ACES Birding at Airport Open Space 05/28/25

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Wednesday, May 28, 2025, 6:45am-11:30am
Weather: Mostly sunny
Location: Pitkin County Airport, Aspen, Colorado

This special open space property is closed to the public, but with the cooperation and support of Pitkin County Airport (Operations, wildlife officer) and Pitkin County Open Space and Trails, ACES offers this field trip every year during mid-May when prime birding and the annual closure of the airport overlap. This birding hike takes us through the historic Stapleton ranch, homesteaded in 1881, and up the lower portion of the Radar Road through the restricted area where birds and their habitat are largely undisturbed. It is fascinating to observe birdlife in high quality, extensive, native habitats where human activity is very minimal. We began with a pair of red-tailed hawks and a house finch, and went on to see chickadees, wrens, blackbirds, hummingbirds, and yellow warblers in the lower ranch area. Hiking up the Radar Road, we had several high-quality observations of birds: black-headed grosbeak, blue-gray gnatcatcher, and spotted towhee. All were singing from shrub-top perches and we were able to study all of their field marks and discuss their life histories. These are the moments we love as birders, and it takes putting in some time in the field for experiences like this to happen to us. In addition to the birdlife of this area, we also discussed elk migration, the Owl Creek watershed and historic wetlands where the airport is today, Mancos shale geology, and the super deep root systems of the shrubs that vegetate these hot, dry hills. Join us next Wednesday for birding at Ute Cemetery Open Space!

Species List:

~ Rebecca Weiss, ACES Bird Guide