Sorry for the delayed post about this trip, I had very little internet
coverage were I was and was at work all day yesterday. I went to Walden and
Craig for two of Colorado’s grouse, the last two I have not yet seen. The
Greater Sage Grouse in North Park and the Sharp Tailed Grouse around Hayden.
Driving through the Pouder canyon on 4-15 I saw my first
bird, a *Wild Turkey *outside of Rustic one the side of the highway, which
I saw after the fourteen bighorn ewes present at the town of Rustic. It was
snowing by the time I reached the summit of Cameron and found no birds
present up there but the Moose Visitor Center’s feeders proved popular. In
addition to the hoards of *Red-wing Blackbirds *and *Dark-eyed Juncos*, all
gray heads, there were several *Cassin’s Finches,* and one *Gray-crowned
Rosy Finch*. The real surprise proved to be a *Sage Thrasher *which I had
not expected at this elevation and in a forested region.
The storm was bad in Walden so I stayed indoors that
evening and was unable to drive to CR 26B were the sage grouse are said to
be active during the evening. The morning, 4-16, proved to be a bust. I
don’t know if the snow and wind (which created ground blizzards) prevented
the grouse from showing or the *Northern Harriers *(I counted four circling
around) kept them away. I don’t know who was more disappointed in them not
showing, me or the hawks.
After that I moved over to Craig to look for the next
grouse and hope to see the sage grouse. One the morning of 4-17 I drove to
Twenty Mile Road and apparently park in the wrong spot, only finding out
when someone stopped and asked me what everyone else was looking at.
Driving further down the road I met up with Jeff Skevington and his group.
Together we waited along the road but I did not see the grouse again.
Jeff’s group saw a few that flew away. Around 7:40 ish we moved over to CR
80 and with the help of Jeff’s son we found the *Sharp Tailed Grouse* one a
mill bellow the first rise. Anther harrier flushed them (I seem to have had
problems with predators and leks this trip). After their brush with the
hawk the grouse perch onto of the bushes and did some mild displaying,
inflating neck sacks. Jeff was kind enough to offer a spot on a privet tour
to see Sage Grouse the next morning but I was out of cash and it as a
Sunday so I could not get any without my bank card. The rest of the day I
found many other birds, musty common for this region but some highlights
included *Sandhill Crane *and *Yellow-headed Blackbird* in large numbers at
Little Rascals Fishing Pond, more in a single place then I have seen
before. Also that day was a *Mountain Bluebird *that was stunning against
the white snow.
My last morning 4-18 I drove back to CR 80 in search of
Sage Grouse. I did not find them sadly. I might have heard them but then
the coyotes started singing nearby and I heard them no more, again
predators on the leks. After 7:30 when I thought all dance was done I
stepped out of the care for a general look around and suddenly some
*Sharp-tailed
Grouse *showed up and started dancing twenty or fifty feet from, I took a
few photos then got back into the car so as not to disturbed them, though
they did not seem bothered by me. This other lek was just past the 7-mile
marker near a red gate and old sign holder on a small knob just to the
right of the sign holder, vies are partly observed as the grouse are using
the other side of the knob on private property. I had a few stops on the
way home, but nothing unusual was found, just mallards, Canada geese and
red-wing blackbirds. The feeders at Moose Visitor Center proved to be only
blackbirds and juncos. I will need to try again next year for that elusive
sage grouse, I am now out of money for the remainder of the season, but it
was fun.
I thank every one who sent me info for this trip. Your info
was very helpful and helped me out tremendously.
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