Here in one of the driest parts of a dry state, this permanent spring-fed pond, surrounded by a small marsh and a larger wet meadow, is a major attraction for birds. Species including Sora, Virginia Rail, Marsh Wren, Common Yellowthroat, and even Bald Eagle have nested here or nearby. The pond is on private property and can be viewed only from the road.
Piedra
A Mecca For Naturalists
The Piedra River collects most of the water from Colorado’s largest wilderness area, the Weminuche, running from permanent snowfields in the high mountains through subalpine meadows down into forests of gigantic ponderosa pine. The landscape along this trail is quintessential Colorado, but the nature here is spiced with elements of the southwest: Grace’s Warblers abound in the pines, and you may spot the spectacular Arizona Sister butterfly. In the Piedra River itself, if you are lucky, you might be treated to the frolicking of a family of endangered otters. On a summer night in the forest, Flammulated Owls may hoot at your campsite from four or five directions, while poorwills sing their names over and over in the moonlight. Southwest Colorado is a mecca for naturalists from around the world, and if you visit, you’ll see why.
Pastorius Reservoir 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: Recreation Fee is $5
Ownership: BOR, USFS owns 5 campgrounds and 2 private owned campgrounds.
Admission: Camping fee $24, free for day use
Ownership: US Forest Service
Admission: Registration required. Donations accepted. Call 970-731-5746.
Ownership: Private
Echo Canyon Reservoir 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
Pastorius Reservoir State Wildlife Area
This State Wildlife Area is, without question, one of the finest birding sites in the area. Almost any bird could show up here. In spring and fall, many species of ducks, geese, and shorebirds stop here, along with smaller numbers of gulls, terns, and ibis. The riparian woods and undergrowth on the north side of the water are a great place to look for common birds like Bullock’s Oriole and rare ones like Prothonotary Warbler. Birds are the main attraction here, but the marsh and pond support muskrats and several species of dragonfly and damselfly.
Vallecito Reservoir
This reservoir, the largest body of water in the La Plata County, is at relatively high elevation at 8,000 feet, surrounded by ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer forests. Popular with locals and tourists, the area can be busy on weekends and in the summer; amenities are available in the area, including lodging, groceries and gas. In migration, the water can attract loons, grebes, gulls, and quite a few species of ducks, including the occasional Barrow’s Goldeneye in winter. Osprey are plentiful here, and you might catch sight of a few Bald Eagles. The forests around the lake support breeding Grace’s Warblers, Hammond’s, Dusky, and Cordilleran Flycatchers, and Dusky Grouse. Bears are in the area, but mule deer are a more likely sighting.
Lake Eileen
It’s a strenuous two-mile hike up to beautiful Lake Eileen in the Weminuche Wilderness. The trail climbs about 1,000 feet through aspen groves and mixed-conifer forests. Look for Hammond’s and Olive-sided Flycatchers, Williamson’s Sapsucker, Three-toed Woodpecker, and Dusky Grouse. You are likely to encounter pine squirrels, golden-mantled ground-squirrels, chipmunks and other mammals including snowshoe hare are possible.
Middle Mountain Road
This very scenic road provides a great way to get into the high country near Durango, as it tops out at almost 11,000 feet on the side of Middle Mountain. A burn area near the top has been good for Three-toed Woodpeckers in recent years. Deer and elk graze in the meadows, where you might find Vesper Sparrows and American Pipits. Dusky Grouse and Merriam’s turkeys are common. You’ll be in pine marten and lynx habitat, but sightings of Pine Grosbeaks and Red Crossbills are going to be more easily spotted.
Bayfield
Pine River Park in this little town has some nice riparian habitat that has Lewis’s Woodpecker, Cordilleran Flycatcher, Cedar Waxwing, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Belted Kingfisher and the like. This is a nice little spot for a picnic not far off Highway 160. Closed in the winter.
Saul’s Creek
This area contains a mix of ponderosa forest and mountain meadows, with some pinyon-juniper creeping in around the edges. It’s a relatively untraveled area, and birds can be numerous; expect breeding Pine Siskin, Plumbeous Vireo, Western Tanager, and Williamson’s Sapsucker, with a chance at lower-elevation birds like Gray and Ash-throated Flycatcher also. You could find the tassel-eared Abert’s squirrel with some luck, although pine squirrels are more likely.
Beaver Creek Road (FR 135)
To hear owls, this is a good place to visit at night. Flammulated and Great Horned Owls are often heard here on late spring and early summer evenings; Northern Saw-whet Owl is possible, as is Northern Pygmy-Owl, which usually only vocalizes at dawn and dusk, but rarely in the middle of the night.
Fosset Gulch Road (FR 613)
This dirt road off US 160 in the western part of the county has good ponderosa forest habitat. Grace’s Warblers can be found here during the day, and Flammulated Owls call during the night. In summer, wildflower displays can be impressive along this road, particularly in some of the meadows.
Lower Piedra Campground
This is an excellent area for wildlife watchers. The stream through the campground supports some of the best deciduous riparian thickets in southwest Colorado, as well as high-quality ponderosa pine forest. Here you can find nesting Gray Catbirds and Grace’s Warblers. The river is also a reintroduction site for river otter, a state endangered species and the world’s most entertaining mammal. Other wildlife you could encounter here range from the American Dipper to the Milbert’s Tortoiseshell butterfly.
First Fork Road (FR 622)
The first part of this road passes through excellent ponderosa pine forest where Audubon’s and Grace’s Warblers will sing during the summer. The stream bottom supports butterflies, including the striking Weidemeyer’s Admiral. As you climb higher along FR 630, you can get into high-elevation spruce-fir forest where you’ll find the likes of Three-toed Woodpecker and Olive-sided and Hammond’s Flycatchers. Mule deer are common along the drive, and black bears can occasionally be seen.
Chimney Rock Archaeological Area
A San Juan National Forest Archaeological Area and a National Historic Site, Chimney Rock is managed mostly for archaeological tourism, with four daily guided walking tours of ancestral Pueblo settlements. It’s open from May through September. In addition, this can be a good place to look for birds: Peregrine Falcons and White-throated Swifts nest on the namesake cliff spires, so keep a close eye on the sky.
Navajo State Park
Navajo Reservoir is an enormous body of water that starts in Colorado and stretches 20 miles south into New Mexico. A popular state park, it is best for wildlife viewing in the colder months when there are fewer people and more birds. Gulls, grebes, loons, shorebirds, and waterfowl are all possible on the lake. The pinyon-juniper woodlands surrounding the water are likely to produce Ash-throated and Gray Flycatchers, Bushtits, and Pinyon and Western Scrub-Jays. Black Phoebes have started to colonize this part of Colorado, and some of them may be seen under bridges in the area, especially at the designated Watchable Wildlife Area near the old narrow-gauge railroad bridge over the Piedra River. This bridge has been converted into a paved trail for foot traffic. Look from the bridge for the rare river otters which have been reintroduced to the Piedra River. Don’t confuse them with beaver, muskrat, or mink, all of which also occur here. The surrounding riparian woodlands can produce sightings of Yellow-breasted Chat and vagrant warblers such as American Redstart.
Sambrito Marsh
Part of Navajo State Park, this marsh can be accessed by a nature trail that provides good viewing. Use a spotting scope is best to identify birds far out on the water. During migration, many birds can be found here including Sage Sparrow and Sage Thrasher. Watch for good numbers of hawks, especially if you are here in the winter. Deer sometimes graze in the fields nearby.
San Juan River
The road following the San Juan River along the southern border of Colorado is definitely off the beaten path, and it’s not a route to take when you’re in a hurry to get somewhere. If you have some time to relax and explore, however, you’ll find plenty of nature here without many people. The riparian cottonwoods and deciduous tangles along the river support Yellow-breasted Chat, Lazuli Bunting, and other birds typical of the habitat. Along the entire river, be alert for Black Phoebes, whose numbers are increasing in this area. In the open country, watch for herds of foraging deer and elk, and coyotes stalking voles in the grass.
Piedra Road
The southern part of Hinsdale County, accessible only from the Piedra Road (CR 600) that goes north from Pagosa Springs, is a great birding area with mountain meadows and ponderosa pine forests. You’ll find Western Bluebirds, Lewis’s Woodpeckers, and maybe even Grace’s Warblers, though they are rare here. Big game including deer and elk are common in the area. The Piedra Picnic Area just past the county line has mid-elevation riparian habitat with Song Sparrow, Spotted Towhee, and Yellow Warbler. A little farther north, a side road, FR 639, leads through ponderosa, oak and aspen habitat that can produce Virginia’s Warbler, Flammulated Owl, Band-tailed Pigeon, Evening Grosbeak and many other fine birds. If you follow the road to the top where it splits three ways and take the right fork (on foot if the road is too rutted for your car), you will get to an area that is good for Williamson’s Sapsucker. Flower-filled meadows near here can be filled with butterflies, including several species of fritillary. If you continue up the Piedra Road past the turnoff to Williams Creek Reservoir and across Weminuche Creek, you’ll enter a little-traveled area of mixed-conifer forest that transitions into spruce-fir. This is another great area to get high-elevation birds including Gray Jay, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Evening Grosbeak, Red Crossbill and Three-toed Woodpecker. The woods here are deep, and the road is remote–if you want to catch sight of a black bear or a porcupine crossing the road in front of you, this might be the place.
V.A. Poma Ranch
The V.A. Poma Ranch is a guest ranch in the Weminuche Valley of southwest Colorado. The Ranch provides wonderful opportunities for both amateur and serious birdwatchers as well as all outdoor lovers. Located not far from the Continental Divide, you’ll have access to a diversity of forest habitats as well as meadows and willow-riparian zones near the Weminuche River, various ponds and privately owned Martin Lake. You will be greeted upon arrival by a friendly host and a plethora of different hummingbirds that make the Ranch House porch always entertaining. The Rockies and the altitude attract interesting birds including Steller’s and Gray Jays, Mountain and Western Bluebirds, Western Tanagers, Magpies, Warblers, Flycatchers and Eagles to name a few. We even find that guests come as strangers and leave as friends.
Williams Creek Reservoir
Thanks to its gorgeous natural setting, Williams Creek Reservoir is a very popular destination for fishermen and campers. It is also a popular destination for waterbirds ranging from Cinnamon Teal to Western Grebe, most of which congregate along the reservoir’s north shore. The road north of the reservoir traverses some mid-elevation riparian areas with Red-naped Sapsucker; thick willows along the stream in the valley floor harbor Fox Sparrows and MacGillivray’s Warblers; elk graze in the wet meadows; Boloria fritillaries flutter, and Wilson’s Snipe winnow overhead on summer evenings. At the end of the road pick up the Williams Creek Trail, a beautiful path through mixed-conifer and spruce-fir forests where Cassin’s Finch, Hammond’s Flycatcher and Three-toed Woodpecker can be found. One of the authors once frightened a black bear off this trail, so keep your eyes peeled.
Southwest Corner of Mineral County
This remote area gets very few visitors, but good forest roads wind through miles of ponderosa pine and montane shrub habitats here. A nocturnal trip on some of these roads in June can result in multiple Flammulated Owl encounters; the species is common in the area. Green-tailed Towhee and Evening Grosbeak can be found here as well. Elk are numerous, as are mule deer, and several species of squirrel and chipmunk. The beautiful Western Pine Elfin butterfly can be found, and in areas of Gambel Oak, you have a chance to find the Colorado Hairstreak, the state insect.
Echo Canyon Reservoir State Wildlife Area
Echo Canyon is a small state wildlife area with a popular fishing lake that can attract ducks and possibly some shorebirds during spring and fall. At the east end of the lake you will find a good cattail marsh where Marsh Wrens and Yellow-headed Blackbirds breed. In the colder months, look for Bald Eagles soaring over the water. Muskrats can be seen paddling through the water near the cattail marsh.
Blanco River Road
This road heads east from US 84 south of Pagosa Springs a short distance through nice mixed-conifer forest and a little mid-elevation riparian habitat to a forest service campground. There is some aspen and Gambel oak mixed in. Look for Western Tanagers and Warbling Vireos. With great luck, you may see a weasel chase a vole through the campground.