This BLM land is managed for the local herd of wild horses, and this is a good area to hope for a glimpse of them, but it is also a well-known spot among Colorado birders to try for Chukar in the spring. The best strategy is to arrive early in the morning and listen for their distinctive calls, and scan the cliff faces in the area they are calling from. They can be surprisingly hard to spot. The shrubland has a variety of other birds, such as Black-throated Sparrow, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and Rock Wren. Bighorn Sheep are also sometimes seen here.
Grand Valley
A Red Rock Sculpture Garden
Grand Junction, the largest town on Colorado’s West Slope, sits at the confluence of the Colorado and Gunnison Rivers at the foot of soaring redrock mesas sculpted by wind and water into dramatic shapes. Any visitor wishing to experience the unique landscape of the Great Basin would do well to begin here. This is the easiest place in Colorado to find specialty birds of the desert such as Gambel’s Quail, Gray Vireo, Black-throated Sparrow, and Scott’s Oriole. Cliff-loving species like Canyon Wren and Whitethroated Swift thrive here amid the world-class scenery of the Colorado National Monument. The cottonwoods along the rivers are home to Lazuli Buntings by day and Western Screech-Owls by night. With its mild climate and well-developed tourist infrastructure, the Grand Valley is a great base from which to explore the rest of western Colorado.
James M. Robb – Colorado River State Park, Island Acres Section
Admission: State Parks Pass
Ownership: Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Admission: Free to drive on byway
Ownership: Public road with private farms and vineyards
James M. Robb – Colorado River State Park, Corn Lake Section
Admission: State Parks Pass
Ownership: Colorado Parks and Wildlife
James M. Robb – Colorado River State Park, Connected Lakes Section
Admission: State Parks Pass
Ownership: Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Leatha Jean Stassen State Wildlife Area
Admission: A valid hunting or fishing license, or State Wildlife Area pass is required for everyone 16 or older accessing any state wildlife area or state trust lands.
Ownership: Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Admission: National Parks fee
Ownership: National Park Service
James M. Robb – Colorado River State Park, Fruita Section
Admission: State Parks Pass
Ownership: Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Admission: State Parks Pass
Ownership: Colorado Parks and Wildlife
James M. Robb – Colorado River State Park, Island Acres Section
Colorado River State Park is one of the most wide-flung state parks in Colorado, and all of the sections have something to recommend them. This unit, the easternmost, is perhaps best known as a place to look for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. It is also, however, a good place to camp not far outside Grand Junction while watching the river for goodies like American Dipper, Bald Eagle, Canyon Wren on the canyon walls, and White-throated Swift, among a variety of other birds.
Palisade Fruit and Wine Byway
This byway features very scenic driving or biking opportunities to explore the wine and fruit growing regions around Palisade. There are many vineyards and farms operating along the byway. Orchards go into full bloom by late-April or early-May when neotropical migrant birds are returning and many flycatchers, warblers and other species can be observed feasting on the recently hatched insects in the area. This is a great site to search for Gambel’s Quail as well.
Avant Farm & Vineyards
This private farm, vineyard and winery is a beautiful site with commanding views of Mt. Garfield and the Book Cliffs. The house and wine tasting room are located on a bluff on the south side of the Colorado River overlooking several acres of conserved land. The wetlands and Colorado River below support many migrating shorebirds and waterfowl species. There is also a large cottonwood tree that has hosted both Bald Eagle and Great Blue Heron nests. The creosote bushes near the house are a good site for spotting Gambel’s Quail year round. Wine tasting offered year round and peaches are available in August.
James M. Robb – Colorado River State Park, Corn Lake Section
There are two units of the Colorado River State Park close to each other here, both fairly comparable. Corn Lake, to the east, has more facilities, a nice pond that sometimes plays host to dabbling ducks, and nice willow and riparian growth. A paved trail runs from here to the Colorado River Wildlife Area unit of the state park a couple of miles to the west, through excellent riparian habitat. Look for Lazuli Bunting, Yellow-breasted Chat, Great Horned Owl, ducks along the river, and migrants in season. At the Wildlife Area there is another pond, this one with more marshy growth around the fringe (look for Marsh Wren, Yellow-headed Blackbird, and shorebirds in times of low water), and more riverside riparian.
Cheney Reservoir
Another desert oasis reservoir, Cheney is perhaps the best of the shallow irrigation lakes in the Grand Junction area. Especially in migration look for shorebirds, dabblers and divers, grebes, and herons and ibis around the edge. Even things like American White Pelican can show up on the lake. The drive in through the shrubland is a good place to look for Sage Sparrow (especially during fall migration), Horned Lark, and Lark Sparrow. Be especially careful on the roads here after a rain, when they may not be passable without a 4×4 vehicle.
James M. Robb – Colorado River State Park, Connected Lakes Section
Perhaps the best unit of the Colorado River State Park, in terms of habitat and birding, is the Connected Lakes Unit. The nearby Ela Wildlife Sanctuary (owned by the Audubon Society) is also worth a visit. The riparian here along the river is some of the best in western Colorado, and is especially good during migration. Extensive trails allow good access to the riparian and the river; keep an eye out for species like Bullock’s Oriole, Plumbeous and Warbling Vireos, Yellow Warbler, and, at night, Great Horned Owl and Western Screech-Owl. The winter-time offerings are a bit sparser, but the riparian and thickets are good for sparrows and flocks, and American Dipper along the river. The brushier slopes above the riparian corridor have a different mix of species, including Virginia’s Warbler, and Gambel’s Quail is often seen and (especially) heard throughout. Large mammals are not often seen in this state park, but both gray and red foxes can be found, in addition to desert cottontail rabbits, raccoons, and ground squirrels.
Leatha Jean Stassen State Wildlife Area
This newly christened state wildlife area in the heart of Grand Junction is a little gem that gives good access to riparian habitat and a beautiful little marsh. Keep an ear out for Sora and Virginia Rail in the marsh, and riparian species such as Western Kingbird, Warbling Vireo, and Lazuli Bunting. The margins of the SWA are brushy hill slopes, and could have birds like Virginia’s Warbler and Black-chinned Hummingbird.
Colorado National Monument
In a part of the state brimming with gorgeous red rock scenery, this National Monument stands head and shoulders above the rest. Whether you’re looking for birds, other wildlife, or just drop dead gorgeous vistas, there’s something for you here. The main road through the monument passes through a good variety of habitats, including pinyon-juniper woodland, semi-desert shrubland, riparian, and, of course, abundant cliff faces. Perhaps the best known birding stop in the monument is the Devil’s Kitchen Trail, just inside the east entrance. Walk the trail down from the parking area through sparse pinyon-juniper woodland (look for Black-throated Gray Warbler, Gray and Ash-throated Flycatchers, and Pinyon Jay) into a draw filled with semi-desert shrubland. Here Black-throated Sparrow and Gambel’s Quail are common, and in the junipers surrounding the draw it typically doesn’t take much work to find a Gray Vireo. A small riparian grove here sometimes has Lazuli Bunting and Virginia’s Warbler. This is one of the best places in Colorado to see Desert Bighorn Sheep. Various lizards, including the striking collared lizard and the rare and local longnose leopard lizard, can be found in the area. In the rest of the monument just stop at the various pullouts and see what you can find. Pinyon Jay is a species often looked for; the best way to find it is to drive with the windows down and listen for its distinctive calls. White-throated Swift is common throughout, especially near cliffs, as are Rock and Canyon Wrens. Rock Squirrels perch up on outcrops and snags to watch you pass. The visitor center is a good place to stop by and learn about the nature and geology of the park, and ask the rangers for advice on things you’d like to see.
Pinyon Mesa
Pinyon Mesa is an isolated hunk of highlands just south of Grand Junction, reached by driving through the Colorado National Monument. The lower portions around Glade Park are covered in sage flats; look for Sage Thrasher, Brewer’s Sparrow, Swainson’s Hawk, and Western Scrub-Jay. Some of the areas right around Glade Park are private property, so be careful where you go off road. Higher up the road progresses through pinyon-juniper, aspen, and mixed conifer woodland, and is the best place near the city to find highland species like Red-naped Sapsucker, MacGillivray’s Warbler, Steller’s Jay, Merriam’s Turkeys and nightbirds like Flammulated and Northern Saw-whet Owls. Look (and listen) for Flammulated especially in areas with a mix of conifers and aspens; a classic location is at the Mud Springs campground. There is wildlife in the area, mule deer, elk and black bears.
James M. Robb – Colorado River State Park, Fruita Section
The westernmost unit of the Colorado River State Park is also one of the best to base out of if you’re visiting the Grand Junction area and camping. Like the other units, it has good access to the riparian woods along the Colorado River, as well as a couple of small ponds that sometimes have ducks on them. Great-tailed Grackles frequent the camping area, and migration birding can be productive. In the winter time watch for various sparrows, accipiters preying on them (Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s are both regular), and maybe a Northern Shrike.
Highline Lake State Park
Perhaps no body of water in the Grand Junction area is as productive as this small reservoir. Not only is the water itself excellent for migrant waterfowl, grebes, loons, and shorebirds (when the water is low), but the riparian habitat around the campground and entrance road is also good for passerine migrants and breeding species like Blue Grosbeak, Bullock’s Oriole, Lazuli Bunting, and more. In the drier habitat around the fringes of the property look for birds like Loggerhead Shrike, Rock Wren, and Lark Sparrow, as well as many reptiles including sagebrush and side-blotched lizards. Mack Mesa Lake, a small lake on the north end of the park, is often birdy as well, and is an especially good place to look for swallows of all varieties.
Six and Fifty (6 & 50) Reservoir
Most of the time in recent years this small desert reservoir doesn’t look that impressive, but when there’s water here it can be a bird bonanza. Watch especially for shorebirds (the water here, when it is present, is almost always good for them), dabbling ducks, and the occasional heron or ibis. The semi-desert shrubland surrounding the entire area has Lark and Black-throated Sparrows, and in areas with sage, Sage Thrasher and Sage Sparrow. A few colonies of white-tailed prairie-dog here have Burrowing Owls. Note, water in the reservoirs is intermittent.
Prairie Canyon
Remote and spectacular, this is the canyon to come to if you want to get away from it all and have good birding at the same time. Habitat in the canyon is comprised of excellent pinyon-juniper woodland, with Gray Vireo, Pinyon Jay, Ash-throated Flycatcher, a chance at Chukar, and an outside chance at Scott’s Oriole. In the extensive sage flats on the way into the canyon look for Sage Sparrow and Sage Thrasher, and in the semi-desert shrubland scattered throughout watch for Black-throated Sparrow and Loggerhead Shrike.
Rabbit Valley and Brewster Ridge
Right on the Utah border, this remote ridge is among the best desert birding spots in the state of Colorado. The highest value target here is a local population of Scott’s Oriole (look in areas of spare pinyon-juniper woodland on ridges), but Gray Vireo is common, as are Black-throated Sparrow, Ash-throated Flycatcher, and Loggerhead Shrike. Less common but possible are Cassin’s Kingbird, Long-billed Curlew, and Burrowing Owl. If you venture here at night, listen for Long-eared Owls and watch the road for the charismatic Ord’s Kangaroo Rat. Reptiles are abundant and varied here as well; look for species such as the colorful collared lizard.