Rocky Mountain Nat. Park,
Pawnee Nat. Grasslands, & Mt. Evans
20-25
June 2006
by
Henry Detwiler
After class and on the weekend, sometimes with Russ, sometimes alone, I
took every opportunity to get out and see the birds!
123
species -- bird list is at the bottom of the page
Click on
thumbnail pictures for full-sized photos. 
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Russ and I picked up our rental after noon and made a bee-line to
Rocky Mountain National Park. Just past the highest point in
the park (via auto), we stopped at the Medicine Bow parking lot
and were greeted by a herd of Elk and a profusion of tundra
wildflowers.
Elk, Rocky Mountain National Park
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Bighorn Sheep, RMNP
However, our search for ptarmigan was cut prematurely short by a
lack of oxygen. Coming straight from an altitude of 300',
and ascending to 12,000', we were panting before we'd walked a
dozen yards. If the elk had been carnivores, we'd have been
goners. We did see Mountain Bluebird, American Pipit, White-crowned Sparrow,
& two bighorns before retreating downhill. |
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Farther down the mountain, we saw Gray Jays by the road, and then
Clark's Nutcrackers at some of the parking areas. Down in Endo
Valley, swallows were everywhere, and we watched a Mountain
Chickadee bringing worms to its young in a nest cavity.
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Violet-Green Swallow
Rocky Mt. National Park |
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Three-toed Woodpecker
Rocky Mt. National Park |
The trail at the end of the last picnic area followed
a sparkling stream through mixed forest. After sorting through a
number of sapsuckers and Hairy Woodpeckers, Russ points at a bird, and
proclaims "There it is." Of course he had no idea what
kind of woodpecker it was, but he was
right! It was a male Three-toed Woodpecker. Soon afterward
I spotted this female even closer to us. |
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After class over the next three days, Russ and I set out to find and
photograph the local bird life. Along the Teller Farms
trail we tried twice to see Bobolinks, missing them but
seeing the much less common Dickcissels both times. Finally,
the third time was a charm, and I spotted two males. Meanwhile,
this young
prairie dog watched us.
Juvenile Prairie Dog
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American Dipper
Russ' favorite bird is the dipper, so we made a point of tracking
down one. The individual above was at El Dorado
Springs,
where we also scored with a singing Red-eyed Vireo. |
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Horned Lark
Pawnee National Grasslands |
Mountain Plover
Pawnee National Grasslands |
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On Friday afternoon, after dropping Russ off at the airport, I drove
north to the Pawnee National Grasslands. Here I
ticked off Chestnut-collared & McCown's Longspurs, Lark Bunting, and
Mountain Plover, among others. |
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| Due to a stiff wind out of the west, Horned Larks
and Lark Buntings were perched on the fences in a "take-off"
position, facing into the breeze. The Lark Buntings and the McCown's
Longspurs were abundant, but I only spied one Chestnut-collared
Longspur. In an abandoned house, I found a nest with four,
almost-fledged, Say's Phoebe young. Mother phoebe wasn't
pleased with my presence, so I beat a hasty retreat. |
Lark Bunting
Pawnee National Grasslands
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Tundra Flowers at
Summit Lake
On my return hike the clouds, wind,
and mist moved in, dropping the temperature to near freezing.
By the time I saw a pair of rosy-finches on one of the snow fields next
to the lake, my fingers
were so numb I could hardly take this picture. |
On Saturday morning I headed up to Echo Lake for
some birding, and
then even farther to Summit Lake (photo below) at 12,000'.
The tundra wildflowers were putting on a good show, as were the
birds. The past two years I've found White-tailed Ptarmigan
with chicks here, but she was a no-show this time.
Brown-capped Rosy-Finch
Summit Lake
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Summit Lake (on way to Mt.
Evans) at 12,000' |
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Beaver Creek Bog - Veery
Site
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Later in the afternoon I took the road west of
Nederland to Caribou Ranch Open Space. Along Beaver Creek, a couple
of miles west of Nederland, this fine bog hosted my first Veery
for Colorado, and Fox Sparrows. At the end of the road was
another beautiful alpine area surrounding the old mining camp of
Caribou. Flycatchers, sparrows, swallows, and the only Red
Crossbills for the trip were flying around. A couple of
decaying buildings was all that remained of the old community. |
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The meadows around Caribou had some of the best wildflower displays
I've seen to date. Numerous Colorado Columbines and Shooting
Stars vied with the birds for my attention.
Colorado Columbines
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Red Rocks Lake
Brainard Recreation Area
A final trip to Brainard Recreation Area didn't turn up any more
birds, but the mirror-like lakes and the sinking sun were
beautiful sights.
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On Sunday morning I took a short walk up Gregory Canyon, on the
west edge of Boulder. Here I
had some fine views of Virginia's and MacGillivray's Warblers,
Plumbeous Vireo, and Western Tanager. A battered-looking
Mountain Chickadee was feeding two scruffy-looking chicks, and I
also saw two brown juvenile speckled towhees. Finally, before
catching my flight home, I stopped at Barr Lake State Park and saw
two recently-fledged Bald Eagles, both a California and a
Franklin's Gull, and a Bullock's Oriole feeding her young.
It was another fine trip to Colorado! |
Spotted Towhee, Gregory Canyon
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