Yet Another Grouse Trip 2018

March 30 to April 5, 2018

March 30

Ohio birders Rob Rouse, Tom Renee, Rick Odum and I started on a Grouse trip.  Like my last trip, we managed to miss the snowstorms hitting Colorado.  It snowed last week and soon after our return.

Temperatures in Silverthorne were 27 degrees.  Winds were horrible at 36-37 mph with gusts to 51 mph.  I believe my anometer has a limit of 60 mph; one gust hit that.

It took quite awhile for us to find a White-tailed Ptarmigan today.  We checked my four favorite locations twice before finding a lone bird below the western summit (Clear Creek).

A brief stop in Silverthorne as our time was running short found three species of Rosy Finches.  Numbers were down from previous visits (10 Gray-crowned, 1 Black and 37 Brown-capped).

We arrived at the Jackson County 26b lek with snow falling rapidly.  Fortunately two Greater Sage-Grouse were walking along CR 26 when we drove in.  Only three Greater Sage-Grouse were observed on the lek.

Our plan to drive back to Cameron Pass (Jackson) for a Boreal Owl searched was called off as snow continued well after dark.

March 31

Temperatures in Hayden reached 57 degrees when we left the area.  Winds were a mild 6-7 mph.  Gusts at times reached 23 mph.

We parked at the 80 Route 2nd cattle guard shortly before sunrise.  A male Dusky Grouse walked out of the brush on the east side of the road, looked around for 5 minutes and disappeared to the east.

While waiting for the Dusky Grouse, we heard many Greater Sage-Grouse booming when it was still dark.  Thirty minutes before sunrise we found several of them dancing to the northwest.  Rick even managed to put a scope on two Sharp-tailed Grouse far off in the distance (southwest).

We then rushed over to the Twenty Road Leks and found another five Sharp-tailed Grouse running around.  In my experience, Sharp-tailed Grouse visit their leks well after civil twilight.  I have seen them still displaying two hours after sunrise.

After breakfast in Craig, we detoured to Oxbow State Trust Lands in Moffat County.  Two Sagebrush Sparrows popped up out of the sage south of the parking area.  Two Sage Thrashers sang less than 10 yards east.

The hunt for Chukar at Coal Canyon tested our patience.  A Chukar ran across the landscape perhaps 20 yards north of the parking area.  Howeve, it took over two hours to see it again.  Two Pinyon Jays flew along the ridge during the Chukar chase.

We then headed up the Grand Mesa.  I was able to relocate the Northern Saw-whet Owl that has used the same tree for three years now!

Powderhorn Ski area did not provide sightings of Northern Pygmy-Owls or American Three-toed Woodpeckers this trip.

The Boreal Owls at Spruce Grove Campgrounds, and the next two pullovers to the south did not cooperate this night.  We eventually found a Boreal Owl at the clearing about 0.2 miles along the road heading east from the Visitor's Center located along hwy 65.

April 1

Temperatures reached 75 degrees in Delta today.  Winds were 5-6 mph with a few gusts to 20 mph.

A drive through the Colorado National Monument (Mesa) added Juniper Titmice (Campgrounds), Pinyon Jays (Campgrounds), Bushtits (Campgrounds), and a Bewick's Wren (western entrance) to our trip list.

We drove down Escalante Canyon to Pinnacle Rock.  One Black Phoebe was along the creek at 50 yards east of the Rock.  Missed additional Chukars.

A Lewis's Woodpecker was at Eckert Post Office.  Good fortune as no additional Long-eared Owls could be found at Fruitgrower's Reservoir area.

Our birding day ended at the Black Canyon of Gunnison National Park (Montrose).  After taking in the spectacular views, we eventually found one male Dusky Grouse between the Campgrounds entrance and the Park entrance.  The south rim drive is still closed at the Visitor's Center.  See Colorado Birding Society's website for notification of its opening.

April 2

Temperatures in Pueblo were 76 degrees, almost hot.  Winds were 11-12 mph with gusts roaring to 32 mph at Pueblo Reservoir.  

We were quite fortunate to find two Gunnison Sage-Grouse walking along CR 887.  As far as I know, Gunnison Sage-Grouse have not been seen at their traditional lek yet this year.

Our plans changed when news of the Vermilion Flycatcher at the Hanover Fire Station reached us. 

One stop along the way, the Monarch Pass pullover added two male American Three-toed Woodpeckers drumming.  One was on the south side and one north side of highway 50.

The 32+ winds at Pueblo Reservoir (Pueblo) encouraged a pass and our troop continued to the Hanover Fire Station (El Paso).

It was a superb stop.  The stop added the male Vermilion Flycatcher, a Curve-billed Thrasher, Burrowing Owls and a Sage Thrasher to our trip list.  Unfortuntely we could not identify any Cassin's Sparrows. 

Shortly after our arrival to Cottonwood Canyon (Baca) a Western Screech-Owl was heard and later seen in the draw south of the primitive Campgrounds.

April 3

Temperatures reache 56 degrees today in Springfield (Baca County).  Winds were strong at 19-20 mph with gusts to 37 mph.

Only two Lesser Prairie-Chickens visited my friend's ranch (Baca) this morning.  Sightings are rare anywhere in Colorado and northwestern Kansas.

A drive down the old Campo Lek road added two Cassin's Sparrows (singing) to our day list.  A Curve-billed Thrasher walked around the cemetery west of the Lek.

A return to Cottonwood Canyon (Baca) found two Eastern Phoebes, a Winter Wren (up southern draw), two Rufous-crowned Sparrows (1.2 miles east of Campgrounds), Bewick's Wrens, Chihuahuan Ravens, Greater Roadrunner, Canyon Towhees and Wild Turkeys (to add to our gallinaceous bird list).

A Mountain Plover was found along the south side of Baca County Road UU on the way to Two Buttes Reservoir.  Below the dam at the Reservoir we found two Eastern Phoebes, another Winter Wren and one of the resident Barn Owls.

We continued to Bonny Reservoir Wildlife Area (Yuma).  Two Red-bellied Woodpeckers worked the cottonwoods at the western end of Hale Ponds.  After civil twilight, an Eastern Screech-Owl called from the northeast corner of Hale Ponds.

April 4

Temperature reached a warm 68 degrees in Wray today.  Winds varied from 7 mph to 23 mph throughout the day.

We scoped five Greater Prairie-Chickens at the Yuma County Roa 45 lek.  An additional Greater Prairie-Chicken was perched on a fence along the road to the Fitsmueller Ranch.

Wray Fishing Unit (Yuma) added another Eastern Phoebe and two White-throated Sparrows to our trip list.  A Northern Cardinal was seen in the Russian Olive trees at the west end of Stalker Pond.

We chose to skip Jumbo Reservoir (Logan/Sedgwick) and Pawnee National Grasslands (Weld) as our target birds familiar with those locations had already been found.  Instead to continued to Jackson Reservoir (Morgan) for Long-eared Owls with a detour to Prewitt Reservoir (Logan/Washington).

The Glaucous Gull and two Lesser Black-backed Gulls continued at Prewitt Reservoir.  Shorebirds were unfortunately non-existent.

Two of the resident Long-eared Owls were found around the Pelican Campgrounds at Jackson Reservoir (Morgan).  Few birds were moving around and we continued back to Denver.

April 5

Temperatures reached 64 degrees in Denver today.  Winds were again strong at 11-12 mph with gusts to 30 mph.

About an hour before sunrise three of us walked South Foxton Road listening for Northern Pygmy-Owls.  My healing broken ankle did not allow me to join them.  Parked at the larger western parking area they turned around at the smaller eastern parking area, returning by way of the Songbird Trail.  Rob picked out a small nest shape in the cottonwoods.  It was a Northern Pygmy-Owl.

Later they hiked the Elkhorn trail to the Raven's Roost trail.  A Dusky Grouse scurried rapidly across the trail, not to be relocated.  On the trip back they found a male Williamson's Sapsucker south (uphill) of the old service road.