Colorado Vacation

Colorado Vacation, March 31 to April 9, 2006

Friday, March 31st was a long day, especially for David, waking at his usual early morning hour and putting in what could be considered a full day’s work before heading for home by noon. I was busy with a last minute trip to the store to restock the shelves, packing and readying the house for our departure. We allowed plenty of time for our drive to the airport, in case of delays along the 401 but finally, boarding passes in hand, we had time to relax. At this point we realized we had been seated separately so a last minute request for a seat reassignment found us sitting in the very back of the plane, surrounded by a large group of British school kids. Chaos ensued while flight attendants tried to find seats for everyone since they had chosen to ignore their assigned seats in favour of sitting with a friend. But finally we were off.

The trip to Denver passed quickly, both of us engrossed in books we had brought with us. At Denver International Airport we had a little more than an hour till our connecting flight. Again we managed to get seats together and it seemed that no sooner were we leveling out then we were starting our descent into Walker Field Airport at Grand Junction. Although local time was only a little after 9:30 PM, it was 2 hours later for us and we were anxious to pick up our car and head for the hotel. Imagine our relief when a call to Thrifty’s assured us that a driver was already waiting for us just outside the door. The drive took only a few minutes and once at Thrifty’s we were provided with, at no extra charge, a Chrysler Pacifica 4X4 instead of the mid-size we had reserved. It wasn’t until later, after covering more than 2000 miles of varying terrain in all kinds of weather conditions that we realized just how fortunate we were for that upgrade! Before long we were checked into the Best Western Sandman Motel, less than a mile up the road from the car rental depot. For me, this was the point at which I felt our vacation was starting in earnest!

Saturday morning we woke to cool temperatures with overcast skies and light rain falling. Over breakfast at Denny’s we decided that since we were so close to the border with Utah we would take the time and head west into that state. The landscape along the way was rugged and sparse, reminiscent of old western movies. We were not far from Arches National Park , famous for the arches of red sandstone that occur there in great profusion, but we knew we didn’t have the time we would need to devote to seeing it properly. Our prime focus for that day was scouting out the location of the lek of the Gunnison Sage Grouse which we were hoping to see very early Sunday morning. So with some reluctance we turned back. But our short sojourn into Utah will always bring back visions of wonderful scenery and of a Golden Eagle intent on enjoying the rewards of a successful hunt while 3 ravens did their best to rob him of his dinner. Our drive into Gunnison provided numerous looks at Black-billed Magpies which earlier that morning had evoked great excitement when I had spotted my "lifer". By noon I had stopped counting and my bird list for the day shows them as "common". But throughout our trip, even though we encountered literally hundreds of Magpies, they never ceased to catch my eye....a fairly large black and white bird with a long tail, and when in the right light, a lustrous iridescence on the wings and tail. The location of the grouse lek proved to be simple to find and so we checked into the closest motel, another Best Western about 19 miles from the lek site, and made an early night of it. We were still adjusting to the change to Mountain Time and now we had another hour to adjust to as Daylight Savings Time came into effect.

Sunday morning and we were out of the motel by 6:00 AM. Temperatures had dropped over night and we were faced with a car with heavily frosted windows and covered in snow . All this and no scraper! Thankfully the plastic key card to our room provided a somewhat adequate substitute. The next problem to greet us was the layer of snow obstructing all signs and mile markers which we had carefully made note of the day before. Finally a quick stop to brush snow off one marker let us know that we had already traveled a mile too far, but soon we were back to the side road we needed and, within a half mile, at the lek location. This was one of our main objectives in taking a trip to Colorado at this time of year. The male grouse gather at first light and put on a most impressive display in order to attract the females. This involves strutting and wing flapping while vocalizing and inflating air sacs in their chest exposing bright yellow patches of skin on their breast. Two other vehicles were already at the lek when we arrived and we later found out as we talked to the drivers after the birds had all dispersed that they had come in from out of state and camped overnight in order to be there first thing in the morning. I think I would have passed on the grouse if that had been my only option. As for David.....I’ll let him speak for himself! We headed back to our motel room, removed some of the layers of clothing which had barely kept me warm with the temperature in the low 20's F, and enjoyed a hot breakfast. By 9:30 when we were back on the road the temperature had risen to a "comfortable" freezing point and skies had cleared to give us a sunny day.

Our next stop was to be Boulder where we were spending a couple days with Ruth Marie and Jimmy, a couple we had met on our trip to Trinidad and Tobago. The scenery changed as we drove, becoming breathtakingly beautiful as the elevation increased and we headed into more mountainous terrain covered with coniferous trees and aspen. A short stop at a fast flowing stream gave us closeup looks at the fascinating American Dipper and reminders of our time on Vancouver Island where I first watched this little bird. While plain in appearance it makes up for that in activity as it skims over the surface of the water or dives into it in search of food. During those few moments when it’s not feeding it appears to be on springs as it bops up and down. We continued to head east over Monarch Pass at 11,312' and then, as we headed north, signs pointed out the many mountain peaks which exceed 14,000'. When passing through the little town of Leadville at the base of the state’s highest peak, it appeared to be a town lost in time. I wouldn’t have been too surprised to see an old prospector ambling down the main street of this historic mining town. Before long, however, we were back on the interstate highway, passing the Loveland ski resort and approaching Denver. But road work brought traffic to a crawl giving us plenty of time to enjoy the spectacular scenery and the warmth of the sun through the car windows. Finally we were approaching Boulder and carefully following our Google map directions to our destination when we were abruptly detoured from our intended route by a large grass fire. The next mornings newspaper said that the fire had burned about 1300 acres and resulted in a subdivision being evacuated. Fortunately the blaze was brought under control in time. We were quickly back on track and soon on Jimmy and Ruth Marie’s doorstep. It was nice to relax on a stationary object for awhile but the birds awaited us and the 4 of us were soon on our way to Walden Pond, not far from their house. After a couple days of inactivity it felt good to be getting a bit of exercise by walking in that area. Birds were quite plentiful and I was treated to my first Pygmy Nuthatch as well as a good look at a pair of Cinnamon Teals. Back at the house Ruth Marie started dinner while Jimmy showed us the first half of the video of their recent trip to Ecuador. We finished watching it after dinner and the following evening were enthralled with his video from the Galapagos. If Jimmy decides he would like to start a second career in retirement he should consider contacting National Geographic!

On Monday morning Jimmy and Ruth Marie accompanied us to Rocky Mountain National Park. On the way we stopped at the Fawnbrook Inn in Allenspark, an unlikely looking place for what is widely reputed to be a 5-star restaurant. Unfortunately we can’t attest to the quality of the food since they were not open but we can attest to the quality of the bird life there. They keep feeders well supplied with seed and are not averse to birders parking in front of the restaurant to enjoy the birds who take advantage of their generosity. This was the location where we were assured we could find the Rosy-Finches and we were not disappointed. There were many Brown-capped and Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches and even the harder to find Black Rosy-Finch, as well as many Juncos (seeing three of the subspecies in one location was a treat), Pine Siskin, Pygmy Nuthatch, Cedar Waxwing, Steller’s Jay, a lone Evening Grosbeak and the by-now-very-familiar Black-billed Magpie, to list just a few. We finally tore ourselves away from this avian feast for the eyes and drove on to the park. Here the scenery was spectacular! As we drove higher and higher to the point where roads were still closed due to the amount of snow, the line from an old Carpenter song popped into my head: "I’m on the top of the mountain, looking down on creation....". I climbed up onto a huge rock and from there took pictures of the panorama below. Unfortunately the pictures never do justice. They also don’t do justice to the Clark’s Nutcracker I tried to photograph; the one that seemed to have a prescribed route which kept bringing him back to the same eye level perch time and time again. The Steller’s Jay was even more cooperative, due in part to the lure of a piece of left-over snack bar that I had placed on a railing. It was obvious that they were used to being fed. While driving we were also treated to the sight of mule deer and a herd of elk. Prior to entering the park we had a red fox crossing the road directly in front of us. Eventually we started back towards Boulder, stopping again at Fawnbrook Inn to watch the birds. Our decision to stop there on the way up proved to be a good one, since this time there were no Rosy-Finches to be seen and very few other birds. Once back home we had time to relax and then went out to an authentic Mexican restaurant that Ruth Marie and Jimmy recommended. We quickly devoured the chips and salsa that had immediately appeared on our table but I left plenty of room to enjoy the delicious plate of fajitas I had ordered. I also sampled from Ruth Marie’s plate and Jimmy’s too, but when I looked to David’s plate to savour the flavour of a Chimmy Changa I realized I was just a bit too late. I’ll have to take his word for it that it was good! That evening we were a little later getting to bed since we became engrossed in conversation and lost track of time.

Ruth Marie had already taken one day off work to spend with us, so on Tuesday morning it was back to work for her. We had a pleasant breakfast with Jimmy and then were on our way. Our target birds for the day were the Longspurs so for that we headed to the Pawnee Grasslands. We stopped first at the visitor’s center at Fort Collins to get some information on where to go but that didn’t prepare me for the vastness of the area. I could not imagine living there on those dry, wind-swept plains with barely a tree in site. Some even tried to make a living there farming but the dust bowl of the 30's put an end to much of that and the land in subsequent years was transferred to the U.S. Forest Service, creating the Pawnee National Grasslands. While we were too early to witness the spectacle of the prickly pear cactus in bloom we did manage to find many McCown’s Longspur interspersed with the literally hundreds of Horned Larks and Western Meadowlarks that rose in flocks from the grass and lined the fences. The meadowlarks’ song is one that you could never tire of hearing! The Chestnut-collared Longspur chose not to put in an appearance though we made every attempt to find it! By mid afternoon I was more than ready to call it a day even though the sun and temperatures in the mid 70's were not too hard to take! This day the lure of Wyoming called and we decided to add another state to our trip by driving up to Cheyenne and spending the night there.

By 8:30 Thursday morning we’d had breakfast and had checked out of the motel and were heading back towards Colorado. To our surprise David noticed a highway patrol car pulling up behind us with lights flashing and as we pulled over we tried to figure out what we had done wrong. We are now well aware that, in Wyoming at least, there is a law that requires vehicles to move over when an emergency vehicle is stopped on the side of the road with lights flashing. Our comment when we saw the patrolman handing over a ticket to the driver was that his day hadn’t gotten off to a good start. Fortunately, ours got off to a bit better start when we were let off with only a warning. Apparently ignorance of the law can be a defense! We were soon back in the Pawnee Grasslands in Colorado, this time heading for the Pawnee Buttes. It seemed a long ride through the same desolate landscape as the day before but eventually the buttes came into view as they jutted up from the badlands of yellow clay. The temperature was again in the mid 70's but after parking our car and trekking along the trail to get closer to the buttes, it felt so much warmer. Signs warned us to stay well back from the base of the buttes during nesting season so we kept our distance but also kept an eye out for the raptors, eagles and falcons that were supposed to be nesting there. But all we managed to see was one kestrel which appeared to be doing guard duty when a magpie ventured too close. Along the trail we were once again serenaded by numerous meadowlarks but all else was silent. It must be one of the few places you can go and never hear the sounds of traffic, the ringing of a cell phone or the sound of a TV or radio. Our destination after leaving the Pawnee Buttes was eastern Colorado and the lek of the Greater Prairie-Chicken at Wray. We decided to take the interstate through Nebraska which runs just north of the Colorado border and in so doing added another state to our trip. At a stop at a visitor center we were urged (perhaps she had shares in the business?) to stop at a store called Cabela’s in Sidney, NE, a huge store specializing in outdoor equipment. Although we hadn’t really planned to stop we found ourselves pulling into the parking lot and entering the store. Rows of guns, displays of ammunition and racks of camouflage clothing assaulted us on entering but I must admit that there was a lot more there. I picked up some hand and foot warmers to wear in my boots and mitts on future winter birding excursions and we found harnesses for our binoculars which should relieve the discomfort of a strap hanging around our necks. They also had some very impressive displays of trophy animals in natural settings and a huge aquarium filled with fish native to the area. By the time we headed back into Colorado the outside thermometer in our car was reading 80 F so that freezing in the early morning just a few days earlier seemed like a dream. By 4:30 we had arrived at Wray and stopped at the office of a rancher who had agreed to meet us there to show us the location of the lek on his property. We were disappointed when no-one was there and wondered if we had driven all that way for nothing. We decided to leave a phone message but with little expectation of hearing from him and went into town to check into our motel. We were pleased when about 6 o’clock he phoned to say he had gotten busy and was just going to head home for a quick bite and would meet us at 7:00. We headed immediately to the restaurant next door and ordered and ate as quickly as we could. There was no time for the homemade pies that looked soooo delicious and were prominently featured on the front door. Just as well.....we’d been spending too much time sitting in a car and I didn’t need the calories anyway! This was the day when our 4X4 was most appreciated. It was a bumpy ride over cattle guards and along a deeply rutted path into a field as we followed the rancher to the location of the lek. There were a few prairie chickens in the field but the show wouldn’t begin till morning.

It was 4:30 when we left the motel the following morning. Somehow in the dark we again missed the point where we were to turn and drove a few extra miles. This time there was no snow obliterating the signs so I guess our only excuse was that it was, after all, 4:30 in the morning!! We still made it to the lek in plenty of time and found another car already parked there. As the skies started to lighten we could make out the shapes of a few Greater Prairie Chickens in the field and before long we were treated to quite a spectacle. The courtship display involves raised feathers on the males’ neck so that they resemble ears, while orange skin pouches on the side of the neck are inflated and colourful eye-combs are enlarged. The wings are dropped and the tail feathers are fanned out and the male emits a booming sound while strutting around his territory. What female could resist! I was impressed!! These birds seemed completely unconcerned that we were there and when one of the ranch hands drove in and turned on the irrigation system a few flew off only to return soon after. We decided at that point to drive a bit closer and now in almost full daylight were given an even more spectacular view of the performance. As the birds started to disperse we talked to the driver of the other car. She was from Colorado and planning on leading trips next year on her spring break from teaching so was taking a friend out this year to work out the logistics. She asked us if there was anything she could help us with and since we had hoped to see a Mountain Plover she informed us that the best place was back at...you guessed it...the Pawnee Grasslands! So it was back to the motel to check out, have breakfast and hit the road. But first we took a side trip into Kansas since we were so close and after all it was a new state for me.....We drove in just a couple miles and retraced our route back out. By 9:45 we were back on track. A stop at the recommended location did not yield any plovers and before long we were heading for Walden. We had thought the trip there wouldn’t take long and at highway speeds it wouldn’t have, but the road was narrow and winding as we worked our way over the mountains. Again the scenery was beautiful and typical of what I had envisioned Colorado to be. As we reached higher elevations temperatures continued to drop and soon we were at freezing and snow was falling. Walden didn’t appear to offer much in accommodation so we took what was available. It was, to put it politely, rustic and quaint but it was clean and warm and that was all that mattered. A few miles out of Walden at Coalmont was the location for the lek of the Greater Sage Grouse. Fortunately these birds are willing to perform their courtship display both evening and morning. Evening sounded good to me! We had take-out in our room and then drove out to the site. It took a bit of searching till we found some birds but they seemed to be interested only in searching through the scrubby vegetation and light snow cover for something to eat. Eventually, though, their demeanour changed and there was some visible puffing up. In full display, a yellow air sac is inflated from underneath the white breast feathers, the tail feathers taper into sharp points as it is fanned and feather plumes are erected on the head. Again they were unconcerned with our presence even when we left the car to get a better view. The males strutted right by us as though we weren’t there. It seemed as though each lek we witnessed rated higher than the previous one. Once darkness had settled in we reluctantly left the birds still actively displaying. Back in our room a check of the weather channel warned of considerable snow overnight and gave reports of blizzard conditions in northeastern Colorado, an area we had just come through the day before.

By morning there was some new snow on the ground. We drove down the main street of Walden looking for a place for breakfast. The River Rock Café, where David had bought our dinner the previous evening, was again open. It was a charming place with good food and friendly service but a pamphlet on the table made us aware that upstairs was The Antler’s Inn with luxuriously decorated rooms, certainly a giant step up from the accommodation we had thought was our only option! After eating we headed toward Lake John and then continued on toward Hayden, our destination for the Blue Grouse and the Sharp-tailed Grouse. Traveling was slow as we wended our way over the mountain roads through low lying clouds which reduced visibility. By the time we reached the Continental Divide at almost 9000' the mountains were blanketed in a deep layer of snow. The temperature was about 25 F. But eventually the clouds lifted and we were treated to some sunny breaks and more wonderful scenery. By noon we had arrived back into civilization at Steamboat Springs, a popular ski town. Just west of town we were treated to the sight of two tall, stately Sandhill Cranes feeding in a marshy area, their long bills penetrating deeply below the surface for whatever morsels they could find. Our next stop was the area where the Sharp-tailed Grouse were supposed to be lekking. A prolonged search did not yield any sign of them so we continued on to Hayden fo find a motel room. The place we had intended to stay didn’t have a vacancy and a phone call earlier in the day to the person to contact with more information on the grouse went unanswered so we decided to move on. The next town was Craig, and even here the Best Western we first stopped at was full so we checked into a Super 8 around the corner. From there we made one last attempt for the Sharp-tailed Grouse but finally had to admit defeat. Still we were very happy with the excellent looks we had at the three previous leks and felt our Colorado chicken quest had been a great success!

Our week in Colorado was coming to an end. We had one more bird we hoped we could find and the best possibility was just off the highway as we headed back to Grand Junction. Along the way we had many more glimpses of the pronghorn and mule deer that seemed to be so prevalent everywhere. As we exited at Cameo to head into Coal Canyon to find the Chukars the sun was shining and there wasn’t a cloud in the clear blue sky, and we were looking forward to a long walk. Soon after heading into the canyon at the Little Bookcliff Horse Area where wild horses roam, we heard the loud rapid series of chuck chuck notes of the Chukars but as soon as we approached more closely the sounds stopped and only resumed as we retreated. After an hour of walking we decided to turn back. We stopped often to listen to the Canyon Wren as it produced a stream of pure liquid notes that seemed to cascade down the canyon walls. Some day I hope to actually see the bird that can make such an amazing sound! Finally, a little disappointed at not achieving our goal, we were back in the car leaving the area when David excitedly pointed out two gorgeous partridge by the side of the road....the Chukars! Though primarily gray in colour, they have vertical barring of black, white and brown on their sides and the whitish neck, throat and chin are encompassed by a black stripe that runs through its eyes. Its red beak, legs and feet are very conspicuous. It’s truly a handsome bird. We sat enthralled as the pair casually walked across the road in front of us and then moved out of sight into the grasses. I swear at that point, instead of hearing the customary chucking of the chukar, I heard a little mean-spirited chuckling!! This wonderful experience whetted our appetite for a good lunch. We just happened upon Dos Hombres and since the patio was open, in fact had just opened that day for the season, we sat outside under an umbrella. Wonderful weather, great Mexican food and a delicious Margarita all made our last lunch in Colorado a truly memorable experience. Since all we had left to do was return our car and get to the airport for our 5:30 flight we had a bit of time to spare. We found the Colorado River State Park and spent some time birding there, adding a few birds to our list of Colorado birds, a list that finally totaled 69 species in all.

All that remained now was to return home. When we arrived at the airport at Grand Junction we were informed that there was room on an earlier flight to Denver and we had just enough time to make it. We jumped at the chance since waiting at an airport isn’t high on my list of fun things to do. Again David and I were seated separately on opposite sides of the plane so I couldn’t wait to tell him about my spotting of 3 Wild Turkeys off to the side of the runway as we lifted into the air. Fortunately our luggage made the same plane we did and before long we had been picked up by the shuttle bus from the hotel we were staying in and soon settled in for the evening. Our two room suite was by far our grandest accommodation of the trip and included a complimentary cooked to order breakfast in the morning. Since our flight didn’t leave till 11:10 AM we had plenty of time to relax and enjoy it. Upon arriving at the airport we found ourselves in a long line-up and it soon became obvious that the flight had been over-booked and there was some last minute scrambling to fix the problem. As our line inched forward I suddenly found myself face to face with someone who looked awfully familiar. It was a woman from Elmira I had often talked with while waiting at auctions, and at times found myself bidding against. She was with a group of people from Wilfred Laurier University and had been skiing in Colorado for the past week. Fortunately those of us in line who were not with that group were allowed to go ahead of them and obtain our boarding passes. Again we found we were traveling with a group of school kids from England but this group seemed to be much better chaperoned than on our flight to Colorado. Because of the two hour time difference it was late afternoon before we touched down in Toronto and we were anxious to pick up our luggage, get our car and return to Waterloo. Tired, happy and home at last!

Since we experienced so much variety while in Colorado, from daily weather extremes to widely differing terrains and vegetation, it seemed we had packed into one week a much longer vacation. But still our time went by much too quickly and will be an experience not soon to be forgotten.