Kebler Pass contains an excellent sampling of montane habitats, but is perhaps best known for some of the most awe-inspiring aspen groves in Colorado. Not surprisingly, the species typical of this habitat, such as Red-naped Sapsucker, Warbling Vireo, Dusky Flycatcher, and Violet-green Swallow are common. Purple Martins can be seen flying overhead; between mile posts 10 and 11 is best. Higher up is mixed-conifer and spruce-fir woodland, with most of the specialties easy to find. You might see a porcupine or a bobcat crossing this road.
Gunnison Sage-Grouse
A Special Place For A Special Bird
The Gunnison Sage-Grouse is a special bird. Formally described by science only in 2000, it evaded detection for decades because people looked at it without seeing it-they assumed all sage grouse were the same. But those with an eye and an ear for detail noticed that the Gunnison differs from its sister species in many small but significant ways-and that an undiscovered species of bird had been living right under their noses. To see in person what makes this bird unique, you have no choice but to come to Colorado: the bird is found almost nowhere else. You must come to the sage flats of the high Gunnison Basin, ringed by Colorado’s tallest peaks and drained by the river that carved the Black Canyon. In addition to the remarkable chest-heaving display of the grouse, you can find a remarkable diversity of birds in the area, from rosy-finches in winter to Lewis’s Woodpeckers and Least Flycatchers in summer. Some call Gunnison the recreation capital of Colorado-and if you visit, you will see why.
Dome Lakes 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: There may be fees. Please respect private property.
Ownership: Private
Crested Butte
A more picturesque town you will have a hard time finding. Mainly known as a ski town, this also makes a good base when exploring the area during the summer. The main avian draw here is the large flock of rosy-finches, usually of all three species, that frequent the area during the winter. The best strategy to find them is the drive around town watching for both the flock and for feeders.
Roaring Judy Fish Hatchery
The grounds of this fish hatchery are essentially a large riverside park full of mature cottonwood trees, riparian brush and water. It can be a terrific area to wander around in during spring and fall migration and also in the summer, when birds like Wilson’s Snipe, Yellow Warbler, Red-naped Sapsucker, Fox Sparrow, and Willow Flycatcher can be found breeding. This would be a great place to find a rare warbler in migration. At 840 acres, the area gives you plenty of places to look! At some times, fish hatchery personnel may be able to arrange a guided tour of the facility, which releases two million Kokanee salmon each year.
Mill Creek
Mill Creek Road runs through private property on its way to the Mill-Castle Trailhead in the West Elk Wilderness. The road passes through mountain meadows and agricultural fields, following a stream with riparian willows where you might find American Goldfinch, Dusky Flycatcher, and a few species of warblers. Farther up, at the trailhead, the road reaches montane forest with mixed conifers and aspens. Those in good physical shape will find the birding excellent up the trail. Even Boreal Owls breed along this trail, although their habitat is snowed in during the season when they are calling. Up in the forest you’ll find plenty of pine squirrels and chipmunks, and with luck, you could see a pine marten. Elk sightings are possible along both the road and the trail. This is also an excellent area for butterflies in the summer.
Moss Lake
This is a small private lake that can be scanned from the side of the county road. Large numbers of ducks sometimes congregate here in spring and (especially) fall, and you might see shorebirds too. The wet meadows both north and south of the lake can host White-faced Ibis in migration and blackbirds and Savannah Sparrows in summer.
Dome Lakes State Wildlife Area
The two medium-sized lakes here are definitely worth a check if you are in the area. They can have breeding ducks including Green-winged and Cinnamon Teal, Gadwall, Lesser Scaup and Ring-necked Duck, and phalaropes and possibly other shorebirds in migration. Watch for coyotes hunting in nearby fields. When the rabbitbrush is in bloom, it can attract swarms of nectaring butterflies.
Cebolla Trail
This is a remote and little-visited area that will reward the visitor with some rarely-seen vistas and lots of wildlife viewing opportunities. The road runs through mountain meadows, mixed-conifer forests, some terrific aspen stands, and at the highest elevations, some spruce-fir forest complete with Pine Grosbeak. Roadside willow carrs hold breeding Fox Sparrows, among many other birds. From the Cebolla Trailhead, if you are in excellent physical condition, you can hike through more spruce-fir and willow habitats to the alpine tundra on the slopes of Mount Baldy Chato, where you will find breeding American Pipit, Brown-capped Rosy-Finch, and (if you are lucky) White-tailed Ptarmigan.
Cumberland Pass
This high pass provides some of the best and easily accessible tundra in this part of Colorado, and a walk in the area during the summer should produce American Pipit, Brown-capped Rosy-Finch (in rocky areas), White-tailed Ptarmigan and White-crowned Sparrow. The wildflowers in late June and July can be truly spectacular, and a number of butterfly species (some glacial relicts with the closest populations found in Alaska) take advantage of the show. Look for the adorable alpine animal called the pika, but don’t feed them if you find them.
Gunnison Sage-Grouse lek
The Gunnison Sage-Grouse is Colorado’s closest claim to an endemic species and the only new bird species discovered in the U.S. in many years. If you want to see this rare and local species during the mating season, chances are you will need to come here. Mating takes place from early April through early May. Due to a precipitous decline in numbers at the lek here, there are strict rules on viewing the birds: arrive before dawn, and wait until the birds finish their mating ritual before leaving; don’t leave your car, and don’t make any unnecessary movements and noises. The continued survival of the birds at this lek depends on your cooperation. The Lek has moved further from the road and a spotting scope will be needed to see the birds. Beginning in 2024, all reservations must be coordinated through CPW at dnr_gunnison.wildlife@state.co.us.
Marshall Pass Road
This bumpy high mountain road provides an alternative to Monarch Pass, and access to beautiful spruce-fir woodland and mountain meadows. Along the lower portions of the road look in the sage flats for Sage Thrasher, Vesper Sparrow, and other sagebrush species. Higher up, look in the extensive willow carrs for Lincoln’s, Fox, and White-crowned Sparrows, and Wilson’s and MacGillivray’s Warblers. Near the top you enter spruce-fir woodland where American Three-toed Woodpecker, Pine Grosbeak, Red Crossbill, Brown Creeper, and Dusky Grouse are possible. If you are in the area at night, keep an ear out for Boreal and Northern Saw-whet Owls. The Colorado Trail intersects the pass near the top, and if hiking is your cup of tea you can access much more spruce-fir woodland, willow bogs, and alpine tundra on the way to Ouray Peak.