Western Colorado, Birds & Habitats Jun 19—24, 2011
Posted by Louise Zemaitis
Louise Zemaitis
Louise Zemaitis is an artist and naturalist living in Cape May, New Jersey where she is a popular field trip leader teaching birding workshops as an Associate Naturalist wi...Related Trips
To paint a picture of Western Colorado in June, an artist would create a study in many shades of green and brown for the landscape and utilize a full palette for the birds, butterflies, and wildflowers that live within. The participants on our inaugural Western Colorado: Birds and Habitats tour enjoyed four glorious days in the field sharing the sights and sounds of this beautiful region.
Our tour began on an uncharacteristically cool, foggy morning in the semidesert canyonland of Colorado National Monument. En route to the Monument, we were treated to views of a brilliant male Blue Grosbeak, boldly-patterned Lark Sparrows, and a family of Say's Phoebes as the fog slowly lifted and the cliffs came into view. A large flock of Pinyon Jays greeted us as we turned the corner onto the entrance road and into the heart of their preferred pinyon-juniper habitat. The drive up to Rim Road took us back into the fog and the visitor's center. The fog magically lifted while we were inside the building and we enjoyed nice views of Gray Vireo, Juniper Titmouse, Black-throated Gray Warbler, and Lesser Goldfinch in the morning sun. Driving the length of Rim Road, we marveled at Common Ravens riding updrafts and White-throated Swifts whizzing by. Our biggest surprise of the morning occurred when a stunningly handsome Black-throated Sparrow landed on a sign at the trailhead to Devil's Kitchen.
After lunch we experienced the contrast between Escalante Canyon's dry shrubland and lush riparian habitats. We watched Sage Thrashers, Horned Larks, Yuma antelope squirrels, and a Burrowing Owl in the sage. We stood at the bridge over the Gunnison River watching Cliff Swallows zip in and out of their pottery nests while Yellow-breasted Chats, a Western Wood-Pewee, and a sweet little Black Phoebe proclaimed their territories nearby. We made a couple of quick stops before ending the day in Montrose. A Golden Eagle was spotted as it drifted lazily over the highway, and a pair of stunning Lewis's Woodpeckers seemed to be making a big old dead tree their home just outside of Delta.
We devoted our entire second day in the field to the area around Black Canyon of the Gunnison, one of the most spectacular natural wonders in North America. Before entering the national park, we checked out Miguel Road along Cedar Creek where we were treated to exceptional views of swallows, Yellow Warblers, a family of Song Sparrows, Gambel's Quail, and some lovely Bullock's Orioles. After driving East Portal Road in search of the "elusive" Dusky Grouse, we stumbled upon an amazingly bold female who had staked a claim on the parking area at Tomichi Point. She stood her ground as each new vehicle entered, vocalizing within feet of the curious tourists. Other highlights from our day at Black Canyon, in addition to the fabulous scenery, included Spotted and Green-tailed towhees, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Western Tanager, a picnic lunch at High Point, and a drive down into the gorge along the Gunnison River to Crystal Dam where we listened to a Northern Pygmy-Owl in the distance.
The next day's drive on the Uncompahgre Plateau took us through several habitat and elevation changes. At a farm near Oak Grove we studied perched Broad-tailed Hummingbird and Wilson's Snipe, and a brilliant male Yellow-headed Blackbird. East Fork's riparian habitat provided a treasure trove of passerines including Olive-sided Flycatcher, MacGillivray's Warbler, Plumbeous Vireo, and nesting Violet-green Swallows. Spring rains and snowmelt created hillsides blanketed with wildflowers, predominantly yellow mule's ears, as well as purple lupines and irises. A real highlight of the day was the woodpecker show in the subalpine forest around Iron Springs Campground. First we spotted a beautiful male Williamson's Sapsucker. Nearby, while trying to improve our views of a Hairy Woodpecker, we discovered an American Three-toed Woodpecker who seemed indifferent to our close proximity. Our afternoon was spent in the town of Ouray, a National Historic Landmark. We enjoyed scope-filling views of a Black Swift working on its subterranean mossy nest at Box Cañon Falls. The feeders at the falls provided us with exceptional views of Cassin's Finches and Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, not to mention golden-mantled ground squirrels and least chipmunks (and a bully rock squirrel).
On our last day, we focused on habitats where water was plentiful. The lush riparian corridor along the Gunnison River in Escalante State Wildlife Area was bustling with songbird activity, including lively Lazuli Buntings, perfectly plumaged Cedar Waxwings, and noisy nesting Eastern Kingbirds, as well as numerous Bank Swallows. At the wetlands of Confluence Park and Fruit Grower's Reservoir we watched ducks, grebes, cormorants, and American White Pelicans, while Yellow-headed Blackbirds sang out of tune. But the big surprise of the morning was a raptor, a Common Black-Hawk, spotted by Michael as it soared against the backdrop of Grand Mesa! That and the eastern collared lizard who stood his ground in front of the van were highlights of the tour. We found relief from the heat of the day by driving to subalpine Grand Mesa National Forest where we had nice views of Clark's Nutcracker and Gray Jays (near the picnic area, of course), plus Wilson's and MacGillivray's warblers and a fine-looking Lincoln's Sparrow. But these feathered highlights were perhaps overshadowed by incredible views of a pika, a species whose habitat is shrinking due to climate change.