Colorado Summer Week Jun 12—18, 2006
Posted by Brennan Mulrooney
Brennan Mulrooney
Brennan Mulrooney was born and raised in San Diego, California. Growing up, his heart and mind were captured by the ocean. He split his summer days between helping out behi...Related Trips
As you might expect from a state that spans the Continental Divide, Colorado is a land of contrasts. Take, for example, our spring 2006 tour that experienced triple digit record setting heat one day and a snowstorm that closed the roads just two days later. I guess what I’m saying is that you’d better dress in layers! While the weather during our tour could certainly be considered noteworthy, our experiences with the birds would create the lasting memories.
I think what stands out most in my mind was our quest for Mountain Plover. This subtly marked, unobtrusive, oddly named denizen of the high plains has become more difficult to find with each passing year. Acting on a recent Internet report, we started our day on the Pawnee National Grassland by intensively scanning a patch of short-grass prairie that had been holding a pair of plovers in previous weeks. As thousands of dollars of optics scrutinized every inch of the field for our quarry, we were constantly distracted by a family of Burrowing Owls with several fluffy fledglings. Also present were singing and displaying Western Meadowlarks and Horned Larks, and ridiculously cute desert cottontails. Finally we spotted a bird that looked promising. It was just a round head with a short, straight bill poking up over a ridge, but it certainly demanded closer inspection. Once we got it in the scope, we were all thrilled to find that the head belonged to a Mountain Plover! Upon further inspection we realized that it was a large fledgling, accompanied by one of its parents. We watched this little family group for quite a while, relishing the opportunity to witness this moment in the life of a scarce and declining species, all the while enjoying a spectacular sunrise on the prairie.
That was just the beginning of a fantastic day on the Pawnee that saw us enjoying flight displays and close views of both McCown’s and Chestnut-collared longspurs, striking Lark Buntings, an endless supply of Horned Larks, and such characteristic mammals as black-tailed prairie dog, thirteen-lined ground squirrel, and pronghorn (many with babies!). As we drove the roads of the Pawnee, we noticed that we weren’t the only ones having to deal with the record heat. Every little patch of shade had a bird hiding in it. Larger patches, such as road cuts, absolutely erupted with longspurs, Lark Buntings, and Horned Larks as we would pass. Out on the largely treeless prairies, shade is definitely at a premium. Where we did find trees, the difference in bird life was immediately apparent. Bullock’s and Orchard orioles sang from the cottonwoods, Eastern and Western kingbirds fluttered about, and we were treated to an up-close demonstration of the origin of the Loggerhead Shrike’s colloquial name of Butcher Bird.
The next morning, up at 12,000 feet in Rocky Mountain National Park, the sunbaked prairies seemed a world away. We marched out the trail onto the tundra, wearing every bit of clothing we had packed. The moist, spongy ground was covered in tiny wildflowers and the horizon was a jumble of craggy snow-capped peaks. Once again we found ourselves scrutinizing every inch of the terrain; while our quarry this morning was quite a bit larger than a Mountain Plover, White-tailed Ptarmigan is not an easy bird to spot. These birds are exquisitely camouflaged, and when they’re not moving they easily disappear into their surroundings. So we moved slowly, checking twice to see that every rock on the tundra was truly a rock. Then there it was, just over a little ridge, scurrying from one rock to the next. Moving a short distance we were able to attain spectacular views as this male bird hunkered down next to a small boulder on the tundra and slowly transformed himself into part of the stone?another tough bird, another great result.
Those are just a few of many memorable moments we shared on our traipse from the plains to the peaks, but many others vie for mention. There was the Brown-capped Rosy Finch that put on a disappearing act of its own, blending in perfectly with the wet dirt at the edge of a snow field. Or how about the Prairie Falcon that gave us a superb show, diving on a querulous flock of Black-billed Magpies right in front of us. And then there was the Northern Goshawk that soared over us at the same spot the following day. Or perhaps I should mention the Great Horned Owl fledglings that we admired right next to the park road, and then the watchful adult that we saw at the nest the next day. Then there were the fields full of Mountain Bluebirds, the perfect views of Golden Eagle, the glowing male Western Tanager perched atop a pine, and the obliging flock of Red Crossbills?I could keep going.
This tour is full of opportunities for memorable moments like these, and this year was no exception. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Colorado, and I’m sure it was due in no small part to a wonderful group that was truly a pleasure to travel with. I look forward to seeing you all again soon.