2007 Tour Narrative
The April 2007 “Colorado: Lekking Grouse” saw more varied Colorado scenery in just eight days of birding than most Coloradans see in a lifetime. Stunning snow-covered mountains (many over 14,000 feet), alpine tundra, sagebrush plains, well-watered valleys and cottonwood-lined rivers, yucca grassland, large reservoirs, and the endless flatness of the western Great Plains. And while the 2007 weather was—at times—less than ideal, we saw just about all of the specialties desired; and the snowy weather one day was actually a great asset, as it helped produce a stunning rosy-finch showing at Crested Butte, with some 400 Brown-capped, 8 Black, and 3 Gray-crowned all together in one mass at our feet (and with a few Evening Grosbeaks thrown in for good measure).
But it is of course the displaying grouse and related chickens that form the core of this tour. And this year we experienced calling in a White-tailed Ptarmigan in the sleet and snow at Loveland Pass so it would land in front of us in the parking lot (!), to the fine groups of lekking Greater Sage-Grouse near Walden, Gunnison Sage-Grouse near Gunnison (please, no snickering…), Sharp-tailed Grouse near Hayden, Lesser Prairie-Chickens near Elkhart, and, perhaps best of all, the Greater Prairie-Chickens near Wray. Throw in a point-blank male Dusky Grouse, as well as Chukar and Scaled Quail. And don’t forget the great views of Mountain Plover, Lewis’s Woodpeckers, Pine Grosbeaks, Harris’s Sparrows, McCown’s Longspurs (OK, not-so-great views), and side-by-side Rock and Canyon Wrens. Honorable mentions go to the Ross’s Geese, Barrow’s Goldeneyes, Ferruginous Hawks, Snowy Plovers, pinkish Franklin’s Gulls, Pinyon Jays, vagrant Carolina Wren, Sage Thrashers, Black-throated Sparrow, and Red Crossbills.
Now, about those ground-squirrels and chipmunks…..
Paul Lehman
Updated: June 2007