COLORADO ‘CHICKEN ODYSSEY’ April 10 -20, 2003

A number of highlights marked another successful trip to Colorado from all the waterfowl that were seen while scanning the numerous reservoirs to the amazing displays of the chickens. Scanning some of the reservoirs that dot the state, we came across Northern Shovelers sometimes in their thousands, Redheads, Canvasback, Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Duck, Clarke’s and Western Grebes and stunningly plumaged Eared Grebes as well as a dozen or so Barrow’s Goldeneye side by side with their more common cousins, allowing for great comparisons. Amongst the more common shorebird species Baird’s Sandpipers were on the move and a pair of Snowy Plovers were settling into their nesting territory along the shore of a lake. The grasslands in the eastern plains held numerous Vesper, Cassin’s and a Lark Sparrow while the Pawnee’s had both McGown’s and Chestnut-collared Longspur displaying. A pair of Mountain Plovers was also located and Mike spotted a Prairie Falcon pick off a Horned Lark, which we duly watched as it ate its prey on the ground. Raptors were well represented, with 13 species being seen. Kestrels are very common, Swainson’s regularly seen and occasionally a Rough-legged was spotted. One can not forget the Ferruginous Hawks cooperating very nicely as they flew between fence posts and a nest, in the top of a lone tree in the prairie or the Golden Eagle that circled around us along the Arkansas River, as we pulled in to have lunch. With every year different, this was no exception as both Golden Eagles and Great Horned Owls were seen in good numbers. In Cottonwood canyon two Western Screech-Owls called during the hot midday hours and we had some great encounters with Long-eared Owls, one being on a nest and the other at very close range.

In the pinyon-juniper habitat around Pueblo we found several Pinyon Jays and one of the plainest avian species there is, the Juniper Titmouse. Once we reached the snow covered Rockies, Cassin’s Finch, Mountain Chickadee, Pine Grosbeak and pink-sided Junco became the supporting cast for the rosy-finches. The feeders at Loveland had numerous Brown-capped, small numbers of Gray-headed including 4 Hepburn’s (the coastal race) and 4 Black, the least common of the three in Colorado. Guanella Pass was unfortunately closed due to snow slides, making the trek for Ptarmigan of out of the question, but we did pick up an American Dipper working its way up the stream. In the snow, at times seemingly like a blizzard, we worked our way through Arapho NWR. Though there were good numbers of ducks on the ponds, it was in the sagebrush that we had the most luck. A Sage Thrasher was very cooperative as it sang from the tops of the sage and we watched an American Badger stalking a Richardson’s Ground-Squirrel some twenty yards from us, before leaving it to look for dinner in peace! Once again in the snow, we searched the Ponderosa Pines for woodpeckers, in particular Three-toed, which eluded us, but we had luck finding all the others including Red-naped Sapsucker and a pair of Williamson’s Sapsuckers.

We came to Colorado for the “chickens” and they did not disappoint. 43 Greater Prairie-Chickens greeted us on their lek early one morning in the sandhills, booming, clucking, laughing and stamping their feet – their efforts well rewarded, as we witnessed numerous copulations. By contrast the Lesser Prairie-Chicken numbers in Colorado are dwindling and only a few were seen on the lek, but it was enough to see that their dances are different – jumping and pausing more than their larger cousins. For shear size, the majestic Greater Sage Grouse, put on a stunning show on a carpet of snow, with up to 55 birds. One of those magical moments occurred once most had dispersed into the sage, when a Golden Eagle flew low over the ridge and about 30 birds exploded out of the sage and straight over our van! Their smaller cousins the Gunnison’s are not fairing as well. Only 5 showed up at the lek and a Coyote chased them out. Probably the most fascinating of all the displays belongs to the Sharp-tailed Grouse, and from our observation point, we saw them spin, stop, spin and run with their tails raised. A lone male Blue Grouse rounded out our large “chickens”, though he was not as cooperative as we would have liked – but that is the joy of birding!

~ Adrian Binns