Colorado Summer Week: Jun 09—15, 2008

American Dipper — Photo: Brian Gibbons

From the rolling hills of Pawnee National Grassland to the regal peaks of Rocky Mountain National Park, participants can expect superb scenery and a wonderful mix of mountain and prairie birding.

Colorado is a state filled with a wide variety of interesting birds breeding amid endless panoramas of great scenic beauty. This action-packed week covers five distinct life zones, seeking the special birds of each. From the vast shortgrass prairies to the top of the spectacular Rockies, we will find the nesting season in full swing. Birds are singing on territory, the wildflower display is at its peak, and mammal-viewing opportunities are excellent. Past trips have seen elk, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, mule deer, coyote, swift fox, and beaver.

Among the birds we hope to find are Clark's Grebe; Ferruginous Hawk; Prairie Falcon; White-tailed Ptarmigan; Mountain Plover; Wilson's Phalarope; Williamson's and Red-naped sapsuckers; Cordilleran, Hammond's, and Dusky flycatchers; Clark's Nutcracker; Pygmy Nuthatch; American Dipper; Townsend's Solitaire; Mountain Bluebird; Virginia's and MacGillivray's warblers; Lazuli Bunting; Green-tailed Towhee; McCown's and Chestnut-collared longspurs; Pine Grosbeak; Cassin's Finches; and Brown-capped Rosy-Finches.

Good accommodations; easy to moderately strenuous terrain; elevations from 4,500-12,000+ feet; variable weather conditions.