Trip Date: March 2019 | Location: Colorado
After our incredible experience watching Greater Prairie Chickens in Nebraska, we headed west to explore the winter birding highlights of Colorado. This trip was a wonderful whirlwind of high-altitude scenery, stunning red rock formations, and classic mountain species.
Rocky Mountain Arsenal & Cossens Lake
Our Colorado journey began on a cold, misty morning at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. We quickly located our target Black-billed Magpies near a prairie dog colony near the entrance. A tip from another birder led us to the south pond, and we were rewarded with sightings of Common Goldeneyes, Cinnamon Teals, and Buffleheads.
At Cossens Lake, the area was full of surprises, including a flock of around 50 Wild Turkeys—one of the largest we’ve ever seen—and even a camel in a nearby yard. While we didn’t find the reported Tundra Swans, the close-up views of American White Pelicans and Wilson’s Snipe were well worth the stop.
Jackson Lake State Park
Our final stop in Colorado before heading to Nebraska was Jackson Lake State Park, a great spot for camping and boating. Here, we saw a beautiful Mountain Bluebird, a family of Bald Eagles, and a mesmerizing murmuration of Red-winged Blackbirds. We were also happy to spot a muskrat in the canal.
Road Trip Through Kansas
While driving the Kansas prairie on US 83 near Oberlin, we took the opportunity for some ‘car birding.’ We successfully tallied six species, including the Western Meadowlark and our best-ever view of a Golden Eagle. This is a welcome addition to our eBird map as we continued checking off our remaining states.
On our return trip to Colorado, we passed several massive cattle feedlots. It is a striking industrial process: calves are typically raised to 700 pounds before moving to these facilities to gain an additional 500 pounds for market. With thousands of cattle packed into each lot, the experience is certainly memorable—you can smell them long before you actually see them!
Landscapes & High-Altitude Birding
Back in Colorado, we visited the Garden of the Gods, with its stunning red rock formations and many walking paths. We spotted several of our target birds: Prairie Falcon, White-throated Swift, Townsend’s Solitaire, Bushtit, and Spotted Towhee.
Sunday was a beautiful day, so we drove up Pike’s Peak Highway. The gorgeous winter scenery and high-altitude birds made for a great morning. We added Stellar’s Jay and Mountain Chickadee to our list.
Hidden Gems: Cemetery & Neighborhood Birding
We ended our birding with two unique local spots. Evergreen Cemetery in Colorado Springs proved to be an excellent location. Cemeteries are often rich in birdlife, and this one was no exception. We spotted a Western Bluebird, a White-breasted Nuthatch, a Say’s Phoebe, and a Northern Flicker—great finds!
Finally, at UTE Valley Park, located in a residential area, we spotted a Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay—a bird that has now become a consistent find on our Denver trips. We also noted how common the brilliantly colored House Finches and Black-billed Magpies were in the neighborhood.
We ended our trip with dinner at Elway’s in the Denver Airport, finally getting to enjoy some Colorado beef. This trip was a wonderful reminder of our “little big year” back in 2015, combining the thrill of the Nebraska lekking grounds with the winter beauty of the Colorado Rockies.
Trip Summary:
Colorado Totals: 60 species • 18 CO life birds • 0 life birds
Kansas Totals: 6 species • 6 KA life birds • 0 life birds
Trip Totals: 60 species • 0 life birds
Want to see our Greater Prairie Chicken lekking adventure in Nebraska? Read the full guide here.
Next Up: Ohio and Niagara — spring migrants, waterfalls, and a few surprises.
You must be logged in to post a comment.