One of the largest towns on the eastern plains, Wray is a great town from which to base yourself when birding in the area. Wray Prairie-Chicken Viewing Tours take place in March and April each year, a cooperative effort of the Wray Museum, Wray Chamber of Commerce, Kitzmuller Ranch, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife–see the website for details. The best birding in Wray is in Rainbow Park and along the river nearby. Rainbow Park contains a small but dense cluster of coniferous and deciduous trees that has hosted wintering sapsuckers and could attract migrants. Here and around town look for eastern species like Red-bellied Woodpecker, Eastern Bluebird, Mississippi Kite, and others. Although Wray is very nice, the best birding in the area is northwest of town, at the Wray Fish Hatchery and the adjacent Stalker Lake SWA. Some small ponds, riparian and juniper hedgerows, and weedy gullies make these locations a good place to lookf for sparrows, Northern Cardinal, and other landbirds, and assorted waterbirds. Muskrat and coyote might be seen in the area.
Greater Prairie-Chicken
Who Said Chickens Can’t Dance
Whooping and cackling like fiends, leaping into the air and puffing out their inflatable necks like frogs, the male Greater Prairie-Chickens put on a show each spring unrivaled in the animal kingdom. This is their stronghold in Colorado, the sandsage prairies of Yuma County, a landscape they share with meadowlarks, Cassin’s Sparrows and coyotes. These prairies are not all flat; in many places river bluffs tower a hundred feet above the river, and rich corridors of cottonwoods and willows line the major river corridors, attracting eastern wildlife like White-tailed Deer, Blue Jay, and occasionally cardinals, while Wild Turkeys stalk the edges of the woods and towns. Here where east blends with west, the landscape is always ready to serve up some kind of surprise.
Admission: A valid hunting or fishing license will be required for everyone 18 or older attempting to access any State Wildlife Area or State Trust Land leased by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Ownership: Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Sandy Bluffs State Wildlife Area & State Trust Land
Admission: Beginning May 1, 2021, a valid Hunting license, Fishing license, OR State Wildlife Area Pass is required for everyone 16 or older accessing any State Wildlife Area or State Trust Land.
Ownership: Colorado Parks and Wildlife and State Trust Land Board
Greater Prairie-Chicken areas
The sandsage prairie just north of Wray contains the vast majority of Colorado’s Greater Prairie-Chickens. The only reliable lek locations at this time are located on private lands. Several groups and ranches operate tours to see the chickens on their leks in spring, and this is by far your best shot at seeing the birds; see the website for details. If you are are really strapped for time, you can look for the birds along the county roads north of Wray and east of US 385 just after dawn in April and May. The chickens are easy to hear from the road but often difficult to see – most of the leks are on the far side of the numerous hills! No matter how close the birds sound, DO NOT LEAVE THE ROADS.
Lazy LW Ranch
Nestled in the sandhills northwest of Wray, the Lazy LW offers hiking and birding among the sandsage in Greater Prairie-Chicken country. The Wilsons have a Greater Prairie-Chicken lek on their property and have developed a grazing system to encourage nesting. The shelterbelts around the homestead offer good birding and are a reliable spot for Loggerhead Shrike and Northern Bobwhite.
Sandsage State Wildlife Area
This small State Wildlife Area just west of Wray provides access to a stretch of the South Republican River and adjacent grassland. While the riparian habitat along the river here is a bit sparse, check for Orchard Oriole, Indigo Bunting, Brown Thrasher, and more. The more open areas can have Eastern Kingbird, various sparrow species, and Lark Buntings. A visit during migration may produce a surprise, in addition to more normal migrant passerine species, but the wintertime tends to be slow. Hunting occurs on this property, so be sure to check for seasonal restrictions before visiting.
Yuma
Yuma is a fairly large plains town and has lots of mature deciduous trees for birders (and birds) to choose from. City Park in the north part of town might be a good place to start – it has a few large trees that shade a good-sized duck pond. Northeast of town, the Yuma cemetery has medium-sparse vegetation, but its isolation may help it concentrate migrants better than the town. South of the cemetery is one of the nicest sets of sewage ponds on the Eastern Plains – not to be missed by anyone traveling the US 34 corridor.
Otis
Small and isolated, this prairie town has a few mature deciduous trees. The cemetery south of town contains some good juniper hedgerows worth a quick look in winter or migration. Just east of town is the town’s sole sewage pond, which is small but can attract various waterfowl, ibis, and who knows what else!
Akron
The county seat and largest town in Washington County, Akron has some decent large trees worth checking in migration. It also has more amenities than most of the other small towns in the area.
Longspur and Plover areas in Washington County
Typically Chestnut-collared Longspur breed on private land in Washington County on Road KK between Road 19 and Road 20. McCown’s Longspur and Mountain Plover have also been seen in this vicinity, and pronghorn and jackrabbit are very common; even badgers may be seen. When looking for wildlife, you need to stay on the public road.
Last Chance
Last Chance is a tiny town without services. However, it does have a rest stop backed by a small city park, and the grove of trees there is a legendary stopover spot for exhausted migrant birds traversing the dry treeless plains. Don’t drive past it without stopping in spring and fall–you never know what you might find.
May Farms
May Farms features easy access east of Denver off I-70 with a 1/2 mile of West Bijou Creek that includes a deciduous riparian forest. The May family has been pioneering agritourism since the early 2000’s on their farm. Great Horned Owls, Bald Eagles and variety of other raptors and songbirds nest on their property. They also have a pond that attracts waterfowl year-round.
The farm is a popular venue for concerts, weddings, and other special events. Features such as corn mazes, pumpkin patch picking, and other farm-related activities with the livestock they raise draw a diversity of visitors. The farm offers an office building, shop, and huge pavilion, which is perfect for large group activities. They are open to the public for farm-to-table meals on Thursday and Friday nights 5:00PM – 8:00PM
Cope
Cope is a small and charming town with a lot of big trees but few amenities. Eurasian Collared-Dove is abundant here, and rare doves sometimes occur. Look out for migrant landbirds in spring and fall, and sapsuckers sometimes spend the winter.
Idalia
This small town has some nice big trees, both deciduous and coniferous, and so may function as something of a migrant trap, possibly worth a stroll in fall or spring. Collared-Doves are numerous, and Great-tailed Grackles may breed. South Republican SWA is nearby for hunting, fishing and camping.
Sandy Bluffs State Wildlife Area & State Trust Land
A large and beautiful piece of state land north of Idalia, Sandy Bluffs overflows with sandsage, yucca slopes, and eroded outcrops. Watch for Rock Wren, raptors, and sparrows (Cassin’s, Lark and Vesper in the warmer months, White-crowned and possibly White-throated and Harris’ in the colder months). Coyotes, pronghorn, jackrabbits and even bobcats and porcupines may be found on the property. The land is bisected by the Arikaree River, and a good deal of the mature cottonwood forest along the river bottom is accessible on foot.
Beecher Island area
The Beecher Island Battleground, a National Historic Site, is on private land that permits public access. The site contains a memorial, an informational display, a beautiful picnic area in the middle of mature riverbottom cottonwoods, and a one-mile nature trail through native sandsage prairie, river bluffs, and trees. The Arikaree River bottom mostly lacks underbrush, but some junipers around the buildings provide cover, and the tall trees are likely to host woodpeckers, nuthatches, owls and migrant passerines in season. Visit Simmons State Wildlife Area.