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Colorado Grouse-lek tour
10th – 22nd April 2010 Trip Report |
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A couple of places remain on the upcoming 2011
departure - full details can be found here |
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This report covers major highlight species of yet another very successful trip. The full species list at the end. It is illustrated throughout with pictures taken on the 2010 tour by participant Steve Bulford. To see more of Steve’s work and for copies, prints, calendars and other merchandise please visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/stevebulford |
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Day 1 Saturday |
| We all arrived at Denver airport early evening and headed straight to our motel. With a choice of dinner or bed, everyone chose bed, ready for an early start. |
| Day 2 Sunday |
| First stop was Fort Collins where we had excellent views of a nesting pair of White-winged (Two-barred) Crossbills. This species is scarce in Colorado and is only typically encountered in high altitude forest, so to see them at this relatively low elevation was a very special treat. Other birds here included Northern Flicker, Pine Siskin and American Robin. We then headed out onto the Pawnee Grasslands. Excellent birding here yielded all the specialities including Chestnut-collared and McCowan’s Longspurs and Mountain Plovers, all in fantastic breeding plumage. as well as Burrowing Owl, Swainson’s, Red-tailed and Ferruginous Hawks, our first American Kestrels (which we would see every day except one!), first Killdeer (also seen every day except one), two Long-billed Curlews, roosting Great Horned and Long-eared Owls, Say’s Phoebe, hundreds of Horned Larks, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Loggerhead Shrike, Song Sparrow and Western Meadowlark. Unexpected was a Colorado rarity – a splendid Yellow-throated Warbler. Mammals included scores of Pronghorn (antelopes), a Thirteen-lined Ground-Squirrel that we watched devouring a huge grasshopper, and many Black-tailed Prairie-dogs |
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| Day 3 Monday |
| Our first lek – Greater Prairie Chickens. As dawn broke we were at our private viewing session which gave us excellent views of around 48 birds watched in comfort from the specially positioned hide. This morning at the lek there were many females so as all the males vied for their attention there was much posturing and frantic displays. Whilst the rest of us were thrilling to the great views, one of the participants, Steve took some superb photos, some of which you can see here in this report – thanks Steve! Although this is not a photographic tour, there are some excellent photo opportunities especially for longer lenses (or for digiscoping). All of Steve’s shot’s that are included here were taken “as the opportunity presented” and were mainly with a 500mm lens. I am sure that you will agree - he did a great job – thanks for sharing them Steve. |
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After leaving the hide we found some splendid Wood Ducks on a nearby pond,
surely one of North America’s most gaudy birds. Heading south after breakfast we broke the drive to the Comanche Grasslands with some birding at Bonny State Park where highlights included our first American White Pelicans of the trip, a dapper adult Black-crowned Night Heron, our first White-faced Ibis, Blue-winged Teal, Cooper’s Hawk, Northern Harrier, Wild Turkeys, Franklin’s Gull, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Eastern Bluebird, Northern Cardinal (a new species for the WildWings Colorado tour), Vesper Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow and later some Great-tailed Grackles. It had been a great day and in the evening we settled into our guest house on a ranch out on the prairie. After dinner we headed to bed filled with anticipation of many more great days to follow. |
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| Day 4 - Tuesday |
| A more leisurely start was an option as there was no lek to visit this morning. Those who wanted to rose at dawn for optional pre-breakfast birding in a nearby canyon. We were rewarded with many species, most especially a singing Rufous-crowned Sparrow and a flock of Pinyon Jays, as well as great sightings of Bighorn Sheep and White-tailed Deer. After a hearty ranch breakfast we spent much of the day enjoying the Comanche Grasslands and nearby canyons. Highlights included two Golden Eagles, a Prairie Falcon that give us excellent nice scope views as it perched out of the wind on the canyon wall, Belted Kingfisher, two Lewis’s Woodpeckers – one of the main target species of the day – their bizarre multicoloured plumage is truly incredible – and these individuals showed very well for us at a site where I nearly always find them. Other great birds today included Eastern Phoebe, a flock of Pinyon Jays, several Chihuahuan Ravens, Bushtit, Rock Wren, a very obliging Canyon Wren, Bewick’s Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Cedar Waxwings, our first Yellow-rumped Warbler of the trip, Dark-eyed Junco, White-crowned Sparrows, some Brewer’s Blackbirds mixed in with a horde of Red-winged Blackbirds, and a couple of Brown-headed Cowbirds. |
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| Day 5 Wednesday |
| We started before dawn en-route to at a Lesser Prairie Chicken lek. Once in position we could hear them displaying even before it was light, and as the dawn grew we counted at least eight males leaping high above the grass as they displayed, their vocalisations adding to the dramatic scene, quite a different one to the Greater Prairie Chickens. It was indeed a privilege to witness the lek of this rare and declining species. Grasshopper Sparrows joined the dawn chorus but remained unseen. Selected roadside stops en-route to Gunnison netted us some great birds including Scaled Quail, Sage and Curve-billed Thrashers, Horned (Slavonian) and Clarke’s Grebes, 25 Snowy (Kentish) Plovers, Black-necked Stilts, American Avocet, Greater Yellowlegs, Semipalmated, Western & Baird’s Sandpipers, American Herring Gull, Cliff Swallows, American (Buff-bellied) Pipit and Savannah Sparrow. |
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| Day 6 Thursday |
| Dawn saw us in our hide at the Gunnison Sage Grouse lek. We enjoyed scope views of around 30 of these, the largest grouse of the tour so far, a good showing. Afterwards we went to the spectacular Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument, where the Gunnison River has cut a gorge 2000 feet deep. We then made a couple of stops for waterbirds en-route to The Grand Mesa. Western and Pied-billed Grebes, Cinnamon Teal, Canvasbacks, Redheads, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, as well as Common (aka Goosander)and Red-breasted Mergansers, our first Bald Eagle, several Virginia Rails, 10 Sandhill Cranes (first of the trip), a Willet, 5 Marbled Godwits, 3 Bonaparte’s Gulls, our first White-throated Swifts, Steller’s Jay, Western Scrub-Jay, Clark’s Nutcracker, Mountain Chickadee, Marsh Wren, Western and Mountain Bluebirds, Townsend Solitaire, Fox Sparrow, Yellow-headed Blackbird, and our first Pine Grosbeaks (we saw several more of this splendid finch in coming days too!). Mammals include Golden Mantled Ground-Squirrels, Rock Squirrels, a Bobcat that bounded across the road whilst we were searching for Dusky Grouse, a Common Porcupine and a Red Fox. |
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| Day 7 Friday |
| The day started up high, in the snow, with, amongst other birds, Steller’s Jays, Cassin’s Finch, Gray Jay, before heading off to enjoy more birding in stunning scenery – this time in the Colorado National Monument. Black-throated Gray Warbler, Juniper Titmouse, White-throated Swifts. Nearby we saw our first hummingbird species for the trip – Black-chinned, and a superb Gambel’s Quail that posed in a bush for everyone – Steve included. We continued to a feeding station that had been attracting Evening Grosbeaks – we were not to be disappointed, getting great scope views, and then headed to a favoured area for Dusky Grouse and were treated to not one but three different males displaying in separate locations, and a female, all at very close range. Other highlights included Spotted Sandpiper, Juniper Titmouse and, Lesser Goldfinch. Two Pine Squirrels were a treat! |
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| Day 8 Saturday |
| We started the day at a friend’s house, high in the Rockies in an Aspen wood. Feeders attract scores of birds, most especially Rosy Finches, we saw over 300, giving us excellent views of all three North American species. Nearby we saw more Evening Grosbeaks, and at a lake: 60+ Barrow’s Goldeneyes, testament to a cold spring as usually these birds are in much smaller numbers by this point in the spring. There was a great selection of other waterfowl there too, and then, at our house, Denise’s home-cooked breakfast, where a splendid Pinyon Jay at our feeders was the avian star. Afterwards we got great views of a Bald Eagle and chicks on the nest (almost eye level), before continuing up to Steamboat Springs and preparations for our next lek tomorrow. A roadside treat were two Yellow-bellied Marmots. Other highlights of the day included Wilson’s Snipe, American Dipper, Chipping Sparrow and American Goldfinch. Whilst watching the Rosy-Finches an Ermine (Short-tailed Weasel) bounded by. Shortly afterwards I was pleased to locate the herd of 800 or more Elk that had spent the winter near our house in the Upper Roaring Fork Valley. Surprising how a herd like that can be hard to find at times! |
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| Day 9 Sunday |
| Pre-dawn we divided into two groups of four and settled into hides set on two different Sharp-tailed Grouse leks. It was to be one of the best mornings of the entire trip, each group having a fantastic experience of displaying grouse within just a few feet. Each lek also was visited by a male Dusky Grouse – quite extraordinary. Afterwards we spent time enjoying other birds including another Prairie Falcon, a splendid Swainson’s Hawk, and several Sandhill Cranes before heading up into some high altitude forest in search of American Three-toed Woodpecker. We were not disappointed! A late Rough-legged Hawk (Rough-legged Buzzard) was a very nice bonus. A leisurely late afternoon was spent in Walden, with some of the party birding the nearby reservoir, whilst others taking it easy at the motel. The reservoir, only part-thawed, was never-the-less teeming with wildlife, waterfowl of many species, breeding American White Pelicans and California Gulls. An evening drive enabled us to locate ten Moose – our best ever showing, and later, in the evening, we finally managed fantastic views of a Boreal Owl.. a great way to round off another brilliant day! |
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Red-breasted Goose, Lodmoor, Dorset (© Paul Baker) |
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Northern Harrier, Thornham, Norfolk (© James Hanlon) |
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| Day 10 Monday |
| Greater Sage Grouse started our day with a magnificent lek experience, 42 males and 30+ females in a clearing in the sage brush on the intermontane plateau of ‘North Park’, surrounded with a backdrop of snow-capped peaks in almost every direction. One male in particular was displaying close to us and he provided the most stunning views as he kept his display going for over half an hour at close range. Back to town for breakfast, we also enjoyed more time at the reservoir enjoying the fantastic selection of waterfowl and some Muskrats too, before setting off to view some more feeders (with great views of Cassin’s Finch and Pine Grosbeaks, before driving to our next overnight stop, Georgetown, for a two night stay. After checking in we drove up right above the tree line to 12,000’, in search of our last gamebird of the trip. After extensive scouring of the snow-covered slopes, and spotting a couple of American Pikas, we located our quarry – the White-tailed Ptarmigan. Good views were had. |
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| Day 11 Tuesday |
| A later start today (dawn!) we headed off into the hills of the Front Range, specifically to target birds of the Ponderosa Pines. It was a very successful day, with us getting great views of lots of birds, most especially at a friend’s house where her feeders and nest boxes are very successful attracting the birds. Overhead we saw several raptors including Turkey Vulture, Red-tailed and Cooper’s Hawks and a single Broad-winged Hawk – the latter is a very scarce migrant in Colorado. Actually in the garden and in the nearby woods highlights included Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Williamson’s Sapsucker, Red-breasted, White-breasted and Pygmy Nuthatches, Brown Creeper, Western Bluebird, Townsend’s Solitaire, Red Crossbill and Pine Siskin. Three dramatic looking Abert’s Squirrels were the best mammals of the day, although the Chipmunks were as delightful as ever. |
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| Day 12 Wednesday |
| Those who wanted to watch the dawn drove up to the top of the Continental Divide where the morning was chilly but we were rewarded with fantastic mountain views and great looks at an American Pika. This diminutive mammal lives above the tree-line year round, and has to tunnel under the snow to access its food. After breakfast we had some final birding in the Front Range hills where we saw Tree Swallow, Violet-green Swallow and Northern Rough-winged Swallows, a flock of Yellow—rumped Warblers, Blue Jay and more Western Scrub-Jays, and a bonus bird: a vagrant Golden-crowned Sparrow. Finally, we had to head off to the airport and finally, too, some adverse weather, in the shape of a thunderstorm, so our last look at a Burrowing Owl was from inside the van. All too soon it was time to board the overnight flight home. |
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| Day 12 Thursday |
| Arrival home |
| Birds (179 species) & larger mammals recorded on the 2010 Colorado Tour |
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Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe (Slavonian Grebe) Eared Grebe (Black-n.Grebe) Western Grebe Clark's Grebe American White Pelican Double-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Black-crowned Night-Heron White-faced Ibis Canada Goose swan spp Wood Duck Green-winged Teal Mallard Blue-winged Teal Northern Shoveler Gadwall Cinnamon Teal American Wigeon Canvasback Redhead Ring-necked Duck Lesser Scaup Common Goldeneye Barrow's Goldeneye Bufflehead Hooded Merganser Common Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Ruddy Duck Turkey Vulture Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Sharp-shinned Hawk Cooper's Hawk Broad-winged Hawk Swainson's Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Ferruginous Hawk Rough-legged Hawk (R-l.Buzzard) Golden Eagle American Kestrel Peregrine Falcon Prairie Falcon Ring-necked Pheasant Greater Sage-Grouse Gunnison Sage Grouse White-tailed Ptarmigan Blue Grouse Sharp-tailed Grouse Greater Prairie-Chicken Lesser Prairie-Chicken Wild Turkey Scaled Quail Gambel's Quail Virginia Rail American Coot Sandhill Crane Snowy Plover Killdeer Mountain Plover Black-necked Stilt American Avocet Greater Yellowlegs Willet Spotted Sandpiper Long-billed Curlew Marbled Godwit Semipalmated Sandpiper Western Sandpiper Baird's Sandpiper Dunlin Wilson's Snipe Franklin's Gull Bonaparte's Gull Ring-billed Gull California Gull (American) Herring Gull Rock Dove Eurasian Collared-Dove Mourning Dove Barn Owl Great Horned Owl Burrowing Owl Long-eared Owl Boreal (Tengmalm’s) Owl White-throated Swift Black-chinned Hummingbird Broad-tailed Hummingbird Belted Kingfisher Lewis's Woodpecker Red-bellied Woodpecker Williamson's Sapsucker Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Three-toed Woodpecker Northern Flicker Eastern Phoebe Say's Phoebe Horned Lark (Shorelark) Tree Swallow Violet-green Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow Cliff Swallow Barn Swallow Gray Jay Steller's Jay Blue Jay Western Scrub-Jay Pinyon Jay Clark's Nutcracker Black-billed Magpie American Crow Chihuahuan Raven Common Raven Black-capped Chickadee Mountain Chickadee Juniper Titmouse Bushtit Red-breasted Nuthatch White-breasted Nuthatch Pygmy Nuthatch Brown Creeper Rock Wren Canyon Wren Bewick's Wren Marsh Wren American Dipper Ruby-crowned Kinglet Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Eastern Bluebird Western Bluebird Mountain Bluebird Townsend's Solitaire American Robin Sage Thrasher Curve-billed Thrasher American Pipit Cedar Waxwing Loggerhead Shrike European Starling Black-throated Gray Warbler Yellow-throated Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Northern Cardinal Spotted Towhee Rufous-crowned Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Grasshopper Sparrow (H) Fox Sparrow Song Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Golden-crowned Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco McCown's Longspur Chestnut-collared Longspur Red-winged Blackbird Western Meadowlark Brewer's Blackbird Yellow-headed Blackbird Great-tailed Grackle Common Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch Black Rosy-Finch Brown-capped Rosy-Finch Pine Grosbeak Cassin's Finch House Finch Red Crossbill White-winged (Two-barred) Crossbill Pine Siskin Lesser Goldfinch American Goldfinch Evening Grosbeak House Sparrow |
| Larger Mammals |
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American Pika Eastern Cottontail Least Chipmunk Yellow-bellied Marmot Wyoming Ground-Squirrel Golden-mantled Ground-Squirrel Thirteen-lined Ground-Squirrel Rock Squirrel Gunnison Prairie Dog White-tailed Prairie Dog Black-tailed Prairie Dog Abert’s Squirrel Fox Squirrel Pine Squirrel Common Muskrat Common Porcupine Coyote Red Fox Ermine (Short-tailed Weasel) Bobcat Elk Mule Deer White-tailed Deer Moose Pronghorn Mountain (Bighorn) Sheep |
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