Colorado 2005

Fifteen adventurous IOU members, and one very good Colorado birder/guide named Doug Faulkner, have completed a sweep through many of the interesting bird habitats in this scenery-rich state. Except for a couple of brief periods the weather we encountered was wonderful. But a look at weather reports today will clearly show how bad April weather can be in CO, especially at high elevations. Our trip took place April 1-8, and we used 4 SUVs (due to the high elevations and the season) with 4 birders in each vehicle. Our group list included 138 species - 132 in Colorado and another 6 in Nebraska. Several participants observed over 20 life birds. Eugene and Eloise Armstrong were the only participants who did not see a life bird -but they didn't expect to. They were along to see some great birds, to re-see great scenery, and to enjoy the fun. Many positive thoughts were exchanged between all participants as the trip drew to a close. At least 3 photographers with high quality digital photography equipment took part so don't be surprised if various photos of the trip arrive on IA-BIRD.

Trip Highlights

Nebraska. On our way west on April 1st, scores of thousands of Sandhill Cranes were viewed along the Platte River in NE. Local officials estimated the number of cranes present on this day, at this staging area, to be 310,000 !!! Our views of the crane concentration were from every angle and each was awe-inspiring. We were in the midst of two highly concentrated roosting areas on the shallow Platte River at sunset on April 1st. Then early on April 2nd, driving at full speed heading west on I-80, we quickly pulled off to view a white crane!!! And later, on our drive eastward on April 8th we saw another white crane in the same area. But rather than being what we hoped for - a Whooping Crane - each of these were the same size as a Sandhill and turned out to be either an albino, or a partially albino, Sandhill Crane.

Although we did not spend a lot of time birding in Nebraska (except to enjoy the cranes!) we were able to see 6 species in this state that we did not find in Colorado.

Colorado. When planning the IOU-Sponsored Colorado Birding Trip, 6 primary target species were identified: White-tailed Ptarmigan, Gunnison Sage Grouse, Greater Sage Grouse, Lesser Prairie Chicken, Boreal Owl and Brown-capped Rosy-Finch. With the help of our excellent guide, good luck with the weather, and the sharp birding skills of IOU members, we were able to find and view all 6 target species.

Wednesday, April 6th will stand out in the minds of participants as the day we had excellent views of the two hardest to locate species - White-tailed Ptarmigan and Boreal Owl. Early on this day a number of group members hiked off the highway at Loveland Pass (west of Denver, elevation 11,992 ft.) to search on foot for the elusive ptarmigan and to scope the peaks of the Rocky Mountains. After a considerable time spent partly searching for the bird and partly basking in the incredible beauty of the area, it was suggested that we might try a tape. Within seconds a response came and the black beak and black eye of a single, nearly all-white, White-tailed Ptarmigan was spotted - and not too far from where the entire group stood. All participants were able to get scope views of this species for as long as they wanted. The bird was still posing as we drove away.

One participant who had tried for 20 years to find a Boreal Owl found his nemesis bird at the end of this day. And the conditions under which this equally elusive owl was observed were equally breath-taking. The Boreal Owl was observed near Cameron Pass (west of Fort Collins, elevation 10,276 ft.) on a perfect night with warm temperatures, no wind, and ideal viewing conditions for every constellation and an uncountable number of stars through the crystal clear air. The owl was heard tooting immediately after we left our vehicles and we walked down the highway toward the sound. When our guide used a tape the bird responded and soon posed for several minutes as our lights focused on it. Good views were enjoyed for several minutes as congratulations were passed out among all who enjoyed this very special moment.

Other Colorado highlights (listed in order of occurrence) include: Seeing 4 male Lesser Prairie Chickens booming at their traditional lek near Camp, CO; exploring the beautiful Carrizo Creek - Cottonwood Canyon area near the border of Oklahoma and New Mexico; viewing 1 male Gunnison Sage Grouse east of Gunnison, CO briefly Monday evening and then seeing 2 males much better against fresh snow doing their booming on Tuesday morning; seeing Brown-capped Rosy-Finch, Black Rosy-Finch, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (as well as the distinct Hepburn's race of this species) - all at one feeder near Gunnison; viewing 5 male Greater Sage Grouse in extended booming and posturing at their lek near Walden, in North central, CO; and finding several McCown's Longspur and a Long-tailed Duck in Northeast, CO as we headed home.

In addition to our 6 primary target species, we were on the look out for 66 secondary target species. These were species that met two criteria: they are many times more likely to be seen in Colorado than in Iowa; and it MIGHT be possible to see these species in CO in the first week of April. Trip participants enjoyed seeing 41 of these 66 species; and several were seen multiple times. Rather than describing the details of where and how these 41 secondary target species were seen, I will simply list the species here.

The 41 additional target species that participants enjoyed seeing were: Cinnamon Teal, Barrow's Goldeneye, Swainson's Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk, Golden Eagle, Prairie Falcon, Scaled Quail, Mountain Plover, American Avocet, Long-billed Curlew, California Gull, White-winged Dove, Inca Dove, Greater Roadrunner, Burrowing Owl, Red-naped Sapsucker, Williamson's Sapsucker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Say's Phoebe, Gray Jay, Steller's Jay, Western Scrub Jay, Black-billed Magpie, Chihuahuan Raven, Common Raven, Mountain Chickadee, Pygmy Nuthatch, Canyon Wren, American Dipper, Western Bluebird, Mountain Bluebird, Townsend's Solitaire, Sage Thrasher, Curve-billed Thrasher, Canyon Towhee, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, 5 races of Dark-eyed Junco, McCown's Longspur, Chestnut-collared Longspur, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, Black Rosy-Finch, and Cassin's Finch.

Two bonus species that were not listed as either primary or secondary target species, but that were seen were: American Three-toed Woodpecker and Long-tailed Duck.

-- Ric Zarwell