Box Springs consists of a very small pond surrounded by only a couple of trees, but it is private property on all sides. This location so isolated that it frequently attracts great birds. Look for ducks, Black-crowned Night-Herons, and the occasional migrant warbler in the cottonwoods. If you’re lucky, you might see a rail or a bittern, or you might discover a Mountain Plover on the surrounding plains.
Pronghorn
Wonderful Prairie Birding
The Arkansas River Valley is so thickly packed with top-notch places to view wildlife that it sometimes boggles the traveler’s mind. This trail is in the middle of it all, with an immense variety of destinations squeezed into a very manageable space. Around the edges are the high plains semideserts, with miles of cholla cactus and spiky yucca plants, pronghorn herds, horned lizards, Scaled Quail and even roadrunners. A little closer in are some of Colorado’s premier reservoirs, important stopover points for migrating waterfowl and shorebirds, and the isolated groves of trees where warblers and flycatchers can “fall out” in large numbers after a hard night of migration in spring or fall. Through the center of it all runs the Arkansas River, giving life to cottonwood corridors and human settlements, and making this one of the most rewarding destinations on the eastern plains still close to the beaten path.
Admission: Town of Ordway is free; A valid hunting or fishing license is required for everyone 18 or older to access any State Wildlife Area or State Trust Land leased by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Ownership: Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Municipal
Cholla stands in western Crowley County
Admission: Free
Ownership: Please respect private property (public road)
Admission: Town of Rocky Ford is free; A valid hunting or fishing license is required for everyone 18 or older to access any State Wildlife Area or State Trust Land leased by Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Ownership: Municipal/ Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Holbrook 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: Free
Ownership: Please respect private property (public road)
Timpas Creek 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: $5/person for day pass; please call for lodging rates
Ownership: Private
Lake Henry
Lake Henry is a jewel of a birding spot. The lake and its shore attract large concentrations of waterbirds, especially in migration and winter. Look for American White Pelican, herons, cormorants, gulls and terns. In migration, look for shorebirds including Sanderling and Willet. Burrowing Owls nest in the large prairie dog town along the entrance road. If you are up for a hike of nearly a mile, you can walk north from the west end of the dam to an excellent grove of trees that often attracts migrant landbirds, including many rare eastern warblers and large numbers of sparrows. The area north of the gate is private property, but the owner allows access to birders. In addition to birds, animals including pronghorns, coyotes, and foxes may be seen here. Note: do NOT drive the dam road if it has rained recently.
Gray Ranch
The Gray Ranch is located along the south and west shores of Lake Meredith, one of the finest shorebird and waterbird hotspots in Colorado. Although some excellent rarities have been found at Meredith (including Ruff!), the lake has received scant coverage over the years because most of its expansive shores are privately owned. With the opening of the Gray Ranch to wildlife watching, Lake Meredith is now far more accessible to birders, who should turn up good birds galore on this property. The ranch offers primitive camping along the south shore of Lake Meredith. On your way into the lake, watch for Burrowing Owls and other shortgrass species as you pass through multiple black-tailed prairie dog colonies. For more information and access, call or stop by JR’s Country Store in Ordway: (719) 267-3262, at least 48 hours before your visit.
Lake Meredith
This is the largest body of water in the county. It can attract huge concentrations of waterbirds in migration, and when water levels are low in the fall, many thousands of shorebirds can congregate here. Once a Ruff was seen. The waterbirds stay through the winter, but the north shore is closed from November 1 through the last day of waterfowl season (usually late February). When it is open, it allows primitive camping. Mammals that may be seen here include mule deer, white-tailed deer, coyotes and prairie-dogs.
Ordway
This is the population center of Crowley County, and it has restaurants, gas and groceries. Conestoga Park in town hosts breeding Mississippi Kites in summer. Ordway Reservoir State Wildlife area, just north of town, has a pond worth checking for waterbirds, however access is only available from September 1 through the end of February.
Cholla stands in western Crowley County
Western Crowley County contains one of Colorado’s best examples of the semidesert shrubland habitat, which is dominated by the spiny cholla tree cactus, a plant that looks like it belongs in Southern Arizona. And maybe it does–because in the cholla occur birds more commonly associated with Arizona than Colorado: Scaled Quail, Curve-billed Thrasher, and if you’re lucky, Greater Roadrunner. A few Mountain Plover breed in this area too, just to remind you you’re in Colorado. Jackrabbits and Pronghorns are plentiful in this area. Viewing from vehicle only, private property on both sides of the road.
Olney Springs Reservoir
The small town of Olney Springs has a little reservoir with some good trees, especially on the other side of the canal. The reservoir is currently dry as they are working on the reservoir. Check the trees for sparrows in the colder months, and for flocks of migrants in spring and fall. Mammals that might be seen in the vicinity include mule and white-tailed deer, rabbits, red fox and coyotes. If the road is gated, you may enter on foot.
Rocky Ford
This large town is an excellent birding location, with many large trees that often contain some interesting species. The gem of this area, though, is the Rocky Ford State Wildlife Area, with its excellent riparian habitat, thickets and river access. Look here for sparrows, migrants, Western Screech-Owl, squirrels, muskrat and deer. A short viewing trail is located on the McClelland Tract of the SWA which leads from a parking area along the top of the rolling hills above the Arkansas river to an overlook with a sandstone bench. In addition to the SWA, the sewage ponds just northeast of Rocky Ford can be great for shorebirds and waterbirds, depending on water levels. Dickcissels nest near here.
Holbrook Reservoir State Wildlife Area
This small lake is currently dry, however there are some pheasants in the area. When there is water in the reservoir and depending on water level, it can be awesome for shorebirds, terns, or waterbirds, and the grove is a first rate migrant trap. The lake can be scanned from the south side via the large parking lot, or along the west side via the rough dirt road. Look in the trees along the south side for migrants during spring and fall, and the southern shore for Black-necked Stilt and other shorebirds. Note that the trees to the south of CR FF are on private property and must be birded from the road.
Cholla patch near Fowler
A small, privately owned patch of cholla near Fowler is a great place to look for desert birds like Curve-billed Thrasher, Scaled Quail and Greater Roadrunner, although none of them are common. You might also see Wild Turkey, Northern Mockingbird and even Coyote. Viewing from vehicle only, private property on both sides.
Fowler
The town can be decent for migrant landbirds, but the best show in town is usually at the sewage ponds, just north of town and south of the river, on the east side of CO 167. The two westernmost ponds can be scanned in basic fashion from outside the fence, and can be swarming with birds.
Timpas Creek State Wildlife Area
This SWA just south of La Junta has some small but dense groves of trees that can contain migrants, and the canal with its large cottonwoods could have Mississippi Kites, among others. The small ponds are worth a look for ducks, and the area around the trees can harbor rabbits and squirrels.
McComber Ranch
This ranch offers several hundred acres of birdwatching on shortgrass prairie, as well as access to Timpas Creek. On the prairie you may find Mountain Plovers and Long-billed Curlew, with luck, and pronghorns are fairly numerous. Stay at the family-style bunkhouse, which sleeps 4 to 5 adults and 2 kids. Two kids can also sleep in the old-time sheep wagon. Enjoy campfires and chuckwagon cooking when time and weather allow. Watch horse-training and western leather-working on site.