The rocky-shored Frank Milavec Memorial Lake is popular with fishermen and recreational walkers, but also with ducks, grebes, pelicans and cormorants, particularly in late fall and early spring. The lake is ringed by a gravel walking trail that affords excellent viewing at any time of day. The southeast corner of the walking trail borders a marsh that is home to Red-winged Blackbirds and rails. Paved trails also run along a tree-lined creek where Yellow Warblers and Downy Woodpeckers breed.
St. Vrain
A Charismatic Land
The towns of Longmont and Lyons, along the St. Vrain River north of Boulder, support an amazingly high density of places to watch birds and other wildlife. The foothills here are lower and less dramatic than those abutting Boulder, and their sparser, shrubbier vegetation generally makes it easier to find birds of open, dry country such as Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay and Common Poorwill. The lakes and ponds in and around the towns are excellent places to see waterfowl, Western and Clark’s Grebes, and gulls, especially in spring and fall. This is a wonderful area in which to get better acquainted with the arresting landscapes of the American west.
Admission: State Parks Pass.
Ownership: Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Admission: Daily fee or annual pass; Colorado residents with current Disabled Veterans License Plates may enter Union Reservoir for free. The veteran must be present in the vehicle.
Ownership: Municipal/Private
Admission: There is a parking fee of $5 for every 4 hours for those who wish to park in LaVern Johnson Park. Parking passes can be purchased from kiosks within the parking area.
Ownership: Municipal/Private
St. Vrain State Park
Located along the St. Vrain River, this state park provides excellent birding. St. Vrain features numerous ponds and small lakes, marshes, willow thickets, fields, and stands of cottonwoods that provide rich and varied habitat for birds. Winter bird viewing includes Bald Eagle and various waterfowl, such as Teals, Buffleheads, Gadwalls, and Mergansers. St. Vrain is a great place to see Western and Clark’s Grebe, several species of swallows, Osprey, and White Pelican. American Kestels, Orioles, Grosbeaks, and Chats are also known to nest in the park. St. Vrain was once known as having the largest rookery of Herons and Egrets in Colorado. A State Parks pass is required for entry.
Sandstone Ranch Community Park
Much of this park contains sports fields, but the portion along the St. Vrain River has been preserved in its natural state as a district park. The 0.7-mile gravel hiking trail crosses native prairie that is home to Lark Sparrow, Say’s Phoebe, and prairie dogs. Native wildflowers such as prickly poppy can bloom here in abundance. The section of the trail near the river, part of which is paved, passes below scenic sandstone bluffs where Great Horned and Barn Owls sometimes roost. The cottonwood forest along the river is a good place to look for House Wren, Warbling Vireo, and Bullock’s Oriole.
The park is on the St. Vrain Greenway, part of the Front Range Trail plan that will someday connect to a larger trail system running from Wyoming to New Mexico. There is a visitor center on-site and open seasonally with restricted hours.
Union Reservoir Nature Area
This large reservoir is one of the best places in the area to look for ducks, grebes, loons, and other waterbirds from fall through spring. Many rarities have shown up here, including Red-throated and Yellow-billed Loons, Ancient Murrelet, Hudsonian Godwit, and Little Gull. The reservoir is usually frozen in January and February; Clark’s and Western Grebes are reliable the other ten months of the year. The reservoir can be scanned fairly well from CR 26 on the south or from CR 28 on the north. A Longmont City Park on the southwest corner offers camping, picnic areas, and swimming in the summer. Fees apply in the city park – be sure to contact City of Longmont or visit their website for details.
Jim Hamm Nature Area
This small park near Union Reservoir can quickly be checked for birds. Sometimes there is little of interest, but sometimes, gulls or shorebirds from Union stop in here, allowing a closer look. As a designated bird sanctuary, the pond is the main attraction, but the line of trees north of it might also be worth checking for birds.
Little Gaynor Lake
The nature preserve that contains this small prairie pothole lake is often worth a check. Scanning from the blind on the north shore can turn up a good variety of ducks, often including Cinnamon Teal, Northern Shoveler, and Ruddy Duck, plus American Avocets and Wilson’s Phalaropes.
Dodd Reservoir
Birders’ attraction to Dodd Reservoir can be summed up in one word: geese. From fall through spring, this is one of the most reliable places in the area to find thousands of geese. Most are Canadas, but a fair number of Cackling Geese are typically mixed in, and usually one or two Snow, Ross’s, or Greater White-fronted Geese are found here as well. The geese spread out during the day to feed in the surrounding fields, but when they all crowd back onto Dodd Reservoir, it can be quite a sight to behold! Please be aware pets are not allowed at this property.
Lagerman Reservoir
Lagerman is known as a good place to find grebes, diving ducks, and gulls, especially in fall, and shorebirds such as Long-billed Curlew occasionally show up. A pair of Ospreys nest on a platform near the reservoir, and Yellow-headed Blackbirds breed just across the road. In winter, a large Prairie-dog town just to the west regularly attracts Ferruginous Hawk.
Golden Ponds Park
Surrounded by a magnificent view of Longs Peak and the Front Range, the reclaimed gravel pits here should be checked for ducks in the colder months, as a Tufted Duck famously stopped by for a few days one winter. Wood Ducks, Bald Eagles, and Ospreys are regularly seen, as well as all six of Colorado’s swallow species swarming over the water in late April and May. In spring and fall, check for migrants in the woods along the Saint Vrain Greenway bike path, which begins here and runs all the way to Sandstone Ranch east of town.
McIntosh Lake
From the city park on the south shore, scan McIntosh in the colder months for waterbirds of any stripe. Shorebirding can be good if the water levels are right. Bonaparte’s Gulls often hang out here in November and a number of rarities have been found here, from Brown Pelican to Great Black-backed Gull. You never know what you might find!
Pella Crossing Park
The Pella Crossing and Marlatt Open Space properties are located west of Longmont near the St. Vrain Creek. Both properties provide significant habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife and offer recreational opportunities, primarily in the form of fishing and trail use. The fields to the east have attracted Dickcissel and Grasshopper Sparrow in some summers. Following the trails west to the trees is a good way to find spring migrants. A colony of Great Blue Herons nests in the trees just across the river to the west.
Ish Reservoir
This private lake can be well-scanned from a quiet county road. It is one of the better places in the area to look for shorebirds, especially in late summer and early fall, when Blue Grosbeaks are often still singing along the road. Please be sure to respect private property.
Ron Stewart Preserve at Rabbit Mountain Open Space
Rabbit Mountain is a low hill covered with dry scrubby vegetation that looks more typical of Southwest Colorado than the Front Range. This unique habitat makes it one of the best places in the area to find species of dry, open country such as Bushtit, Common Poorwill, and, if you are lucky, Pinyon Jay. Be on the lookout for Say’s Phoebe and Rock Wren breeding near the parking lot. This is also a great place to see Elk, as well as find lizards and snakes in summer, including rattlesnakes, so be alert when hiking.
Lyons Area
LaVern M. Johnson Park (formerly Meadow Park) in the town of Lyons has nesting White-throated Swifts, Violet-green Swallows, and Canyon Wrens. A pair of Golden Eagles also nests in the cliffs above the park. Just outside town, Apple Valley Road and South Saint Vrain Road run through rural residential areas where the dry hillside brush meets the lush riparian habitat of the river bottoms. Running entirely through private property, these two roads are best birded on foot; be very careful of traffic. Your reward could be dry-country species like Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay and Bushtit, or riparian birds like Lewis’s Woodpecker (uncommon) and Black-headed Grosbeak. Migrants come through in spring and fall; Pygmy-owls are sometimes seen in winter. Note: there is a parking fee for LaVern M. Johnson Park.
Hall Ranch Open Space
The trails in this large park near Lyons rise rather steeply onto a forested ridge. On the way up, they run past dry shrubs full of Spotted Towhees, beneath bluffs where Canyon Wrens live. Townsend’s Solitaire and Steller’s Jay are often easy to find and Lazuli Bunting has been spotted here. Watch for rattlesnakes on the trails, and Golden Eagles soaring overhead. Please be aware dogs are not allowed at this property.
Heil Valley Ranch
Several trails on this 5,000 acre property wind through ponderosa pine forests and foothill meadows. The trails are very popular with hikers and mountain bikers, but with luck, especially first thing in the morning, you could run into Wild Turkeys or Dusky Grouse. Easier to find species include Western Tanager, Pygmy Nuthatch, and Black-headed Grosbeak, not to mention several species of squirrels. Please be aware dogs are not allowed at this property.