Birding Hotspots + Tips For Fall Migration
Trumpeter Swan. Photo by Bob Clarke.
As summer turns to fall, a biological trigger is felt by billions of birds across the globe; fall migration is upon us. Birds on the North American Central Flyway migration route cross mountains, rivers and plains southward from their breeding grounds to their winter homes, many passing through Western Colorado during their journey.
As we bid farewell to our local summer birds for the season, Colorado becomes a revolving door to a plethora of migrant avifauna. Grab your binoculars and head outdoors for a peek at the seasonal spectacle.
“Birds migrate along the rivers, so riparian areas along rivers are the best place to bird,” says Mike Henwood, an active Grand Junction birder. “There’s migration through all of fall, but you’ll see different types of birds depending on the month.”
SEPTEMBER
Make a trip to Horsethief Canyon State Wildlife Area in Fruita, where a variety of migratory songbirds flit through the trees and shrubs, including the Townsend’s, MacGillivray’s, orange-crowned, Wilson’s and yellow-rumped warblers. Keep an eye out for small glimpses of yellow in the trees, as all of these species boast various amounts of yellow. The warblers can be differentiated by small variations in song. Some of them migrate from as far north as Alaska to as far south as Panama. The wildlife area is a hub for many other species as well, including vireos, wrens and shorebirds.
Red-breasted Merganser. Photo by Bob Clarke.
Also be sure to stop by the north pond at Blue Heron Lake Park in Grand Junction to spot the first shorebirds to arrive. Avocets and various species of sandpiper, including the least sandpiper, the smallest sandpiper in the world, can be found along the shoreline of the Colorado River and in the park’s shallow pond. Avocets are peculiar-looking birds with blueish legs, an orange head and a long, up-curved bill.
OCTOBER
In October, many areas with lakes will begin to see early migratory waterfowl. Take a walk at places like Confluence Park in Delta or the Pear Park section of the James M. Robb State Park in Grand Junction to see waterfowl like the ruddy duck, northern pintail, northern shoveler, bufflehead and hooded merganser. Many of these ducks sport unique features, like the prominent bill of the northern shoveler or the impressive, fan-shaped head crest of the hooded merganser.
NOVEMBER
With November comes a migratory water bird extravaganza. Highline Lake State Park in Loma hosts the greatest year-round avian diversity on the Western Slope and is a hotspot for a vast variety of bird species. Here, you can spot common loons, snow geese, swans, canvasback ducks, common goldeneyes, redbreasted mergansers, eared grebes and more on the water. Due to the size of the lake, it’s best to bring a telescope with you to see distant birds if you aren’t up for making a trek around the entire park. You can also find a variety of gulls, shorebirds and raptors at the park.
Birding Tips for Beginners
Join a birding group and learn from local experts. Groups such as the Grand Valley Audubon Society, Black Canyon Audubon Society, Roaring Fork Audubon and New Dimensions Lifelong Learning Institute host regular bird walks where you can learn from experienced birders.
Visit your local public library to borrow a free Colorado State Parks pass through the Check Out State Parks program, complete with a backpack of wildlife field guides and a pair of binoculars.
Download the Merlin Bird ID app by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to your smartphone and carry the most powerful bird book in your pocket. Spot a bird but aren’t quite sure what species it is? Answer three simple questions or snap and upload a photo, and Merlin will offer a list of possible matches. Found a bird that you can hear but can’t see? The app also has a sound identification feature that shows real-time suggestions for who the singer could be.
Join eBird.org, a website by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology designed to track each bird you spot, along with the date and location. Your observations become part of an international database used by ornithologists and conservationists to protect bird populations. You can also browse recent bird sightings reported by other users.
Originally published in the Fall 2021 issue of Spoke+Blossom