Colorado Grouse & Utah Canyons

Our Colorado grouse & Utah canyons birding tour starts in Denver, where we gather for a welcome dinner. Night in Denver.

Our first target grouse is Lesser Prairie-Chicken, which is sadly in steep decline across its breeding range. Our travels take us southeast as we drive via Colorado Springs to Pueblo, then on to Holly. Near Pueblo we visit Valco Ponds and Pueblo Reservoir. At the ponds, we look for Black and Say’s Phoebes, Bewick’s Wren, Osprey and Ladder-backed Woodpecker, and the reservoir should yield grebes, including Eared and possibly Clark’s, several waterfowl and gulls, as well as Great Horned Owl, Rock Wren, Townsend’s Solitaire, Canyon Towhee and Curve-billed Thrasher.

After lunch we turn east towards Granada. En route we make stops to scan for Burrowing Owl and we will spend some time at John Martin Reservoir State Park. Cinnamon Teal and Clark’s Grebe are good possibilities here. Night at Holly.

We get up very early to visit the Lesser Prairie-Chicken lek south of Holly. Drought in recent years has severely reduced the numbers of this species, making viewing on public lands nearly impossible, but we will be escorted onto private land and should see a nice display. Afterwards we enjoy a well-deserved breakfast at a ranch, where we also could find Scaled Quail, Barn and Great Horned Owl.

Next we head south, where we will spend the rest of the day at Cottonwood Canyon and environs. The canyon is located in the extreme southeast of the state and is home to a few species that are hard to find elsewhere in Colorado, such as Greater Roadrunner, Chihuahuan Raven and possibly Rufous-crowned Sparrow. Overnight at Holly.

We make the long drive from Granada to Wray, through the sparsely-populated eastern edge of the state. En route we may find Swainson’s Hawk, Long-billed Curlew, Burrowing Owl and Great-tailed Grackle. A stop at Bonny Reservoir could be productive, even though the reservoir is almost dry: Wild Turkey, Barn Owl, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Eastern Bluebird and Townsend’s Solitaire are all possible.

Just north of Wray we will make an afternoon visit to a Greater Prairie-Chicken lek, located on a private ranch. Greater Prairie-Chickens have done well recently and we should be treated to lengthy and very close views of males dancing on the lek. There should be great photo opportunities. Overnight at Wray.

If we missed the Greater Prairie-Chicken yesterday, then we will try again early this morning. We then head west to the Pawnee Grasslands. The famed short-grass prairie holds Ferruginous Hawk, Golden Eagle, Mountain Plover, Long-billed Curlew, Prairie Falcon and Thick-billed Longspur and we will spend much of the day covering the area. Weather permitting, we will have a picnic lunch at nearby Crow Valley.

Before heading into Ft. Collins, our destination for the evening, we will check out a number of ponds for waterfowl.

Today’s route takes us west to Walden, through a variety of habitats, from stream valleys to high mountain passes. Along the rivers we will look for American Dipper, while Bighorn Sheep may be spotted on the slopes above us. At Cameron Pass we are in high country, and Northern Goshawk, American Three-toed Woodpecker, Pine Grosbeak and rosy-finches are possible. Near Walden we may encounter Golden Eagle and we should see Pronghorns; with luck, we may spot Moose. Walden Reservoir is often good for waterfowl, so we will visit it and we will also scout out the Greater Sage-Grouse lek area before heading to the hotel. Overnight at Walden.

Before dawn we visit the nearby Greater Sage-Grouse lek, where we will watch the antics of both males and females. The males put on a great display; one male will usually attract most of the females. We may then check a nearby feeder for rosy-finches and give Walden Reservoir another scan. Afterwards we continue our drive west, in the direction of Steamboat Springs. Here we will check a few locations for Sharp-tailed Grouse. Greater Sage-Grouse and Dusky Grouse are also possible in this area. Night at Steamboat Springs.

In the morning, we will look for lekking Sharp-tailed Grouse, if we missed them yesterday. Then we start the long drive south, to Gunnison, through broad valleys and past high mountains, stopping in various spots. Night at Gunnison.

Our last very early morning will be at the Waunita lek, where we hope to see Gunnison Sage-Grouse. Currently this is the only public lek where this rare species can be seen. We will be viewing from a trailer, with the birds quite far off, so photography opportunities are not great.

Afterwards, if we haven’t had luck with rosy-finches so far, we may visit Crested Butte and Mount Crested Butte. There will be some time to relax in the afternoon. Night at Gunnison.

This morning, if weather prevented us from seeing the Gunnison’s Sage Grouse yesterday, we may make a second attempt.

Late in the day we visit the spectacular Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Besides stunning scenery, the main attraction for birders is Dusky Grouse, but we can also expect White-throated Swift, Western Scrub-Jay, Juniper Titmouse and more. In the past, we’ve had good luck with Northern Goshawk here. Night in Grand Junction.

We travel to southeastern Utah through Colorado National Monument for two days of exploring this amazing area. Colorado National Monument not only provides stunning scenery, but should deliver Golden Eagle, Gambel’s Quail, Western Scrub-Jay, Juniper Titmouse and Black-throated Sparrow. Arches National Park is an area of astonishing 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). Animal life concentrates around riparian areas in the deserts, and during spring and summer, mornings in these areas can be filled with birdsong, from Spotted Towhees, Canyon Wrens, to Black-throated Gray and Lucy’s Warblers. Near Monticello we search for Pinyon Jay and we should find Gray Flycatcher, Plumbeous Vireo, Townsend’s Solitaire, both Western and Mountain Bluebird, Mountain Chickadee, Black-throated Gray Warbler and possibly Grace’s Warbler. Time permitting, we may visit parts of Natural Bridges National Monument and we will drive through Capitol Reef National Park. Scenery along our route will be spectacular. Nights on Day 11 at Monticello, Day 12 at Salina.

We head north to Salt Lake City, stopping at wetlands near Yuba, maybe Utah Lake State Park and at Antelope Island State Park, to look for Cinnamon Teal, Long-billed Curlew, Snowy Plover and Black-necked Stilt, Loggerhead Shrike and California Quail. From the causeway to Antelope Island we scan for Eared Grebe, White-faced Ibis, shorebirds and gulls. The island itself has a fine Interpretive Centre, well worth the visit. Rocks around the building are a favourite haunt of Chukars. Antelope Island hosts a number of mammals, including bison, coyote and pronghorn. Wooded areas near the south end of the island act as migrant traps; who knows what may show up. We will also look for nesting Barn Owls. Night in Salt Lake City.

Our Colorado grouse & Utah canyons birding tour ends today, we can depart anytime for home.