to Trail Ridge Road, only to find it had been closed at the summit due to three inches of slush!  The mountains appeared and disappeared in the clouds, and a walk up Trail Ridge Road from the gate gave us perfect looks at Townsend’s Solitaires and a Pika. We descended the mountain as a slushy snow descended on us, turning to rain as we drove back to Estes Park.

Thursday, June 17 – We began the day with a 3 mile round trip hike on the Cub Lake trail in Rocky Mountain National Park in search of Three-toed Woodpecker – and we were successful, finding a cooperative female flaking bark off a Ponderosa Pine at close range!  Other new birds included Belted Kingfisher and Ring-necked Duck, but perhaps the greatest sighting  was a large cinnamon Black Bear that ambled past us at 20 feet! 

After lunch we climbed Trail Ridge Road to search for rosy-finch and ptarmigan.  We had great views of an approaching storm, which soon became a white-out snowstorm that forced us to turn around and head back down the mountain and on to Fort Collins.  On the way out of the park we saw several large Mule Deer bucks, and admired their bifurcated antlers.

Friday, June 18 – We awoke in Fort Collins to a spitting rain and temperatures in the forties.  Although weather conditions only worsened from there, we successfully found nearly all of our target species in the Pawnee Grasslands, including McCown’s and Chestnut-collared Longspurs, Mountain Plover, and a gift - a close-range Ferruginous Hawk that perched soggily on a post.  We saw several Pronghorns, and enjoyed watching the abundant displaying Lark Buntings.

After a hot lunch in Greely, we explored a number of marshes, lakes and potholes, adding Wilson’s Phalarope and Northern Pintail to our trip list.  Perhaps the highlight of the afternoon was discovering two hunting Short-eared Owls during a lull in the rain, a fitting close to our time in Colorado.

Saturday, June 19 – Flights home.

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