Month: June 2019

We were talking about places to go and things to do and I voted to go see Greater Prairie Chickens. Mike did the research as usual and knew this was the best time of year to see them in Nebraska. This is one of the few states where this bird can be found.

Colorado

This trip started in Denver and our first stop was the Rocky Mountain Arsenal NWR on a cold and misty morning. Near the entrance, we quickly found the target Black-billed Magpies and a prairie dog colony. After passing a herd of mule deer, we checked the first pond which had very few birds. Another birder told us to check the south pond and we were rewarded with Common Goldeneye, Cinnamon Teal, and Bufflehead.

• 

• 

Next destination was Cossens Lake to find the reported Tundra Swans. We dipped on the swan but had close looks at Cinnamon Teal, American White Pelican, and Wilson’s Snipe. Also in the area was a camel in a yard and one of the biggest flocks (50) of Wild Turkey we have ever seen.

• 

• 

The last stop in Colorado was to Jackson Lake State Park which looks like a great place to go camping and boating. Here we found a beautiful Mountain Bluebird, a family of Bald Eagles and a murmuration of Red-winged Blackbirds. We also came across a muskrat in the canal.

• 

• 

• 

Nebraska

The reason for this trip was to see the Greater Prairie Chicken in McCook, Nebraska. The Prairie Chicken Dance Tour requires everyone to attend an orientation the night before to learn more about the birds and answer questions. Both Angus and Carol are passionate and knowledgeable about the birds and the orientation was very beneficial.

The next morning we piled into vehicles to head to Angus’ cattle ranch before sunrise. They have converted goat trailers into viewing stations where we each had a seat and open window for the much-anticipated show. Thankfully we were provided blankets and hand warmers since the day started in the ’20s. As soon as light started to break we could hear and faintly see birds. Between the drumming of the Prairie Chickens and the songs of the Horned Lark and Western Meadowlark, it was also a treat for our ears.

• 

• 

We saw a total of thirteen male and two female Greater Prairie Chickens. Watching the males try to get the attention of the females is something we will never forget. In an effort not to disturb the birds, we needed to wait for the males to fly off on their own. Our guide referred to this last hour as the ‘hostage phase’. Lucky for us, none of the females came back out and we were able to head back to town for a wonderful breakfast. Each of us was given a prairie chicken pin to commemorate the experience.

• 

• 

• 

On our way back to Colorado we passed several cattle feed stations. The cattle are raised until they weigh about 700 pounds and then go to feed stations where they gain about 500 more pounds before heading to market. Each has several thousand heads of cattle and you can smell it before you see it. While passing through the Kansas prairie we got our best ever look at a Golden Eagle.

Colorado – Part II

Garden of the Gods has numerous walking paths through stunning red rock formations. We picked up a few more of our target birds: Prairie Falcon, White-throated Swift, Townsend’s Solitaire, Bushtit, and Spotted Towhee.

• 

• 

Sunday looked like a beautiful day so we made the drive up Pike’s Peak Highway. The beautiful winter scenery and high altitude birds made for a great morning. We added Stellar’s Jay and Mountain Chickadee to our list.

• 

• 

Next stop was Evergreen Cemetery in Colorado Springs. Cemeteries are often birdy and this was no exception. Western Bluebird, White-breasted Nuthatch, Say’s Phoebe and Northern Flicker were nice finds.

• 

• 

The final stop was UTE Valley Park in a residential area where we heard and saw Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay at the start of the trail. This bird has been our final trip bird on three of our visits to Denver. Brilliantly colored House Finch and Black-billed Magpie were relatively common in the neighborhood.

• 

• 

We had dinner at Elway’s in the Denver Airport and we finally had some Colorado beef on this trip. This whirlwind weekend was reminiscent of our 2015 little big year.

Trip Birds: 64     Year Birds: 23 Life Birds: 1

Next Up: Ohio and Niagara