VENT. Colorado Grouse 4/3/2025-4/13/2025

Our long-running Colorado Grouse tour offered amazing experiences with birds, mammals, and scenery alike. Every day of this tour was chock-full of impressive views on our drives, as we made our way from location to location in search of various chickens and grouse.

On the first morning of our tour, we headed out of Denver in time to avoid the rush hour traffic, with our sights set on the stunningly panoramic Loveland Pass. Snow-covered hillsides led us to the peak at just short of 12,000 feet in elevation. Horned Larks briefly greeted us near the parking lot. After a few minutes of looking around and listening, we set our sights on a dapper White-tailed Ptarmigan, often considered one of the trickiest target birds to come across on the tour as they make their way among the vast snowy hilltops and Krumholz habitat. We were delighted to see this bird and have moments to view it through the scope. We made our way to the Wildernest area afterwards, enjoying views of all three species of rosy-finches (Gray-crowned, Black, and Brown-capped), also including the locally uncommon Hepburn’s race of Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch. Four beautiful varieties of Dark-eyed Juncos were appreciated, as were Mountain Chickadee, Pygmy Nuthatch, both Evening and Pine grosbeaks, and others. On the way to Gunnison, we locked our sights on two stunning Lewis’s Woodpeckers through falling graupel (a really cool form of precipitation—round, lightweight opaque ice pellets). It was a lifer form of precipitation for many of us, while talking about the weather at hand! A Steller’s Jay briefly flew by before we made our way through the mountains to Gunnison. We enjoyed beautiful lightly-falling snow en route, among the higher elevations.

White-tailed Ptarmigan © Erik Bruhnke

Early the next morning we headed out to view the Gunnison Sage-Grouse lek. Throughout the early morning hours, we locked our scopes on eleven distant Gunnison Sage-Grouse displaying along the foothills. Later in the day we explored various landscapes as we made our way to Montrose. It was awesome to see a brief interaction of a Prairie Falcon and Golden Eagle high in the air. We visited a town of Gunnison Prairie Dogs (the first of three prairie dog species we saw throughout the tour). Prairie Dogs are such fun to watch, and it was exciting to search for the three prairie dog species. Later in the day we explored several waterways, which brought forth views of both Common and Barrow’s goldeneyes, a Western Grebe, and much more! Throughout the afternoon, as well as the morning to follow, we explored the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. An early morning Northern Pygmy-Owl was heard calling across the canyon, and we were treated to great views of Clark’s Nutcracker, Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jays, Fox Sparrows, Spotted Towhees, and more. An adorable Mountain Cottontail was also viewed well!

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park © Erik Bruhnke

Spotted Towhee © Erik Bruhnke

We birded at a few locations on the way to Grand Junction. One of the unique highlights of the day was seeing an Osprey break branches from a large, dead tree and carry the branches back to its nest. We enjoyed views of fourteen waterfowl all in one reservoir, including six Cinnamon Teal and a vast raft of Ring-necked Ducks. We ended the day birding with my friend Carol at her property. We had great sightings of Gambel’s Quail running around, as well as other wonderful birds like Lesser Goldfinch, Western Bluebirds, and chatty Bushtits. It was fun to visit and reconnect with her!

A meandering visit through Colorado National Monument the next morning was awesome, enjoying birds like the incredibly agile White-throated Swifts zipping around the canyons, and with some patience and careful listening, enjoying fantastic views of Pinyon Jays at an array of locations and Juniper Titmice, too. Even before we entered, a super range-restricted Hopi Chipmunk was seen near the entrance sign! A lone Peregrine Falcon was seen perching alongside a cliff further along the drive, keeping watch for prey. Periodic Bewick’s Wrens chattered at an array of vistas we stopped to appreciate. The scenery alone on this morning was breathtaking and spectacular, as we savored the views of immense and unearthly land formations among us and below us. Later in the day we explored more vast canyons, bringing views of a highly sought-after Chukar with a nearby Rock Wren, too! White-tailed Prairie Dogs were seen well along with Mountain Bluebirds, Say’s Phoebes, and multiple Golden Eagles as we made our way to Craig.

Colorado National Monument © Erik Bruhnke

Hopi Chipmunk © Erik Bruhnke

The next morning we headed out early to enjoy the Sharp-tailed Grouse lek. Their wild and charismatic displays were incredible to see and hear so close! The weather conditions were wonderful too, and it was a powerful experience to witness the wing-shaking and foot-pattering displays. Out of “nowhere,” a Golden Eagle flew in fast, low, and close to the horizon, and clipped one in midair as the other Sharp-tailed Grouse scattered away. The many Sharp-tailed Grouse came back shortly after the air went silent, soon to proudly resume their lekking displays, as they have done for generations. Later in the day we found a family of Yellow-bellied Marmots along a river, in addition to an American Dipper! En route to Walden we enjoyed views of American White Pelicans, Sandhill Cranes, Northern Pintails, Redheads, and more.

Sharp-tailed Grouse © Erik Bruhnke

Greater Sage-Grouse stole the show the next morning among beautiful skies and a sage-blanketed landscape. We counted fifty-one of this impressive and regal species throughout the morning. As the hints of light became present, more and more sage-grouse arrived on the main lekking site. The views were fantastic. As we were about to leave, several more Greater Sage-Grouse began lekking very close to the road (even closer than the already nearby show). The lighting couldn’t have been more cooperative for great views—at close proximity, too. What a show! Horned Larks and a Western Meadowlark added wonderful ambience to the morning.

Greater Sage-Grouse © Erik Bruhnke

The next morning we were looking at thirty-five incredible Lesser Prairie-Chickens coming into view around twilight, just after a low-light American Barn Owl flew through. Their high energy, wind-up-toy-like behavior was thrilling to watch! Their intermittent pops and quick running antics brought big smiles to our faces, comical to us at times, done with intentionality for their survival and attraction to each other. The show of this displaying chicken was fantastic, and it went on for a long time. In the latter portion of the morning hours, a stunning Ferruginous Hawk flew in to patrol through the vicinity of the lek. The Lesser Prairie-Chickens left with haste, and thankfully this was after a lengthy viewing experience. Shortly after we left the site, we found a soon-to-be-departing Rough-legged Hawk and another stunning Ferruginous Hawk. The waterfowl diversity throughout the rest of the day’s commute was great, including a large flock of Snow Geese migrating through, a highlight for many. Great-tailed Grackles were seen among several roadside areas. We ended our day in Wray, looking at Burrowing Owls, a Great Horned Owl, and a brief glimpse of Greater Prairie-Chickens around the lek.

Lesser Prairie-Chicken © Erik Bruhnke

Ferruginous Hawk © Erik Bruhnke

An early morning revisit at the lek stage of the Greater Prairie-Chickens took place the next day. We tallied twenty-one of this beautiful species, each male stomping and booming and jumping in his own intensity. Females gently waltzed through, taking note of the best-displaying males in all their glory. The entire show was fabulous. The chickens didn’t appreciate the Northern Harrier that flew past later on, however. It was fun to see not one, not two, but six Burrowing Owls among the prairie-chicken lek site! We found a Loggerhead Shrike on the drive out. Later on, we explored an array of natural areas throughout the day’s commute. From Ruddy Ducks to several Cooper’s Hawks, Say’s Phoebe, and an early Cliff Swallow, and achieving the scaup sweep (Greater and Lesser) too, it was a fun day of traveling through the open country. We ended our day birding around a park behind our hotel.

Greater Prairie-Chicken © Erik Bruhnke

For as much of a thrilling whirlwind as this legendary tour is among the daily drives, the last day always arrives well too soon. And despite time flying past, we still had more landscapes to explore and more (new) birds to see on our last day! While commuting to our first planned birding stop of the morning, we made an impromptu stop at a Black-tailed Prairie Dog town, enjoying their social antics and beauty. Stumbling upon this prairie dog town, we had achieved the prairie dog species sweep for the tour! Just a little further into the morning, we started off scanning vast tilled fields, where we found not one but two highly sought-after Mountain Plovers! A must-visit Pawnee National Grassland was in order. With our hawkwatching senses in high gear, we picked out a Swainson’s Hawk flying over us. While focusing our efforts in the right varieties of grasslands, we scored great views of both Thick-billed Longspurs and Chestnut-collared Longspurs. Both of their plumages were spectacular. A simple pile of rocks was home to a chatty Rock Wren as we made our way throughout the vast birding drive. A Sage Thrasher made an appearance, too. It was a treat to see a coiled and rattling Prairie Rattlesnake on the edge of the dirt road, viewed while giving this beauty its respectful space. Our last formal birding area of the trip was at Lower Latham Reservoir, where we found a large gathering of Western Grebes, briefly picked out a distant speck Clark’s Grebe, and got to see Black-necked Stilts and American Avocets being as awesome as ever. Rafts of Northern Shovelers covered the water. A brief visit to the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge was a fun tour wrap-up.

As mentioned before, the sights and sounds of this tour were truly wondrous every day, and our daily treks were filled with excitement. I need to express special thanks to the landowners Bob Bledsoe, James Millensifer, and Ken Bekkedahl for the lek-viewing experiences we had on their properties. Another big thank you goes out to VENT birder and friend from over the years Carol Ortenzio for inviting us into her beautiful backyard to enjoy some pleasant birding. So many folks to be thankful for! I’m already looking forward to next year’s Colorado Grouse tour!

Below are the collective three favorite moments by everyone in the group (birds and non-birds welcomed, as we talked about our personal highlights):

White-tailed Ptarmigan

Sharp-tailed Grouse lek

Greater Sage-Grouse lek

Thick-billed Longspur

Chestnut-collared Longspur

Western Grebe

Clark’s Grebe

Golden Eagle (at Sharp-tailed Grouse lek)

Ferruginous Hawk at Greater Prairie-Chicken lek

Lek-watching Zen

Prairie Rattlesnake

Colorado National Monument