COLORADO MBW SUMMARY ~ APRIL 13 - 21, 2013
The cliché is to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, and I can't think of a MBW for which this was ever more appropriate! Given how cold it was and especially our five days of delays and difficulties caused by too many snowfalls, we could certainly be forgiven for missing several things, but we ended up lacking just one or two Colorado specialties. Only Roy heard an unseen Dusky Grouse as it flushed, we needed a better look at Pinyon Jay, and just a few "non-Minnesota" but widespread-elsewhere species weren't around, but that's about it. In all, we had 155 species, about a dozen more than in 2010.
The weather we had to deal with was obviously daunting, as it resulted in some driving headaches – especially en route to the Gunnison Sage-Grouse lek (our guide twice spun off the road), along Hwy 24 (our worst drive, on a road which should have been closed), on Hwy 14 up to and over Cameron Pass (where we often wondered where the road was), and on ice-covered Hwy 14 to the Pawnee Grasslands (which were unplowed and inaccessible).
The snow also foiled our first attempt to see Gunnison Sage-Grouse (we had to adjust our itinerary to see them the next day); closed Loveland Pass and the ptarmigan access for days (it opened just in time on our last day); eliminated access to a traditional Dusky Grouse site and almost made the Greater Sage-Grouse road impassable (though we made it through to witness close displaying males); precluded most birding opportunities at Moose Visitors Center and in Poudre Canyon; blocked our chances for plovers and longspurs at Pawnee (we did see both elsewhere); limited our first birding attempts at Genesee (it was better there the second time); and caused an avalanche at Loveland, the day before we finally made it up to see ptarmigans.
At the same time and on the plus side, at least the snow did bring in the best rosy-finch show I've ever seen – the Blacks were especially conspicuous at that feeder on Evelyn Lane. It also concentrated lots of flickers, larks, robins, juncos, meadowlarks, and longspurs (including McCown's) along the shoulders of various roadsides – though much of the time it was unsafe to stop for long to study them.
Other memorable highlights included: our only Ferruginous Hawk sitting in the snow near Walden; a Golden-crowned Sparrow at Red Rocks the next day (after the snow finally stopped), along with both Lewis's Woodpecker and Juniper Titmouse along Hwy 115; observing a nice Lesser Prairie-Chicken display and an unexpected Barn Owl with the Dorenkamps on our last full day, plus a Mountain Plover after three unsuccessful searches; and our final, spectacular morning with Williamson's Sapsuckers and White-tailed Ptarmigans! All these plus multiple Cinnamon Teal, Golden Eagles, Burrowing Owls, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Say's Phoebes, Pygmy Nuthatches, Mountain Chickadees, Am Dippers, Mountain Bluebirds, various junco forms, and others not normally (or never) found in Minnesota.
ITINERARY
April 13 – Mid-morning arrival at Denver airport; drive to Gunnison via Hwy 285, Poncha Springs birding, and Hwy 50; dinner at Viva Mexico and first of 2 nights (1 unplanned) at Rodeway Inn.
April 14 – Waunita Gunnison Sage-Grouse-less lek in the pre-dawn snow and fog (via snowy Hwy 50), Evelyn Ln rosy-finch feeders (!) and Hwy 135 dipper, and afternoon at Black Canyon; dinner at Ol' Miner Steakhouse and evening check of Waunita lek.
April 15 – Successful return to Waunita lek, Poncha Springs, Buena Vista (briefly), snowy Leadville to I-70 drive on should-have-been-closed Hwy 24, and continue on Hwy 131 to Steamboat Springs; dinner at Old Town Pub, evening visit to unplowed California Park Rd (and its inaccessible Dusky Grouse), and night at Steamboat Mountain Lodge.
April 16 – Morning loop drive on Hwy 40-Twenty Mile Rd-Hwy 131, drive to Walden via Muddy Creek Trailhead and check of Greater Sage-Grouse lek near Coalmont, and afternoon option to Walden Reservoir and Arapahoe NWR; dinner at River Rock Cafe, evening sage-grouse drive on CR 12W, and night at North Park Inn.
April 17 – Snowy but successful pre-dawn drive to Coalmont lek, post-breakfast return to Walden Reservoir and Arapahoe, and drive in heavy snow to Fort Collins via Moose Visitors Center (briefly), over Cameron Pass (barely), and Poudre Canyon (mostly Poudre Park feeders); dinner at Cooper Smith's, waxwing search in Ft Collins, and night at La Quinta.
April 18 – Icy drive to inaccessible Pawnee National Grasslands, snowy Genesee Mountain Park, Red Rocks Trading Post feeders, and continue to Pueblo via Hwy 115-Turkey Creek Recreation Area-Brush Hollow Reservoir; dinner at Jorge's and night at Microtel Inn.
April 19 – Valco Ponds-Pueblo Reservoir, IL Road north of Boone, Lake Cheraw, and John Martin Reservoir en route to Lamar; dinner at Mission Villanueva and night at Blue Spruce Inn.
April 20 – Lesser Prairie-Chicken lek south of Holly with Fred Dorenkamp/Arena Dust Tours, breakfast/owling at Dorenkamps, CR 10 plover scan, successful Mountain Plover search/return to IL Road, and continue to Denver via Penrose-Hwy 115-Turkey Creek; dinner at Macaroni Grill and night at Lakewood La Quinta.
April 21 – Final morning and return to Genesee Park (for sapsuckers!) and reopened Loveland Pass (for ptarmigans!!); return to Denver airport for afternoon flights home.
BIRD LIST (155 species; boldface = "non-Minnesota" birds: i.e., not on the MN Regular list)
Snow Goose
Ross's Goose
Canada Goose
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal (several)
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Barrow's Goldeneye (female seen by some near Leadville)
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Scaled Quail (best at Pueblo Reservoir)
Ring-necked Pheasant
Greater Sage-Grouse (16 displaying males, 0 females; plus one on CR 12W)
Gunnison Sage-Grouse (9 distantly at the lek, 1 female along the road)
White-tailed Ptarmigan (2 practically seen from Loveland's parking lot!)
(Dusky Grouse / heard by Roy as it flushed at Black Canyon)
Lesser Prairie-Chicken (14 displaying males, 3 females)
Wild Turkey
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Eared Grebe
Western Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
American White Pelican
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Cooper's Hawk
Northern Goshawk (unexpected imm at Black Canyon)
Swainson's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Ferruginous Hawk (only one, but seen well near Walden)
Rough-legged Hawk
Golden Eagle (several)
American Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon
Prairie Falcon (only 2 seen?)
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
Snowy Plover (Lake Cheraw)
Killdeer
Mountain Plover (finally, on IL Road!)
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet
Lesser Yellowlegs
Long-billed Curlew
Marbled Godwit
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Baird's Sandpiper
Wilson's Snipe
Wilson's Phalarope
Bonaparte's Gull
Franklin's Gull
Ring-billed Gull
California Gull
Herring Gull
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
White-winged Dove (Poncha Springs and Penrose)
Mourning Dove
Barn Owl (after breakfast at Dorenkamp's)
Burrowing Owl (best along IL Road)
Short-eared Owl (unexpected Black Canyon fly-by)
Belted Kingfisher
Lewis's Woodpecker (twice at Turkey Creek Recreation Area)
Williamson's Sapsucker (finally, a pair at Genesee!)
Red-naped Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Say's Phoebe (several)
Loggerhead Shrike
Gray Jay
Pinyon Jay (brief, distant view near Poncha Springs)
Steller's Jay
Blue Jay
Western Scrub-Jay
Clark's Nutcracker (best at Poncha Springs)
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Common Raven
Horned Lark
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow (Pueblo Reservoir)
Bank Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
Juniper Titmouse (Brush Hollow and Turkey Creek)
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch (best at Genesee)
Rock Wren
American Dipper (several)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Western Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird (several)
Townsend's Solitaire
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
Sage Thrasher (best along IL Road)
Curve-billed Thrasher (ditto)
European Starling
American Pipit
Cedar Waxwing
Chestnut-collared Longspur (seen by some with the McCown's)
McCown's Longspur (grounded along the road near Walden)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (both Myrtle and Audubon's)
Spotted Towhee
American Tree Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Fox Sparrow (Slate-colored form at Red Rocks Trading Post)
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow (wintering adult at Red Rocks)
Dark-eyed Junco (4 forms: Oregon, Pink-sided, Gray-headed, Slate-colored)
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Common Grackle
Great-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (both Hepburn's and nominate forms at Evelyn Ln)
Black Rosy-Finch (the best-looking rosy-finch and the most ever!)
Brown-capped Rosy-Finch (the most common but least colorful)
Cassin's Finch (best at Poncha Springs and Evelyn Ln)
House Finch
Red Crossbill (mostly heard at Genesee)
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
Mammal list:
Mountain Cottontail
Desert Cottontail
Black-tailed Jackrabbit
White-tailed Jackrabbit
Abert's Squirrel
Eastern Fox Squirrel
Least Chipmunk
Rock Squirrel
Wyoming Ground Squirrel
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Striped Skunk
Porcupine
Coyote
Red Fox
Mule Deer
Moose
Elk
Bighorn Sheep
Pronghorn
* * *
COLORADO MBWEEK SUMMARY / April 10-18, 2010
Sure, it was cold on a few of the mornings, but most days were decidedly pleasant with almost nothing in the way of high winds or snowfall. Indeed, the only snow was light in nature, falling between Walden and the Poudre River and hardly slowing us down at all. (Of course, there was plenty of snow the previous week, leaving behind a Lake John snow drift that I could have done without.)
No, we didn't quite find everything we wanted (no one ever does), but the only significant misses we really looked for were Dusky Grouse, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Lewis's Woodpecker, Clark's Nutcracker, Juniper Titmouse, and Canyon Wren. On the other hand, however, I'd have to say these were easily offset by our especially memorable observations of both Gunnison and Greater sage-grouse, White-tailed Ptarmigans, Prairie Falcons, Mountain Plovers, Western Sandpipers, a Pinyon Jay, McCown's Longspurs, all 3 rosy-finches, and many others.
The scenery was nothing less than spectacular at times, and there were numerous locations which I particularly enjoyed, either for their productive birding or scenery or both: e.g., Poncha Springs, Walden Reservoir, Moose Visitors Center, Pawnee Grasslands, Amache, Lake Cheraw, Garden of the Gods, Genesee Park, Loveland Pass, and Red Rocks Park. And I'm sure there are several other sites I'm forgetting which were just as memorable for you.
I was also quite pleased with the logistics involved, especially considering this was our first MBW here. There will be some adjustments in the itinerary next time (in 2012?), but all the motels and most of the restaurants worked out well. The "mom-and-pop" Blue Spruce Motel worked out especially well (it was amazing for them to offer a 3:15 breakfast without being asked). The Mission Villanueva restaurant across the street was also a nice surprise, as were other places I'd never been to: Cooper Smith's in Fort Collins, La Baguette in Colorado Springs, and the Last Shot near Golden Gate Canyon.
ITINERARY
April 10 – Meet at Denver airport; afternoon drive to Gunnison via Hwy 285, birding in Poncha Springs, and Hwy 50.
April 11 – Waunita Hot Springs Gunnison Sage-Grouse lek, rosy-finch feeders in Crested Butte, and afternoon drive to Steamboat Springs via brief stops in Buena Vista and Kremmling.
April 12 – Dusky Grouse search (unsuccessfully) on Co Rd 80 north of Hayden, Co Rd 70, Twenty Mile Road Sharp-tailed Grouse lek, and drive to Walden via Rabbit Ears Pass, Muddy Creek Trailhead, Coalmont area, Walden Reservoir, and Lake John.
April 13 – Greater Sage-Grouse lek near Coalmont, and drive to Fort Collins via Walden Reservoir, Hwy 14 moose area, Moose Visitors Center, Cameron Pass, and along Poudre River.
April 14 – Pawnee National Grasslands, and afternoon drive to Lamar via back roads south of Fort Morgan, Hwy 71, Hwy 40, and Hwy 287.
April 15 – Lesser Prairie-Chicken lek with Fred Dorenkamp/Arena Dust Tours, Amache internment camp, and drive to Pueblo via John Martin Reservoir, Boggsville, Lake Cheraw, and Meredith Reservoir (briefly).
April 16 – Boone and vicinity east of Pueblo, Valco Ponds / Pueblo Reservoir, and drive to Denver via Garden of the Gods and Genesee Park.
April 17 – Loveland Pass ptarmigan, Golden Gate Canyon State Park, White Ranch County Park, and Red Rocks Park.
April 18 – Morning option to Genesee Park and Dinosaur Ridge, and return to Denver airport for flights home.
BIRD LIST (boldface = Casual, Accidental, or absent in Minnesota)
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
Cinnamon Teal (Walden Reservoir)
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Scaled Quail (best view at Amache)
Ring-necked Pheasant
Greater Sage-Grouse (at least 15 males + 9 females within a few feet of the vehicles)
Gunnison Sage-Grouse (much closer than usual to the road; total of 54)
White-tailed Ptarmigan (we saw 2 in perhaps record time – and during pleasant weather)
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Lesser Prairie-Chicken (from Fred Dorenkamp's school bus)
Wild Turkey
Eared Grebe
Western Grebe
Clark's Grebe
American White Pelican
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Snowy Egret
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Swainson's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Ferruginous Hawk (only one seen, but close in flight at Pawnee Grasslands)
Rough-legged Hawk
Golden Eagle
American Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon
Prairie Falcon (best views at Garden of the Gods)
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
Snowy Plover (Lake Cheraw)
Killdeer
Mountain Plover (especially close to the road at Pawnee)
Black-necked Stilt (Lake Cheraw)
American Avocet
Greater Yellowlegs
Long-billed Curlew (only seen as fly-bys)
Western Sandpiper (close at Lake Cheraw)
Least Sandpiper
Baird's Sandpiper
Wilson's Snipe
Bonaparte's Gull
Franklin's Gull
Ring-billed Gull
California Gull (best at Walden Reservoir)
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Great Horned Owl
Burrowing Owl (best at Pawnee)
White-throated Swift (Garden of the Gods)
Belted Kingfisher
Williamson's Sapsucker (almost easy at Genesee)
Red-naped Sapsucker (first seen at Poncha Springs)
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
American Three-toed Woodpecker (Golden Gate Canyon State Park)
Northern Flicker
Black Phoebe (staked-out rarity at Valco Ponds)
Say's Phoebe
Loggerhead Shrike
Gray Jay
Steller's Jay
Blue Jay
Western Scrub-Jay
Pinyon Jay (only at Poncha Springs)
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Chihuahuan Raven
Common Raven
Horned Lark
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow (especially at Valco Ponds)
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch (especially at Genesee)
Brown Creeper
Rock Wren (John Martin Reservoir dam)
American Dipper (along the Poudre River)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (only one the last morning)
Western Bluebird (White Ranch and Genesee)
Mountain Bluebird
Townsend's Solitaire
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
Sage Thrasher
Curve-billed Thrasher (Pueblo Reservoir)
European Starling
American Pipit
Yellow-rumped Warbler (only one Myrtle type; Poudre Park)
Spotted Towhee
Canyon Towhee (Pueblo Reservoir)
Chipping Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Lark Bunting (only one fly-by at Amache)
Grasshopper Sparrow (mostly heard from Fred's bus)
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco (3 varieties: Gray-headed, Oregon, Pink-sided)
McCown's Longspur (lots of nice looks at Pawnee)
Chestnut-collared Longspur (easier than usual at Pawnee)
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Common Grackle
Great-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (a few well-marked males in Crested Butte)
Black Rosy-Finch (just 1 female in Crested Butte)
Brown-capped Rosy-Finch (easy at Crested Butte and Moose Visitors Center)
Pine Grosbeak
Cassin's Finch (first seen at Poncha Springs)
House Finch
Red Crossbill (especially at Genesee, Golden Gate Canyon, and White Ranch)
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
Evening Grosbeak (near the Golden Gate Canyon feeders)
House Sparrow
Also seen:
Black-tailed Jackrabbit
cottontail, sp.
Abert's Squirrel
Red Squirrel
Least Chipmunk
Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel
Wyoming Ground Squirrel
Gunnison's Prairie Dog
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Muskrat
Badger
Coyote
Mule Deer
Moose
Elk
Bighorn Sheep
Pronghorn
Boreal Chorus Frog (heard only)
garter snake, sp.
* * *
PHOTO GALLERY
Scaled Quail (KRE photo)
Cassin's Finch (KRE photo)
Black, Gray-crowned, and Brown rosy-finches (KRE photo)
Greater Sage-Grouse (2016, Jena Highkin photo)
Red Crossbill (2016, Deb Fellows photo)
Pawnee National Grasslands (KRE photo)
Swift Fox (KRE photo)
Gunnison Sage-Grouse (KRE photo)
White-tailed Ptarmigan (2016, Deb Fellows photo)
Lesser Prairie-Chicken (KRE photo)
Ferruginous Hawk nest (2016, Deb Fellows photo)
Mountain Plover (2016, KRE photo)
female Williamson's Sapsucker (2016, Jena Highkin photo)
American Three-toed Woodpecker (KRE photo)
Prairie Falcon (2016, Deb Fellows photo)
Pinyon Jay (2016, Deb Fellows photo)
Steller's Jay (2016, Jena Highkin photo)
Clark's Nutcracker (2016, Deb Fellows photo)
Mountain Chickadee (KRE photo)
Pygmy Nuthatch (2016, Jena Highkin photo)
American Dipper (2016, Jena Highkin photo)
Western Bluebird (KRE photo)
Sage Thrasher (2016, Jena Highkin photo)
McCown's Longspur (KRE photo)
Also see the PHOTO GALLERY
following the summaries of the 2016, 2013, and 2010 MBWeeks
__________
COLORADO MBW SUMMARY ~ APRIL 2 - 10, 2016
After the MBWeek in 2013 had so many travel difficulties due to snowstorms, it was a nice change of pace to have hardly any weather problems this year! About the only snow we encountered this time was moderate, short-lived, and limited to just part of Day 5 as we just took our time going over Cameron Pass, followed by our inability to do much birding in the high winds in usually-birdy Poudre Canyon. But that’s about all there was to it, even though this MBW was 10 days earlier in the month when you’d expect more potential for bad weather.
True, the earlier dates this year meant that fewer migrants were in, and our week’s total of 137 species was 18 less than in 2013. Still, we came up with virtually all of Colorado’s April specialties as we were more interested in quality rather than quantity. The gallinaceous birds led the list of highlights, of course: Gunnison Sage-Grouse, though now farther from the blind than in past years; Greater Sage-Grouse still displaying close at hand right next to the cars; Lesser Prairie-Chickens, which were almost a no-show, but found just two days before our tour in Fred’s school bus, and we didn’t have to drive 150 miles into Kansas to find them as others had to do; and those White-tailed Ptarmigans at Loveland Pass – even visible from the side of the road.
Equally special among this tour’s highlights were the cooperative and closer-than-usual Mountain Plovers along IL Road, the relatively elusive Williamson’s Sapsuckers at Genesee which took longer than normal to track down, the Pinyon Jays in Salida’s Pinyon Hills neighborhood, Pawnee’s McCown’s Longspurs which were less plentiful than usual, and all three rosy-finches were a welcome sight in Silverthorne (even though we were “not at all welcome” and “extremely intrusive”?).
And with our list including 47 “non-Minnesota“ species, there were several other noteworthy birds. Among these were White-throated Swifts (we decided they can sound like Canyon Wrens), a male Broad-tailed Hummingbird doing a remarkable display flight for a perched female, a pair of Lewis’s Woodpeckers along busy Hwy 285 on Day 2, Prairie Falcons nesting on the cliffs at Sheep Mt and Garden of the Gods, Juniper Titmice, Pygmy Nuthatches and Red Crossbills at Genesee, American Dippers, Western and Mountain bluebirds, Sage Thrashers, Cassin’s Finch, and others.
About our only birding disappointments were that Dusky Grouse heard and glimpsed by John and Deb alone as it flew off and out of sight away from the road, the Ferruginous Hawk along Hwy 71 whose inconvenient choice of a nest site involved an unfortunate tragicomedy of errors in our efforts to see it, and the Red-naped Sapsucker which barely made our list by default after brief views at Poncha Springs-Salida. (But there were a couple of non-avian disappointments: Brett & Janice’s rental car with its excessively-worn tires, one of which went flat; and the curiously inhospitable residents on Elk Thistle Dr who seemed to like birds at their feeders but to dislike birders watching from a public street.)
Itinerary
April 2: Meet at Denver airport; 225-mile drive to Gunnison via stops along Hwys 285 and 50, Poncha Springs, and a sage-grouse lek preview; dinner at Ol’ Miner Steakhouse & night in Gunnison.
April 3: Gunnison Sage-Grouse lek; 240-mile drive to Steamboat Springs via Salida’s jays and an “extreme intrusion” in Silverthorne; dinner at Old Town Pub & night in Steamboat Springs.
April 4: California Park Rd, Muddy Creek Trailhead, Coalmont lek preview, and Walden Reservoir-Sheep Mt-Delaney Lakes area; dinner at River Rock Cafe & night in Walden.
April 5: Greater Sage-Grouse lek; Moose Visitors Center, Poudre Canyon, and Douglas Reservoir (after a Discount Tire detour); dinner at CooperSmith’s & night in Fort Collins.
April 6: Pawnee National Grasslands; 285-mile drive to Holly via Riverside Park in Fort Morgan, Hwys 71 (incl a Ferruginous diversion), 287 and 50, and dinner at Thai Spicy Basil / Mission Villanueva in Lamar; night in Holly.
April 7: Arena Dust Tour’s prairie-chickens and Dorenkamps’ yard; Amache historic site, John Martin Reservoir State Park-Hasty Lake, Lake Cheraw, and IL Road; dinner at Shamrock Brewing Company & night in Pueblo.
April 8: Valco Ponds-Pueblo Reservoir, Wetmore-area ravens, Tunnel Drive, Brush Hollow Reservoir, Garden of the Gods, and Loveland Pass; dinner at Sporting News Grill & first of 2 nights in Lakewood.
April 9: Red Rocks Amphitheater, Genesee Mountain Park, Lookout Mountain Nature Center, Eldorado Canyon, Chatfield and South Platte reservoirs; dinner at Sporting News Grill.
April 10: Return to DEN and departure for home.
Bird List
(Boldfaced species = “non-Minnesota” birds: i.e., absent, Accidental, Casual, rare-Regular in MN)
Greater White-fronted Goose (Ft Morgan)
Cackling Goose (ditto)
Canada Goose
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal (best near Gunnison and L Cheraw)
Northern Shoveler
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback
Redhead
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Scaled Quail (IL Road and Pueblo Res dam)
Ring-necked Pheasant
Greater Sage-Grouse (13 males + 3 females)
Gunnison Sage-Grouse (at least 9)
White-tailed Ptarmigan (3 visible from the parking area)
Dusky Grouse (well, sort of)
Sharp-tailed Grouse (along Hwy 40 near Steamboat)
Lesser Prairie-Chicken (at least 4)
Wild Turkey
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Eared Grebe
Western Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
American White Pelican
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Swainson's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Ferruginous Hawk (in a nest on Hwy 71)
Golden Eagle
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
Black-necked Stilt (L Cheraw)
American Avocet (en route to Douglas Res)
Killdeer
Mountain Plover (5 along IL Road)
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Long-billed Curlew (along Hwy 287)
Wilson's Snipe
Wilson's Phalarope (L Cheraw)
Ring-billed Gull
California Gull (a few fly-bys)
Caspian Tern
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Greater Roadrunner (Hasty L entrance road)
Barn Owl (roosting at the Dorenkamps’)
Great Horned Owl
Burrowing Owl (along Hwy 287)
White-throated Swift (best at Garden of the Gods)
Broad-tailed Hummingbird (male displaying at Tunnel Dr)
Belted Kingfisher
Lewis's Woodpecker (pair spotted by Jena on Hwy 285)
Williamson's Sapsucker (Genesee Mt Park)
Red-naped Sapsucker (well, sort of)
Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Valco Ponds)
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon (Red Rocks Amphitheater)
Prairie Falcon (especially Sheep Mt and Garden of the Gods)
Black Phoebe (Valco Ponds)
Say's Phoebe
Loggerhead Shrike (the shrike on Day 1 was probably a Loggerhead)
Pinyon Jay (especially Salida; also 1 at Brush Hollow)
Steller's Jay
Blue Jay
Western Scrub-Jay
Clark's Nutcracker (more than usual)
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Chihuahuan Raven (near Wetmore)
Common Raven
Horned Lark
Tree / Violet-green Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
Juniper Titmouse (Brush Hollow Res)
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch (best at Genesee)
Brown Creeper
Rock Wren (entrance road to Hasty L)
Marsh Wren
Bewick's Wren (Valco Ponds)
American Dipper (Poudre Canyon)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Western Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird
Townsend's Solitaire
American Robin
Sage Thrasher (several locations)
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Chestnut-collared Longspur (3 at Pawnee Grasslands)
McCown's Longspur (fewer than normal at Pawnee)
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Spotted Towhee
Rufous-crowned Sparrow (Tunnel Dr)
Canyon Towhee (ditto)
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Common Grackle
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (all 3 species on Elk Thistle Dr)
Black Rosy-Finch (2 individuals briefly)
Brown-capped Rosy-Finch (outnumbered by Gray-crowneds)
Pine Grosbeak (Moose Visitors Center)
House Finch
Cassin's Finch (best at Moose Visitors Center)
Red Crossbill (many at Genesee)
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
Mammal List:
Desert / Mountain Cottontail
Black-tailed Jackrabbit
Eastern Fox Squirrel
Abert’s Squirrel
Red Squirrel
Least / Colorado Chipmunk
Wyoming Ground Squirrel
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Gunnison’s Prairie Dog
Striped Skunk
River Otter
Badger
Coyote
Red Fox
Mule Deer
Elk
Bison
Bighorn Sheep
Pronghorn
* * *