Trip
Information
Date: April
10 - 20, 2010 (11 days)
Leader: Rudolf Koes
Limit: 12 people
Cost: $2850 USD, $3165 CDN
Single supplement $550 USD, $610 CDN
Tour starts in Denver, Colorado, and ends in Salt Lake City, Utah
Highlights:
•
Superlative wildlife, from memorable lekking grouse to rosy-finches and
large mammals
•
Excellent bird and mammal watching across a range of elevations and habitats
•
Spectacular mountain scenery and canyonlands
Featured Birds & Mammals:
•
Gunnison Sage-Grouse
•
Greater Sage-Grouse
•
Lesser Prairie-Chicken
•
Greater Prairie-Chicken
•
McCown’s Longspur
•
Mountain Plover
•
Lewis’s Woodpecker
•
Three species of Rosy-Finch
•
Mountain Goat
•
Bighorn Sheep
•
Pronghorn
Summary:
•
Considerable driving, on good roads often through spectacular scenery
•
Easy to moderate walking; some very early mornings
•
Highly variable weather, possible snow
• Price includes breakfasts and lunches
• Good quality accommodation
• 4 to 8 participants with one leader; 9 to 12 participants with two leaders
• One or two 15-passenger vans
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April
in Colorado and Utah is a wonderful time of year. Snow-capped peaks
straddling the Continental Divide, immense prairies and plains, wildlife-rich
riparian
corridors, and magnificent canyons and remarkable rock formations.
April is when the five lekking grouse - Greater and Gunnison Sage-Grouse,
Lesser
and Greater Prairie-Chickens and Sharp-tailed Grouse - are foot-stomping,
cooing and cackling, as the males try to impress females and dominate
rivals – just an amazing wildlife spectacle! Travel around Colorado
and Utah is usually easy (as long as we do not experience a late snowfall!),
with fine accommodations, and although there are some long drives, we
travel through superlative and photogenic scenery. Mesas along the Colorado
River, extensive grasslands and sagebrush, many snow-capped peaks over
4000 metres, magnificent canyons and wonderful vistas at Arches, Canyonlands
and Capital Reef, alkaline lakes, and beautiful montane spruce-fir forests.
Target species include Mountain Plover, all three rosy-finches, Dusky
Grouse, Lewis’s Woodpecker, McCown’s Longspur, and a host
of mammals: Bighorn Sheep, Pronghorn, Elk, Mule Deer, Moose, Coyote
and Red Fox.
See detailed itinerary
below.
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a registration form
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Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrival in Colorado
Our tour starts in Denver, we meet in the evening for dinner, which will
give us a chance to go over the tour ahead. Night in Denver.
Day 2 - Comanche Grasslands and Lesser Prairie-Chickens
Our travels today take us southeast as we bird the Comanche National Grasslands
and the lower Arkansas River and closely associated reservoirs, as well
as Carrizo and Cottonwood canyons. Species we could encounter include Eurasian
Collared-Dove, Lewis' Woodpecker, Scaled Quail, Wild Turkey, Northern Bobwhite,
Say's Phoebes, Canyon Wren, Swainson's and Ferruginous Hawks, Rufous-crowned
Sparrow and Canyon Towhee.
Wetlands are very rich here. Wilson’s Snipe call and display overhead,
Yellow-headed Blackbirds sing from marsh vegetation, and several waterbirds
such as Redhead, American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, and Western and Clark’s
Grebes nest around lakes. Dry brushy prairies have Sage Thrasher, Vesper
and Brewer’s Sparrows, and Burrowing Owls, and cliffs along riverbeds
support nesting Great Horned Owls. We arrive in the Campo area in time
to visit the lek of Lesser Prairie Chickens; often males are still dancing
in the evening. Night in Lamar/Springfield area.
Day 3 - Comanche Grasslands and travel to Wray
Our morning will be dependent on how well we did last night. We may rise early
and travel again to the short-grass prairie of the Comanche National Grasslands
to watch Lesser Prairie Chickens displaying at their lek as the sun rises. We
then head north, searching the grasslands for Chihuahuan Raven and Long-billed
Curlew and the prairie-dog colonies for Burrowing Owls and Ferruginous Hawks.
We stop at Two Buttes Reservoir and other reservoirs and isolated patches of
trees that may harbor migrants and keep a look-out for Eastern and Mountain Bluebirds
and Red-bellied Woodpecker. Night in Wray.
Day 4 - Pawnee Grasslands and Greater Prairie-Chicken
We rise early again today to observe the second of the prairie-chickens - Greater
Prairie-Chicken - close to Wray. Greater Prairie-Chickens have done well recently,
and we should be treated to lengthy views of males dancing on their leks. We
then head northwest, skirting the famed shortgrass prairie of the Pawnee Grasslands
and looking for Mountain Plover, McCown's and Chestnut-collared Longspurs and
Long-billed Curlew. Reservoirs should have several species of shorebirds including
American Avocet, Wilson’s Phalarope, Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers
and Willet, along with Forster’s Tern, American White Pelican, Clark’s
Grebe and Bonaparte’s Gull. Night near Fort Collins.
Day 5 - Mountain Passes and Sagebrush Flats
We head westward through scenic mountain passes and alongside snow-capped peaks,
allowing time to search for and enjoy montane birds such as Red-naped Sapsucker,
Steller’s Jay, Mountain Chickadee, American Dipper, Pine Siskin, Pine Grosbeak
and Cassin’s Finch. Sagebrush flats support Sage Thrashers and wet meadows
have Mountain Bluebird, whilst raptors such as Golden Eagles and Swainson’s
Hawks soar overhead. Genesee State Park is a good spot for Williamson’s
Sapsucker, Pygmy Nuthatch, Western Bluebird and Cooper’s Hawk. Feeders
at Allenspark and other localities have hosted Brown-capped, Black and Gray-crowned
Rosy-Finch (including form griseonucha, known as Gray-cheeked Rosy-Finch, perhaps
a distinct species) and Evening Grosbeak. Mammal possibilities for the day include
Moose, Pronghorn, Bighorn Sheep, Mule Deer and White-tailed Prairie-dog. Night
at Walden.
Day 6 - Greater Sage-Grouse and on to Gunnison
Another early rise will find us at a lek of Greater Sage-Grouse, amongst the
most spectacular of grouse. We then travel from the foothills of the Front Range
into the mountains themselves, traveling over or near a series of mountain passes
in search of White-tailed Ptarmigan. We gradually work our way in a southwesterly
direction through the passes towards Gunnison. Other species include Pinyon and
Gray Jays, Golden Eagle, Mountain Bluebird and possibly American Tree-toed Woodpecker.
If we were unsuccessful yesterday for all three species of rosy-finches, we visit
feeders in Georgetown. Night in Gunnison.
Day 7 - Gunnison Sage-Grouse and Black Canyon
We first visit the Gunnison Sage Grouse lek site near Waunita Hot Springs, and
we should enjoy excellent looks at this recently-described species. We then move
onto Mount Crested Butt, where all three species of rosy-finches occur, along
with Mountain and Black-capped Chickadee, Steller’s Jay and Red-naped Sapsucker.
Curecanti National Recreation Area, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park,
and Colorado National Monument support Dusky Grouse, Gambel's Quail, White-faced
Ibis, Sandhill Crane, Chukar, Violet Green Swallow, Western Scrub-Jay and Clark’s
Nutcracker. Night in Grand Junction.
Days 8 and 9 - Canyons of Utah
We travel to southeastern Utah for two days of exploring this amazing area. We
take in the Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, as well as state parks and
national monuments.
We spend one morning in Arches National Park, an area of amazing natural rock
formations. Birds include Turkey Vultures and White-throated Swifts circling
above the formations, and juncos and White-crowned Sparrows foraging around trees
and shrubs. Arches owes much of this diversity to riparian corridors like Courthouse
Wash and the Colorado River (which forms the park’s southern boundary).
In the desert, animal life concentrates around riparian areas because of food,
water and shelter, and during spring and summer, mornings in these areas can
be filled with birdsong, from Spotted Towhees, Canyon Wrens and more. Great Blue
Herons hunt the shallows for fish, and areas of grasses, shrubs and small trees
support Say’s Phoebes, Black-throated Sparrows and Western Meadowlarks.
Pinyon Jays and Western Scrub-Jays occur in pinyon-juniper woodlands.
We visit Canyonlands National Park, the largest national park in Utah, and its
diversity staggers the imagination. It is divided by the Green and Colorado Rivers
into three districts - Island in the Sky, Needles and Maze. The Island in the
Sky section sits atop a massive 1500 foot mesa - quite literally an Island in
the Sky. Paved roads lead to many of the most spectacular views in Canyon Country,
sometimes stretching for a 100 miles in any given direction, resulting in extraordinary
panoramic views that encompass thousands of square miles. We may take a short
day-hike, and enjoy the sunset. A drive through The Needles section gives us
marvelous views of beautiful sandstone spires that jut out of the ground creating
an unforgettable spectacle. Dead Horse Point is one of Utah's most spectacular
state parks; towering 2,000 feet above the Colorado River, the park provides
a breathtaking panorama of Canyonlands sculpted pinnacles and buttes. Nights
in Moab.
Day 10 - Natural Bridges and Capitol Reef
We head south and west on scenic routes that take in Natural Bridges National
Monument and Capitol Reef National Park, famous for the Waterpocket Fold, a 65
million year old wrinkle in the earth’s crust. It is known as Capitol Reef
because of the white domes of Navajo Sandstone that bear a striking resemblance
to capitol building rotundas. Birds here could include Prairie Falcon. We then
head north to Salt Lake City, stopping at wetlands to look for Snowy Plovers
and Black-necked Stilts. Night in Salt Lake City.
Day 11 - Departure
Our tour ends after breakfast as we take our departures home
What
to Expect
You can expect early morning starts each day, with some very early starts
to arrive at the lekking areas at dawn. We will be viewing the leks from
our van, which will be positioned in a way for all to see and appreciate
the grouse. Many days involve a considerable amount of driving as we
move from one hotspot to the next; we break up the drive with many frequent
stops. Walking will usually be on well-maintained trails or along roads.
We do not anticipate any prolonged hikes.
Weather conditions during the trip should include warm and sunny days,
possibly some rain and snow at higher altitudes and nights will be cool,
and sometimes cold, in the mountains. Clothing should be appropriate for
cold, such as gloves, scarves and warm headgear. We recommend dressing
in layers. High altitude can pose problems from altitude sickness; those
with heart or respiratory conditions should consult their physician. In
the evening, we may go to a local restaurant selected for good food and
comfortable atmosphere; during this time we discuss the day’s activities
and review the list of birds seen and heard.
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