I was just at the Black Canyon last Sunday, and the lady at the entrance gate told me that the Dusky Grouse were ALWAYS found at a certain place. I searched at dusk, no luck. I asked her again, and she says she ALWAYS sees them. Then she recalled she sees them in the AM , early, on the way into work.
Directions: Get there *early* or camp there, and be there in the am. Go slowly uphill on the road from the entrance station and within a quarter mile or so, take to right on the road to the campgrounds. Look for another blacktop road leading off to the right, toward the Admin building and motor pool. It is marked "authorized personnel" or service road or something like that. No need to go in there. Immediately before that service road, pull over on the right and park in a small gravel pull off. The grouse have been seen in the small Gambel's oak copse with snowberry underneath it. I gather they are visible (to her) from the road. If you do not see them after you park, you can wander around in that copse, but she made it sound as if they are regularly visible from the road when she goes to work in the AM. She also mentioned that they were "behind the Admin Building, which is a few yards down the service road. Otherwise they must be chanced upon. They can hang out around the campgrounds, on the nature trail between the campgrounds and the first large tourist overlook, etc. Let me know if you see them. She says they call them "Gunnison Grouse," and I gave up trying to explain about Gunnison Sage Grouse, Blue Grouse, & Dusky Grouse, when her eyes glazed over. Joe Roller, Denver On Thu, Aug 4, 2011 at 12:18 PM, Morgan Churchill <[email protected]>wrote: > Hello, > > Sometime in the next few weeks I would like to head down to the Gunnison > area, and I am hoping to connect with several potential lifers. Near the > top of my list would be Dusky Grouse, which I have had bad luck with in the > past. I know the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park can be a pretty > reliable place, but can anyone tell me where in the Park would be a good > place to concentrate my efforts? Also how reliable is this species in > August? > > Thanks in advance for any assistance > > -- > Morgan Churchill > Laramie, Wyoming > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Colorado Birds" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en.
