Southwestern Colorado June 11 to 22nd

Delayed Post as it was an article for July's "Colorado Field Notes". We thought to let subscribers read the trip report first.

Inserted by Rebecca Kosten:

Six of us started out for a two week search of Bendire's Thrashers and other birds in southwest Colorado. Several local birders joined us along the way and added valuable incite for our searches. We enjoyed some successes, failures, and several nice surprises. Probably the biggest highlight was a southwestern Whip-poor-will calling at dusk one evening in Archuleta County.

The southwestern corner of Colorado is the least birded quadrant. A few birders are living in that corner and more venture to it every year. This is an account of our travels and is meant as suggested places for a visit. Directions to birding locations will be at the end of this article. I won’t mention all the birds found at each location. There just isn’t enough space. However I hope to give a general idea of the birds that were found.

June 11th

Richard left a day after the rest of our group and planned to go owling around the San Isabel National Forest. We met him in Pueblo and then cut down Little Burnt Mill Road (Lariat Road) to check an old Black Phoebe nesting spot (where Burnt Mill Road crosses the St. Charles River, Pueblo County). We found no evidence of Black Phoebes or Eastern Phoebes nesting this year near the old Burnt Mill Road Bridge.

We enjoyed a nice walk down the road across from the Colorado City Caver Middle School. In the past, several uncommon warblers including a Kentucky Warbler have been found here. Eastern Bluebirds are regular visitors to the area. An Eastern Meadowlark was reported here in 2006 and also at nearby Colorado City Cemetery. We found 2 male Eastern Bluebirds on this day.

Nearby Lake Beckwith (Pueblo) was slow. The lake is more known for waterfowl in early winter, but the riparian area below the dam is probably the best passerine potential in the area. Bryan Ehlmann thought he spotted a Black Swift quickly flyby high overhead. None of the rest of us was able to put binoculars on it.

It was nearing the time to more on to the San Isabel National Forest; specifically we wanted to check the St. Charles trail (Custer) for American Three-toed Woodpeckers and Flammulated Owls. It’s a good trail for both; a hike about 3/4 miles up the St. Charles Trail did not find either. Several Gray Jays kept watch of our group. Maybe hoping we would offer or drop some food along the trail.

When we returned to Highway 165, Sue made out a Dusky Grouse crossing the road approximately 200 yards south of the trailhead.

With little daylight remaining, we drove down to Ophir Creek Campgrounds. A few Broad-tailed Hummingbirds were still flying around. Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers drummed around the campgrounds. Veerys and Hermit Thrushes sang from high in the trees. Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Steller's Jays, Gray Jays, Mountain Chickadees, Western Tanagers, Cordilleran Flycatchers, and a Clark's Nutcracker were around also.

After dark, we searched for owls at the campgrounds and the hills east of the scout camp located several miles down Ophir Creek Road. We didn’t have success there.

At Richard’s favorite spot, Spring Creek Trail we enjoyed much success. Two Northern Saw-whet Owls called back and forth in the thick woods just 80 yards east of Highway 165. We walked down to the bottom of the trail and heard a Flammulated Owl calling from across the creek.

Later we drove back north to Davenport campgrounds and had another Flammulated Owl answer our callback recordings.

We weren’t on a leisure vacation (that was for sure) and so continued checking Smith Creek, Florence, and North Creek picnic areas. A Northern Saw-whet Owl was heard briefly at Florence Creek; the others were quiet.

We rolled into Westcliffe well after midnight…..well after.

June 12th

Some of us were up early looking for owls at DeWeese Reservoir (Custer). None were found; I didn’t miss anything. After sunrise, Lesser Goldfinches, Pine Siskins, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Lark Sparrows, Townsend's Solitaires, Cassin's Finches, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Brewer's Blackbirds, Green-tailed Towhees, and Mountain Bluebirds were seen flying around in search of food. Many of the fore mentioned species were observed in nesting behavior.

Gary found a Northern Waterthrush walking around the southwestern edge of the lake. We were surprised by 2 Black Terns flying around catching insects. It seemed very early for them to be around. Or were they late spring migrants?

Swallows included Cliff, Barn, Northern Rough-winged, Bank, Tree, and Violet-green. A Great Egret also searched for food at the southern end while several Wilson's Warblers sang out. The only shorebirds were a couple of Lesser Yellowlegs and Killdeer.

A male Williamson's Sapsucker caught insects and returned them to a hole in an Aspen tree. This habitat does not seem their most favorite as I understand Ponderosa Pine is preferred. Red-naped Sapsuckers, Downy Woodpeckers, and Hairy Woodpeckers were also found.

Gulls included Ring-billed, California, and a lone Franklin's. The Franklin's Gull was considered a good find for up here 7,900 feet in the central part of Custer County.

After lunch we drove up to Hillsdale and checked the loop of Custer County Road 32 (loop with highway 69). Richard enjoys old cemeteries and we birded around the old Hillsdale Cemetery. A flock of 3-5 Eastern Bluebirds flew around the entrance to the Texas Creek Ranch. A pair of Clark's Nutcrackers and a flock of a dozen Pinyon Jays also flew around the loop.

An old friend of Richard’s invited us for dinner and to bird on his land. His ranch was quite soggy but several of the boys tracked through the high weeds. A Sora answered a callback recording and 2 male Bobolinks flew out for them.

With time to spare, we headed southwest of Westcliffe (Middle Taylor Creek and Hermit Pass, Custer County) to look for White-tailed Ptarmigan. Richard had seen ptarmigan on several short hikes before; we thought to give it a try. No ptarmigan were found, but something better.

Richard played a Grace's Warbler tape and to our amazement a male Grace's Warbler responded! We eventually located the bird. It was watched several times picking up insects and returning to the same tree. If the trees had not been down hill/mountain of us, we probably never would have been witness to the (nesting) behavior.

This area is completely out of the known range of Grace's Warblers. We wondered how many additional Grace's Warblers are on the eastern side of the continental divide.

Note (added on July 1st). Andrew Spencer reported 7 Grace's Warblers east of the continental divide today. There maybe many more eastern slope Grace's Warblers than ever imagined.

We returned to the friend’s home and enjoyed a great country dinner (food and conversation) and were also entertained by half a dozen Eastern Bluebirds visiting the ranch’s feeders. The rancher is the grandson of a woman who once owned the whole valley. Circumstances were not kind to her (taxes) and she eventually sold the land for pennies on the dollar of worth.

After dark we headed to check for owls at several eastern slope campgrounds, wildlife areas, and national forests. (Middle Taylor Creek; Conquistador; Avarado and Huerfano). Our count was 2 Northern Saw-whet Owls and a pair of Northern Pygmy-Owls.

June 13th

We spent the night (what was left of it) in Walsenburg. Three of us arose late and birded Lathrop State Park (Huerfano). With a couple of lakes and much riparian areas, it’s one of the best birding locations in the county.

The guys got up after just a couple of hours sleep and went owling around Cuchara and Blue Lake campgrounds. Our plan was to meet up at Trinidad State Park afternoon lunch.

The guys enjoyed fair success by finding Northern Pygmy-Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Common Poorwill, and Dusky Grouse on their trip over Cuharas Pass. They were hoping to find remnants of a flock of Acorn Woodpeckers that had nested several years ago. No sign of any were documented on this trip.

They again had success with Grace's Warbler recordings. Another pair of Grace's Warblers was documented on the eastern side of Cuchara Pass. (This article was revised 6/30 to delete exact owl and warbler locations to protect nesting sites). At our Saturday night board meeting it was decided to re-visit owl sightings in the December Issue of “Colorado Field Notes”. Locations to search for owls in Colorado will be discussed then.

Richard does have another friend with a ranch on the eastern slope. His friend reports a pair of nesting Western Screech-Owls, but has not seen Grace's Warblers or Hepatic Tanagers. Richard donated a field guide about 6 years ago and has given several talks to the locals on bird identifications in their area. They have also seen a couple of Barn Owls east of Cuchara pass.

The CoBus group also tried to find Hepatic Tanager nesting sites and they were successful at only one location. Most Hepatic Tanager nesting sites are on private property and access is very limited. Future trips are already in the making to remedy this!

Back at Lathrop State Park, we found a Northern Waterthrush, 2 Green Herons, and American Redstart. It could not be determined if the Northern Waterthrush and/or American Redstart were nesting in the area. A Greater Roadrunner was run upon (not over) in the northwest corner of the park. They definitely nest in the park.

After lunch we met at the entrance to Trinidad State Park (Las Animas). The park has past reports of a Common Black Hawk, early spring Common Loons, and a possible nesting Rose-breasted Grosbeak. None were found today and we moved on rather quickly. The highlight was a male Ladder-backed Woodpecker; a new county bird for most of us. A check of Trinidad College did not find previously reported White-winged Doves.

Our trip was planned to end the day hiking and owling around the Great Sand Dunes National Park. Time was running short and we decided to skip Lake Dorothey Wildlife Area. It had been several years since Acorn Woodpeckers had been reported there. It is a good location for Hammond's Flycatchers, Cordilleran Flycatchers, Western Wood-pewees, and Bewick's Wrens. It is also one of the few public accesses to find Hepatic Tanagers. It was the site of the first state Acorn Woodpecker sightings in August, 1994.

We left behind Trinidad (Las Animas) and Walsenburg (Huerfano) and entered Costilla County by way of La Veta Pass; then on to the Great Sands Dune N.P. (Alamosa).

It was pretty hot in the late afternoon. We did hike through the woods on the eastern side of the park. A male Williamson's Sapsucker flew around catching insects. Surely a female was around; but we did not locate her.

Broad-tailed Hummingbirds were everywhere. A pair of Gray Flycatchers was seen fly catching at the campgrounds. A Virginia's Warbler was a surprise sighting. Deeper in the woods, a Plumbeous Vireo sang. The real prize was sighting a couple of Black Swifts for our Alamosa County list.

We drove a few miles south to the BLM Land and access to Zapata Falls. The short 1/2 mile hike up to the falls was a welcomed relief from the heat (but not much of one). Two or three Black Swifts were seen flying above the falls. We even saw 2 American Dippers jumping into the pools below the falls.

Our birding day ended with a little owling back at the Sand Dunes. A Western Screech-Owl was heard from the northeastern side of the campgrounds. A Northern Pygmy-Owl answered our recordings when we stood 1000 yards further north. Careful watch was kept for bears; they are out there.

June 14th

Up early we searched for Bendire's Thrashers along the Forest Roads north of Del Norte (Rio Grande). Attempts this morning and the next were unsuccessful. We did find many Sage Thrashers, Pinyon Jays in several flocks, and Northern Mockingbirds.

We split into two groups and checked along Forest Roads 560, 640, 660, 646, and 659 (Saguache). The only hint of a Bendire's Thrasher was on FR 659 which goes toward the Natural Arch Campground. Sue thought she saw a larger thrasher, but we were not able to relocate it.

After the day warmed up and success was even less likely, we scoured Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge and Alamosa NWR, again without success.

Late in the afternoon we headed south into the San Luis Valley. It was here that we ran across a pair of Mountain Plovers (in Rio Grande County). The guys found a Burrowing Owl near Fort Garland; but struck out on a Sage Sparrow search. We found a hovering Short-eared Owl near the entrance to Monte Vista NWR.

After dark we checked Rock Creek and Comstock campgrounds for owls. This evening everything was quiet.

June 15th

Up before sunrise, our 2 vehicle caravan again drove north of Del Norte in an unsuccessful attempt to locate Bendire's Thrashers. We spread out and hiked the rolling dry hills on the BLM land. Before it got too hot, we abandoned the search and headed to the southern part of the San Luis Valley.

The trip to La Jara was interesting, but lacked birds. We at least got a feel for the area and hoped to return later in the fall.

Drives through La Jara, San Acacio, Manassa, Romeo, and Conejos added few birds to our trip list. We hoped for at least some uncommon doves, hummingbirds, or anything.

From Antonito, we headed west and north into the San Juan Wilderness area. The rest of the day was spent stopping at the many campgrounds on the way to Platoro and Summitville. Boreal Owls have been reported at Platoro Reservoir; we did not want to wait around until dark for a search.

We eventually made it back to Del Norte for a quick bite and headed west on 160. We wanted to owl around South Fork, but first continued on to Wolf Creek Pass. It was a good choice as we watched several Black Swifts fly around Treasure Falls on the west side of the pass.

We didn’t have a lot of luck owling the Beaver Creek, Cross Creek, and South Fork (Rio Grande) areas and turned around to head back West. Wolf Creek Campground was quiet also. Further up Forest Road 648 we arrived at West Fork Campgrounds (Mineral) around midnight. A Northern Saw-whet Owl called without our playback tapes. A second owl answered and we watched it fly overhead. Eventually we were able to put a spotlight on it briefly.

July 16th

We spent the night in Pagosa Springs (Mineral). The guys left after a couple of hours sleep for Williams Creek Reservoir (Hinsdale), while we got a couple hours additional sleep. We split up and headed south shortly after sunrise.

We arrived late in the morning at Blanco River Campground (Hinsdale) where we found several Red-naped Sapsuckers and a flock of Evening Grosbeaks. Sue even found a female Dusky Grouse crossing Forest Road 656 as we drove back to Pagosa Springs.

The guys reported that Williams Creek Reservoir was pretty quiet. They did get a Northern Saw-whet Owl to respond briefly to a recording played before sunrise. A couple of Hermit Thrushes sang for them and Bryan heard a Veery. While there are Veerys in Mineral County, this was further south than they have previously been reported. The riparian areas north of the reservoir are rumored to have Fox Sparrows. American Three-toed Woodpeckers should also be in the area.

They are pretty sure that the Greater White-fronted Goose reported at Williams Creek reservoir on 6/25, was not there on 6/16. They also found Red-naped Sapsuckers, Evening Grosbeaks, Black-headed Grosbeaks, and Western Tanagers.

Having never been there, we detoured to Chimney Rock (Archuleta). June 25, 2004 a Hepatic Tanager was reported near the entrance to the park. A long shot, we gave it a try. “Colorado Birds” Andrews and Righter does not show any non-Western Tanager sightings in Archuleta County; but the resource is getting old.

We didn’t find any tanagers but did add a few birds to our Archuleta County List. A pair of Red-naped Sapsuckers worked some trees outside of the entrance. White-throated Swifts fly around once we entered the archaeological site.

Our trek continued south to Navajo Reservoir (Archuleta). Again birding was slow, but it was not the best time of day for a visit. Most likely early winter and early spring are the best times to visit this huge lake that goes into New Mexico. Both Western and Clark's Grebes have been reported here in the summer.

From there we decided to continue east to Pagosa Junction. We made several stops along the way, but found no uncommon birds. One of our target birds for the trip was a Black-chinned Sparrow. They are reported in New Mexico within 20 miles of the Colorado border. Why don’t a few make it into our state? Anyway, we kept our eyes out for them (but never found any during our trip).

Pagosa Junction is an interesting little town; few birds though.

Tried of riding around and with only a few hours of daylight left, we chose to drive up Forest Road 773 and wait until dark to return. Hoping to find a few owls on our way to Durango. At dusk we heard the familiar “whip-poor-will” call. Sure enough, it was just that! The bird even flew across the road for us so that we can say that we saw one. It figured to be the southwest subspecies and we hope to later get sonograms from the audio recordings that we captured. Another project for later in the summer.

Owling was slow this night. We returned to highway 160 by way of Cat Creek Gap (Archuleta). Stopping every couple of miles and listening for owls.

We did hear a Northern Saw-whet Owl once back at hwy 160 and Devil Creek Wildlife Area. Devils Creek and Lower Piedra Campgrounds were also checked; without much action.

We headed to Durango and a well needed and deserved day of rest.

June 17th

We all slept late (well most of us). After a leisure walk around Durango and a nice brunch we were much bored. We took a leisure drive to Weaselskin Bridge (La Plata) not far outside of Durango. A Black Phoebe was fly catching downstream of the bridge. It most likely nests somewhere in the area.

We stopped at Wildcat Canyon and added two Acorn Woodpeckers to our trip list. I guess this cell has been here for many years now. I found reports going back to 1994.

We drove south to the New Mexico border (went over and stood there for a few minutes). Then we headed back up to Durango. Several stops were made to listen for Black-chinned Sparrows. We had debated on whether to checkout a Black-chinned Sparrow location in New Mexico, but decided time would not allow it.

Road 213 and Zink’s Pond were checked out without any memorable sightings. Nothing really stood out.

We ended our birding day at Lake Haviland. A Three-toed Woodpecker was drumming away not far from the lake. A couple of Grace's Warblers sang before sunset. We didn’t stay long after sunset; no owls answered our recordings.

June 18th

At first light, we hiked into Yellow Jacket Canyon (Montezuma) to search for the infamous Lucy’s Warblers. It took about an hour, but we finally heard a Lucy’s Warbler singing. Soon after, a second bird appeared and joined the first. We also heard and later briefly saw a Summer Tanager. So both our target birds were found. A Ladder-backed Woodpecker was also found. This bird seemed very out of place?

The area is very rugged and some of the land is private property. Care should be taken to stay in public areas.

There are so many places to bird in the southwest corner of the state and so little time. We tried to hit the major stops. At Hovenweep National Monument, a rare Scott's Oriole, Gray Flycatchers, and Gray Vireos were added to our trip list. We also found a Gambel's Quail and Black-throated Sparrows nearby. No Lucy’s Warblers were around the Ismay Trading Post and we headed back toward Cortez.

A check at McElmo Creek Road did not find a Hooded Oriole this trip. We did find a Black Phoebe near Ted Floyd’s spot along McElmo Creek Road.

We checked the Mancos River Trading Post south of Cortez and found a couple of Black-chinned Hummingbirds. We hoped that an uncommon hummingbird might come up from New Mexico or Arizona. And they probably do, if one sits there long enough. Last year a Lawrence’s Warbler was reported here. With one in Grand Junction this year, who knows how many are around?

June 19th

Our birding efforts returned to the Cortez area again today. There are many reservoirs to checkout in Montezuma County. McPhee Reservoir itself took most of our efforts. To get a good handle on the bird populations there required most of the day. Most of the bird records from this huge reservoir are during winter and early spring.

We did see Hammond's Flycatchers and a lone Dusky Flycatcher. Warblers included MacGillivray's, Virginia's, Yellow-rumped, Orange-crowned, and Grace's. Red-naped and Williamson's Sapsuckers were also seen in nesting behavior.

Narraguinnep Reservoir to the west of McPhee is another seemingly under-birded area. It probably is better in late fall and early spring.

We split up to bird the lakes east of McPhee. Puett and Summit Wildlife Areas and Mancos State Park were birded as we split into groups of 2. Bauer Lake was really slow.

Highlights included a Peregrine Falcon at McPhee Reservoir. They possibly nest somewhere in the area?

An Ovenbird and Grace's Warblers were observed at Mancos State Park. It was not determined if the Ovenbird is nesting here. The Grace's Warblers definitely exhibited nesting behavior.

Our owling endeavors centered around the campgrounds: McPhee, House Creek, Metasko, Ferris, Cabin, Dolores, Bradford, and Dolores Fork Overlook.

With only two vehicles we were limited to 2 groups. Our total owl count was:

Northern Saw-whet Owl (5)

Northern Pygmy-Owl (2)

Flammulated Owl (2)

Long-eared Owl (2)

We wanted to try for Boreal Owls but time did not permit it. A Spotted Owl search would have been enjoyed but restrictions at Mesa Verde did not permit that. We couldn’t convince the ranger’s to allow us to bird restricted areas and hours.

June 20th

Our troop headed back into the mountains today as we turned up highway 145. The guys basically stayed up all night and explored campgrounds and picnic areas: Forks, Mavreeso, West Dolores, Burro Bridge, and Clayton.

In their limited time, they added 2 Northern Saw-whet Owls, 4 Flammulated Owls, and a Boreal Owl to our trip list.

We birded up Forest Road 556, and then backtracked to Groundhog Reservoir (Dolores) off FR 526. They continued up to Lizard Head Pass and searched areas where White-winged Crossbills have been reported in past years. Neither group enjoyed great success. We did find 4 Purple Martins on the eastern side of Groundhog Reservoir.

We ended our birding day at Lone Cone Wildlife Area (San Miguel). It probably has not been birded much. We did list two dozen species of nesting birds. Probably Grace's Warblers were the best.

The other group ended their birding day at Lizard head pass and went owling on the trip back to Cortez. We added only one Flammulated Owl and one Northern Pygmy-Owl to the trip list. They beat us again with 2 Flammulated Owls and 2 Northern Saw-whet Owls.

June 21st

Today we headed back to hotter country as we drove to Slick Rock (San Miguel). There once was a store there that had hummingbird feeders; it’s gone now. We stopped several times along Highway 141. Gray Flycatchers and Black-throated Gray Warblers were found among the juniper pinon pines along the road. At approximately 4 miles south of Slick Rock Bryan found a Gray Vireo. “Colorado Birds” does not list the bird for San Miguel County.

We birded a really dry, hot, miserable area—Slick Rock Big Gypsum Canyon. What an awful time. Flies and mosquitoes were terrible. The soil appears useless. We didn’t see many birds. But a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was reported here in June, 1994, so we gave it an attempt to find something usual (not). The area is known for people who want to float down the Dolores River or climb the rock cliffs on either side of the canyon.

For the 3 year in a row, we found and videotaped Bendire's Thrashers on private land in San Miguel County. The landowner has no idea how many years the birds have been coming. Richard Stevens first discovered and videotaped them back in June, 1999. It’s on our agenda to look into the nesting territories in New Mexico and Utah (if any).

We stayed overnight on a private ranch. No owls were heard during the night. Well not quite true, we did hear a Great Horned Owl. Along our trek we have heard several, I guess because they are so common, I forget to mention them. The landowner does see Barn Owls on his ranch, but we were not able to locate any.

June 22nd

Finally we are headed home. We slept late (7:00am). The guys of course took off early to go owling Disappointment Creek (San Miguel). That didn’t sound too promising to us (especially after Big Gypsum Canyon yesterday). They checked Dry Creek Basin and Miramonte without much success.

We met up in Naturita and headed toward Ouray. But first took a side trip to Uravan (Montrose). A Black Phoebe was fly catching along the San Miguel River just north of the Uravan Bridge. In spite of the heat, there were many birds about. The highlight was an Indigo Bunting. Where was he going or coming from? Also added to our Montrose trip list were: Ash-throated Flycatchers, Blue Grosbeak, Western Kingbird, Say's Phoebe, Western Wood-pewee, Yellow Warbler, Turkey Vulture, Yellow-breasted Chat, and several Black-chinned Hummingbirds.

Now we turned around and headed for an early dinner in Ouray.

First we stopped at Box Canyon and watched a couple of Black Swifts flying around. Several flew to nests. We also saw Western Tanagers, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Orange-crowned Warblers, White-throated Swifts, Violet-green Swallows, and a Hermit Thrush.

It was time to head back to Denver for us gals. The guys headed toward Jackson County (Gould) for an owl study. They did stop at McClure Pass Campgrounds and Old McClure Pass where they found a Northern Pygmy-Owl and Northern Saw-whet Owl. We on the other hand made the long trip back to Denver by way of Gunnison and Canon City.

The plan is to return in a week or so to the Nucla and Uncompahgre Plateau area for more owling and birding.

A couple of notes. After Saturday’s meeting it was encouraged that I delete the section on Bendire’s Thrashers. For the third year in a row, we did find nesting Bendire's Thrashers. Their location needs to be protected. We have videotapes and audio recorded them. An Arizona expert confirms our identification. More will surely be written about them in the future.

I was going to add directions to all the birding locations. Since everyone received a disk with all the birding locations on it in June’s issue of “Colorado Field Notes” I will ask birders to refer to it. For those who don’t know, you can download all the locations into a single folder on your computer. Then open “countymap.htm” in your browser. Bookmark this opened file and you can return to it anytime you want, without have to use the disk.

More information on "Colorado Field Notes" can be seen at:
http://home.att.net/~birdertoo/coloradofieldnotes.htm

Thanks for Listening!