The town of Flagler is just about the only spot in the area with a place to stay and to stock up on food. The many large trees around town can be good for birds, and the small pond on the golf course just south of town often holds a few ducks.
Playa
Where the Buffalo Wallow
Named for the shallow prairie lakes that appear and disappear with the unpredictable rains, the Playa Trail showcases ephemeral beauties. Come in spring to catch the migrants in the trees around the lakes, and to catch the shortgrass prairie at its most enchanting season. Come in summer to see the amber waves of grain and the Lark Buntings in song display. Come in fall to catch the shorebirds as they crowd around the water’s edge. Come in winter to see the waterfowl thronging Bonny Reservoir, and flocks of Lapland Longspurs bouncing over the hills. This is a land many travel through, but few really take the time to appreciate. Your efforts will be rewarded.
Admission: Free to birders by appointment
Ownership: Private
Flagler 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: $10/person for day pass, $20/person, guided
Ownership: Private
South Republican 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: $10/person; map provided; guided tours available for additional charge
Ownership: Private
Admission: State Parks Pass required
Ownership: Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Mossland Memorial Golf Course
Enjoy a round of golf as well as watching birds at Flagler’s golf course! This property contains a 9-acre lake and surrounding marsh area in a location with otherwise sparse water resources. Look for the specialties Ruddy Duck and Black Tern in addition to other migrant and resident wildlife.
Grimes Ranch
This is a large ranch with shortgrass prairie, miles of frontage on Sand Creek, and unique bluffs that rise more than 50 feet above the creek bed. As this is some of the only topography in the area, birders might want to check the high areas for Sprague’s Pipit in spring and fall migration.
Grant Ranch
This site is a working ranch with extensive shortgrass prairie and playa lakes, hosting all of the regional specialties. Burrowing Owls nest here annually. During spring and fall migration, there is great potential to see huge concentrations of waterfowl and many shorebirds, including Long-billed Curlew. The owner is sometimes available to provide tours, and can regale you with tales about local history and wildlife.
Flagler Reservoir State Wildlife Area
Because this is one of the only reservoirs in the area, the water and large trees here act as an excellent migrant trap. The best trees are below the dam and along the inlet stream to the south. The lake itself can be good for all kinds of ducks, and when low, for shorebirds. Wild Turkeys can usually be found just below the dam. The grassland to the east is of fairly high quality. Look also for deer, pronghorn, rattlesnakes and Regal Fritillary (a magnificent and rare butterfly). Note that hunting is very popular here in fall.
Crystal Springs Ranch
This working ranch borders Flagler State Wildlife Area to the north. With a flowing natural spring and two ponds, it is a lovely spot for viewing all kinds of wildlife. Rails can be found in some of the wetter areas, and the trees on the property are worth birding at any season. In addition, your opportunities for finding prairie birds are much better on this property than at the State Wildlife Area to the south. This is a destination along I-70 that no birder should miss!
Hickman Farm
This property consists of mixed-grass prairie and cultivated land with scattered tree plantings and draws. Watch for red and swift fox in the open prairie as well as mule and white-tailed deer and badger. Pheasants can also be observed in the area, along with Colorado’s state bird, the Lark Bunting. You can also see Mountain Plover, Northern Harrier, Grasshopper Sparrow, Cassin’s Sparrow and possibly Short-eared Owl. Playas are also present throughout the area and when wet harbor Long-billed Curlew and other shorebird species. Pronghorn are also common. Sunflowers paint the roadsides with color in the summer; in fall, longspurs and possibly Sprague’s Pipits migrate through the property. Take the time to hike through the mixed grass prairie and explore this beautiful country. Cultural artifacts have also been observed on site including arrowheads and Native American beads. Site offers guided and self-guided tours, hunting, stargazing, and cultural attractions.
Loutzenhiser Farms
This is a chance to view a working farm with several playas that offer migratory shorebird viewing. In Kit Carson County, where water is often rare, this is a must-hit spot when the playa is full, as the concentrations of shorebirds can be impressively dense. Mountain Plovers have been seen using these farm fields as a staging ground just prior to migration.
Klassen Farms
This site offers extensive shortgrass and sandsage prairie with a high probability of viewing Greater Prairie-Chickens. Four farmsteads on the property have migrant trap hedgerows, one of which has significant underbrush and another of which has a double row of tall ponderosa pines. Mountain Plover and Burrowing Owl can often be seen in summer; Barn Owl has nested in the grain bin. Stay at the guesthouse and wake up to life on a working ranch and farm that hosts all of the wildlife found in the region. The owner is sometimes able to provide tours, and is always willing to talk about modern agriculture and ranching.
Mills South
This working farm offers several areas that offer excellent hiking and prairie wildlife-viewing. The owner is sometimes available to give tours, and is very knowledgeable about local natural and cultural history.
Burlington
This large town is one of the few in the area that has all the amenities, and can also be an excellent birding stop. The sewage ponds just south of town can be excellent for ducks and other assorted waterbirds. The cemetery north of town has some large trees. Around town itself are many large trees that are worth a look, especially during migration.
Rhoades Brothers Ranch
The Rhoades Brothers Ranch lies approximately 15 miles north of Burlington and offers thousands of acres of unexplored country in proximity to Bonny Reservoir. The ranch consists of mainly short- and mixed-grass prairie and is home to Burrowing Owls, Ferruginous Hawks, and Grasshopper Sparrows. Around ranch headquarters, breeding Barn and Long-eared Owls have both been recorded. To explore the ranch and get directions, contact Bobby Rhoades at 719-346-7350 or bsbb@rebeltec.net.
South Republican State Wildlife Area
This location covers most of the area below the dam at Bonny. There is more wildlife here than at many other plains reservoirs and river bottoms; few visitors to the reservoir head east below the dam, to the State Wildlife Area that runs along the river all the way to the Kansas state line. Habitat varies from yucca grassland and large hedgerows to lowland riparian. The hedgerow at Hale is enormous, and a good spot for Northern Cardinals, sparrows during the winter, owls, and migrants. The Hale Ponds SWA is excellent for Eastern Screech-Owl, Wild Turkey, Northern Bobwhite and migrants, not to mention white-tailed deer. The grassland between the dam at Bonny and the above locations can have Cassin’s and Grasshopper Sparrows, among others.
Riverside Farms
Located outside of the town of Idalia near Bonny Reservoir, this farm and ranch offers rolling shortgrass prairie with sandsage, prairie-dog towns, and the south fork of the Republican River. The river flows year-round and is a draw for local and migrant birds. More than 250 bird species have been recorded in the area. Cardinals can be seen at the western extent of their range along with Eastern Bluebird; Belted Kingfisher, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Marbled Godwit, Wilson’s Snipe, Great Blue Heron, and Osprey are just a few of the other birds you may encounter. Burrowing Owls are prevalent on the uplands along with Ferruginous Hawk, Golden Eagle, and Cassin’s Sparrow. Mule deer and pronghorn are also in the area. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience such rich diversity in a secluded, private setting with your own viewing blind. For more information contact Don, Myrna or Nathan Andrews (970) 354-7487 or northill@plainstel.com.
Bonny Reservoir area
Bonny Reservoir is a large reservoir isolated on the Kansas border. The lake itself is excellent for waterbirds and shorebirds. The abundant riparian groves around the lake can be spectacular for migrants, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and Eastern Bluebird. The grasslands and hedgerows around the periphery of the park are among the best places to look for Bell’s Vireo, Field Sparrow, and Baltimore Oriole in Colorado. Mule and white-tailed deer are common in the area, and you might see jackrabbits, cottontails, beavers, muskrats, weasels, opossums, and thirteen-lined ground-squirrels.