Spring sprouted this week, winter next. Time to consider taking on
a Breeding Bird Survey route.
We invitequalified observers to participate in the Breeding Bird
Survey “BBS.”Participants must have the skills to identify the likely species
on theirroutes by sight and by sound.
Since 1966 (1968 in Colorado and theWest) the Patuxent Wildlife
Research Center, originally US Fish & WildlifeService, now the Biological
Research Division of the US Geological Survey, hassponsored the Breeding Bird
Survey program to monitor birds across the US (andCanada, with the Canadian
Wildlife Service). In 2012, volunteers ran almost3000 routes in the US &
Canada. Scientists use BBS results to derivepopulation trends for the species
that the system samples well.
Coloradohas 132 designated BBS routes, and we consistently run more
routes than allother states in the U.S. except Texas and California.
A BBS routecovers 24.5 miles. Observers record all the birds they
hear and see during a3-minute stop, then drive a half-mile to the next stop.
You run the route, onceonly, during the peak of the songbird singing season,
from May 25 on the plainsto July 15 in the high country. The ability to
identify species by sound iscrucial--I estimate that I record 75-85% of the
birds on my routes by sound,not sight.
Theobserver should have the ability to identify, by sound and
sight, most of the species likely to occur along thatroute. On my routes, I
identify over 75% of the birds by sound, without everseeing them. We seek a
commitment ofthree years, because the BBS prefers route data run by the same
person forat least 3 years.
Let me knowif you would like one or more. The following list is
organized geographically(sort of). I hope that we can fill most of them with
qualified observers whohave good ears.
Thefollowing lists the available routes; I can send more detailed
descriptions toyou if you’d like to consider one but want more information.
“I especiallyenjoyed the first few pre-dawn stops along the wetlands area of
PonchaCreek—the dawn chorus there was often a tad overwhelming. An experience
Iwill never forget.” – Tina Mitchell
ROUTE DESCRIPTIONS
Key to routedescriptions:
Number and name County Page in DeLorme
Atlas
(Do people still use it?)
Southwest
17366 Owl Creek Pass Montrose, Gunnison, Ouray 67
Start at US 50 and Cimarron Rd; south onCimarron Rd (P77) and CR 858 & FR 858
past Silver Jack Res. To Owl CreekPass; down FR 858to CR 8 & 10 to end.
17124 Blackhead Peak Archuleta p 88
Starts about 20 miles east of PagosaSprings: on FR 665, go westerly to US 84; S
on 84, but no stops on 84, to CR326; Left (east) and resume route on CRR326, to
end. Beautiful scenery,demanding drive.
17223 Piedra Archuleta p88, 87, 77
Start at Highway 160, 10 miles west ofPagosa Springs; North on Rd 146 and fR
629 7 miles; Left (NW) on Piedra Road to Road 631 and FR640 past Williams
Creek Res. to end
Southeast
17028 Two Buttes Prowers & Baca p103
Start at intersection of CR 26 & CRD; east on CR D 9 miles; S on Colo 89 to end.
17328 Pritchett Baca p 101
Start 12 miles S of Pritchett on CR 12;go E one mile, then N on Roads 13 and 12
to end.
17027 Gilpin Bent p 101
Starts 7 miles south of Las Animas. Easton Rd BB3 miles; S on CR16 9 miles; W
on CR T 3 miles; S on Colo 101 2 miles, W1 mile on CR P, S on CR 11 to end,
just north of Setchfield WMA.
17327 Timpas Otero p100
Starts 15 miles west of LaJunta. FromColo. 10, go south on GR 14 for 9 miles,
east on GR 11 5.5 miles to Timpas,south 2 miles, east one mile, then south on
GR 18 to end.
17050 Crowley Crowley p 96
Starts in Olney Springs; NE on CanalRoad to CR 8, then north 5 miles; jog west
to CR 7, then north 10 miles, jogeast, then north on CR 8 to end.
17220 Haswell Bent, Kiowa p 99
Start 6 miles N of Las Animas; N 7 mileson CR 10; swing around SE edge of Adobe
Cr Res. SWA, then N 4 miles on Road 17;E on Road E 2 miles; N 5 miles on Road
19, E 1 mile on Road K, then N on Road20 to end.
17321 Sheridan Lake Prowers, Kiowa p 103
Start on Prowers Co. Rd 30 at Rd VV; northon VV to Kiowa CR W; then east on W
to end.
South Central
17056 Trinchera Las Animas p. 102,93
Start in Trinchera; westerly on CR 2.2and 22.0 & 24.6 roads to end.
17226 Cokedale Las Animas p 93
Starts20 miles west of Trinidad, a mile south of Trinidad Lake; Go
westerly on CF53.1 and 18.3; northwesterly on CR 53.5 through Spanish Peaks WA
and 41.1; thennortheasterly on CF 41.7 & 42; then NWly on CR 46 to end.
17375 Gardner Huerfano P82
Start at intersection of FR 400 &404 (20+ miles west of Beulah and 10 miles SW
of Bishops Castle); south on FR400 to Gardner, west on CR 550 to Malachite; S
on CR 572 to end.
East Central
17019 Rush El Paso & Lincoln p 98
Start at Rush; go east on Colo 94 threemiles, then South on CRs2, 3, & 4 to end
17020 Boyero Lincoln p99
Start 25 miles S of Boyero, 1.5 mileseast of CR 44 on CR J; west 1.5 miles then
N on CR 44 to end, near Boyero.
17013 Last Chance Washington, Arapahoe p96
Start north 9 miles andwest 3 miles from Last Chance, at intersection of CR20
& CR D/ West on CR 20 (88thAve.), 67N, & 96th; North on CR 69, west on
136thAve. to end.
Central Mountains
17351 Angora Rio Blanco p22-23
Start 8 miles NE of Rangely; Start on CR61 or 65 at Holandrus Res.; south on
61/65 to Colo 64 east on Colo 64 twomiles; south and east on CR 122 to end
17361 Rollins Pass Boulder p39
Start at Colo 119, 3 miles N ofBlackhawk; NWly on FR to Apex; w on CR 4; N of
CR 4N to Tolland; W on CR 16,then N on FR 149 up Rollins Pass to end. 4-wheel
drive advised.
Hugh Kingery
Franktown, CO
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