ACES Birding and Conversation Field Trip Series: Ecology of Wildfire and Birds in the Burn Area on Basalt Mountain 06/20/25

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Friday, June 20, 2025, 6:15am-12:00pm
Weather: Sunny & warm
Location: Basalt, CO

This was the second field trip in ACES’ new Birding and Conversation series this summer, with special guest Adam McCurdy, ACES’ Forest and Climate Director. Our focus was exploring the ecology of post burn landscapes and the bird species that benefit from this unique habitat type. As we walked the trail loop, we paused to observe birds and learn about the important role fire plays in healthy ecosystems. We also acknowledged the tragic cause and impacts of the 2018 Lake Christine Fire on the communities affected.  From an ecological standpoint, we discussed historic fire regimes, current fire regimes influenced by climate change, and the ecology of these disturbances considering extent, severity, and intensity. We discussed the effects of wildfire smoke on birds, the most efficient animals in terms of respiration across all vertebrates in the animal kingdom. As we walked and talked, we observed abundant and diverse birds, 34 species in total for the day. We saw birds using this habitat because it was burned and now provides a unique set of resources and conditions these birds are adapted to benefit from: olive-sided flycatcher, Townsend’s solitaire, western wood-pewee, northern flicker, and western tanager to name just a few. Further along the trail, we observed the mosaic of burn severities across the northwestern flank of Basalt Mountain, noting sun-loving trees, shrubs, and forbes growing in a lush understory beneath burned snags. The snage were favorite perches used by flycatchers, tanagers, woodpeckers, and many other birds. Special bird highlights included finding a broad-tailed hummingbird nest, a western tanager nest, a pair of western wood-pewees building their nest, great views of MacGillivray’s warbler, brown creeper, red-naped sapsucker, and black-headed grosbeak. Wood-pewees chased nuthatches, yellow warblers chased each other, and flickers called and interacted with each other in standing dead trees. It was a day of rich experience, combining discussions of the post-burn landscape with on-the-ground observations, all through the lens of birds and their habitats. Join us for the next field trip in this series with Jody Cardamone at Toklat on July 16th to bird at the Riverdance property and discuss mindful birding and the legacy of Stuart Mace.

Species List: