2007 Tour Narrative
Brief Summary: This year’s tour met with beautiful weather and wonderfully lush growing conditions. The result was our second year in a row of spectacular wildflowers and an above average abundance of butterflies. Birds were also enjoying the lush season and one could not go far without seeing or hearing baby birds. Through the course of the tour, we were pleased to see nests or recently fledged young of nearly half the bird species we encountered!
In Detail: We began less than a mile from our hotel in Denver where we had a taste of the prairies. Among a thriving little colony of Black-tailed Prairie-Dogs, we found several families of Burrowing Owls as well as American Kestrel, Killdeer, Horned Lark, Brewer’s Blackbird and Western Meadowlark. We hope this lovely little pasture continues to be productive for years to come though development is encroaching quickly. We continued on to the spectacular Red Rock Park where we found a variety of birds characteristic of the arid foothills including Great Horned Owl, Western Scrub-Jays, Black-capped Chickadee, Canyon Wren, Yellow-breasted Chat, Spotted Towhee, Black-headed Grosbeak, and lots of Bullock’s Orioles (which were gone a week later — off to Mexico where they molt in late summer). As it warmed up, we turned to butterflies at Apex Park where highlights included Western Tiger Swallowtail and Two-tailed Swallowtails, Gray Copper, Striped Hairstreak, Variegated and Northwestern Fritillaries, Weidemeyer’s Admiral, Hackberry Emperor and Taxiles Skipper. Along the way, we couldn’t help but notice several stunning Lazuli Buntings and a fresh juvenile Peregrine Falcon. Farther west, we made a stop at Genesee Park where we found a few typical Ponderosa birds such as Williamson’s Sapsucker, Pygmy Nuthatch, and Mountain Chickadee.
Day two began in Arapaho National Forest where we found several American Dippers foraging along the rapids of the Blue River. We even saw one visit its nest under a small bridge. Nearby, a female Common Merganser escorted her recently hatched chicks down the river. We then entered Pike National Forest and spent the remainder of the morning exploring the montane forest and meadows at Boreas Pass. Some of the typical high elevation species we encountered included Red-naped Sapsucker, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Hammond’s Flycatcher, Wilson’s Warbler, Lincoln’s and White-crowned Sparrows (both feeding young), Gray-headed Junco, Cassin’s Finch, and both “type 2” and “type 5” Red Crossbills. Butterflies were abundant at Boreas and we found Rocky Mountain Parnassian, “Baird’s” Old World Swallowtail, Mead’s Sulphur, Purplish Copper, Greenish and Arctic Blues, Variable Checkerspot, Common Ringlet, Common Alpine, Chryxus Arctic, and Grizzled Skipper. And we all enjoyed the rare sight of a Northern Pocket Gopher excavating its hole. As we headed south on our long drive to Alamosa, we stopped to enjoy a pond with Eared Grebes and Lesser Scaups, dozens of Mountain Bluebirds (we counted 34 on the drive), several Swainson’s Hawks (including some sitting on nests), and a group of Pronghorns.
A different day brings a different habitat. We started day three in the sagebrush flatlands outside Alamosa where we found Swainson’s Hawk, Horned Lark, Sage Thrasher, Brewer’s, Vesper, and Savannah Sparrows, Lark Bunting (a little surprising outside its usual range on the plains), and Western Meadowlark. Nearby at Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge, we found a variety of waterbirds including Gadwall, Blue-winged and Cinnamon Teal, Northern Shoveler, Redhead, Ruddy Duck, White-faced Ibis, American Avocet, and Wilson’s Phalarope. Many of the waterfowl were toting long trains of young of various ages. The reeds surrounding the ponds were alive with Yellow-headed Blackbirds, most tending their noisy and awkward-looking young, and we had at least brief views of several Marsh Wrens. But the real prize at Monte Vista was a Short-eared Owl flying high over the marsh, and at times being mobbed by Red-winged Blackbirds. As the day warmed up we began to see hundreds of butterflies. Most of these were Cabbage and Checkered Whites and Clouded Sulphurs but with them we saw Ruddy Copper, Monarch, and Garita Skipperling. Lunch at Shaw Creek yielded our first Boisdivall’s Blue, nice views of Rufous Hummingbird, and a pair of Violet-green Swallows nesting at our picnic site. As we headed to Durango, we stopped near Pagosa Springs to watch several Lewis’s Woodpeckers and proceeded to count a total of twenty on our drive.
On our morning walk on the Colorado Trail outside Durango we found what must have been the world’s highest density of Western Wood-Pewees! Along with them, we saw a family of Western Bluebirds, a juvenile Townsend’s Solitaire, and several Warbling Vireos. Among the Ponderosa Pines at Junction Creek, we found Pygmy Nuthatch, Dusky Flycatcher, family groups of Virginia’s and Orange-crowned Warblers, and Plumbeous Vireo. Butterflies there included Pine White, Banded and Colorado Hairstreaks, Reikert’s Blue, Great Spangled and Northwestern Fritillaries, and Woodland Skipper. We also were lucky to see a Round-tailed Horned Lizard there. In the afternoon we went to Mesa Verde where we toured the ruins and, even in the heat of the day, managed to see quite a few birds including Golden Eagle, Dusky Flycatcher, Juniper Titmouse, Bushtit, Black-throated Gray Warbler, and Green-tailed Towhee. We also found some rabbitbrush in full bloom and it was covered with butterflies including Great Purple and Juniper Hairstreaks and at least twenty Tailed Coppers.
On day five, we headed north from Durango into the spectacular San Juan mountains, made famous by the narrow-gage railway that links Durango and Silverton. We stopped at Haviland Lake where a short walk through the woods brought us to a nice flock of songbirds including Cordilleran Flycatcher, Mountain Chickadee, Plumbeous and Warbling Vireos, and Virginia’s, Yellow-rumped, and Grace’s Warblers. We also had nice views of both Red-naped and Williamson’s Sapsuckers and Olive-sided Flycatcher. After it warmed up a bit, we visited a small meadow tended by a few butterflies including Hedgerow Hairstreak, Weidemeyer’s Admiral, and Aphrodite Fritillary. At Andrews Lake, we were racing to beat the rain and just barely had enough time for lunch and a quick look at a Mormon Fritillary before heading for cover. As we headed north, we managed to stay ahead of the rain and made a few quick stops along the way. In the Molas Pass area, we found Melissa and Acmon Blues and were shocked to see a Barred Yellow, perhaps the first sighting in Colorado of this primarily tropical species! Alas, it wouldn’t stay put to be photographed so remains undocumented. The rain still chasing us, we continued north to Box Canyon Falls in the charming mining town of Ouray. Here, a stairway leads to the spectacular subterranean waterfall where Black Swifts nest, a rare opportunity to study these unusual birds up close. We saw six birds sitting on nests as well as several others flying overhead with a large flock of White-throateds.
This morning we visited another entirely different habitat. The spectacularly rugged Escalante Canyon is an arid, rocky canyon with pinyon-juniper hillsides and a cottonwood-lined stream. Among the many interesting birds we found in this unique area, highlights were several family groups of Chuckars, Say’s Phoebe, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Loggerhead Shrike, Pinyon Jay, Juniper Titmouse, dozens of Rock Wrens, Lark Sparrow, Blue Grosbeak, and Lazuli Bunting. Other interesting critters here including Becker’s and Western Whites, Yuma Skipper, Common Sootywing, Hopi Chipmunk, White-tailed Antelope-Squirrel, and Side-blotched Lizard. It warmed up quickly so we headed for high ground in the afternoon, visiting the delightfully cool and lush mountain meadows of Grand Mesa. By the visitor’s center, we discovered that our bag of potato chips was popular not just with the chipmunks, but also with Gray and Steller’s Jays and Clark’s Nutcrackers! The three Pine Grosbeaks there, however, seemed uninterested. At the nearby meadows, we saw a spectacular display of wildflowers as well as a pair of Mountain Bluebirds tending their nest, a large family group of American Pipits, a huge flock of Pine Siskins, numerous Mormon Fritillaries, and our only Scudder’s Sulphur of the tour.
On day seven we visited the spectacular Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. The scenery here is absolutely breathtaking and made even better by the echoing songs of Canyon Wrens and the rare opportunity to look down on Turkey Vultures, White-throated Swifts, and Violet-green Swallows. After soaking in the scenery, we began to look for butterflies which were abundant. Highlights included Becker’s White, Queen Alexandra’s Sulphur, Blue Copper, Coral and Colorado Hairstreaks, Great Spangled and Callipe Fritillaries, Small and Common Wod-Nymphs, Ridings’s and Canyonland Satyrs, Russet Skipperling, Common Branded-Skipper, and Dun Skipper. Our lunch near the dam was enlivened by the presence of an American Dipper feeding and resting across the river. As we headed east toward Gunnison, we stopped to view several lakes and found a few Western Grebes and California Gulls. Our last stop of the day was along Gold Basin Creek just outside Gunnison. There, we saw a Prairie Falcon buzz by and also saw our primary target, the very local Gunnison Sage-Grouse.
On day eight, as we headed east out of Gunnison, we found two Wilson’s Snipes perched on roadside fence posts. We continued east, crossing Monarch Pass, and ended up back at Boreas Pass for another chance at some of the montane species there. We stopped first at Tarryall Creek where we had fine views of a Fox Sparrow as well as a Mustard White. At Selkirk Campground, our picnic lunch was accompanied by Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Brown Creeper, Purplish Fritillary, and Afranius Duskywing. At the pass, we enjoyed a large flock of Red Crossbills (“type 5”), as well as a good mix of butterflies including Queen Alexandra’s Sulphur and Colorado Alpine. We also noticed that the wildflower show was even better than a week earlier. As we made our way down the mountain, heavy rains ended our butterflying but nicely illustrated how the process of erosion is slowly but constantly reshaping the landscape.
On our final day, we headed above tree line to the 14,264 foot Mount Evans. During our brief visit to Eco Lake we found Gray Jay, Wilson’s Warbler, Fox Sparrow, and Pine Grosbeak. As we continued above tree line, we found numerous Yellow-bellied Marmots, including two babies wrestling with each other on the side of the road. We also saw several American Pikas and heard others calling from various rocky outcrops. At Summit Lake, a short hike produced excellent views of several Brown-capped Rosy-Finches along with numerous American Pipits and a distant group of Mountain Goats. Overhead, numerous Common Ravens were playing on the updrafts and were joined briefly by two Golden Eagles. A few butterflies braved the chilly weather and we found Rocky Mountain Parnassian, Variable Checkerspot, Hoary Comma, and Grizzled Skipper.
Updated: August 2007