ACES Birding By Habitat: Basalt Mountain 6/19/2024

Wednesday, June 19, 2024, 7:00-12pm
Weather: Partly cloudy
Location: Basalt Mountain, Basalt, CO

Ongoing successional change in the burn area on Basalt Mountain is fascinating to watch every year through the lens of birding. This year, the following species seemed especially abundant compared to past outings: MacGillivray’s warbler, western wood-pewee, and western tanager. We missed many of the woodpeckers, only seeing northern flickers this time. Our route began on the Ditch Trail, circling back along the creek and the gravel road to return to the Basalt Mountain trailhead parking. This route takes us through a mosaic of varied habitats and a variety of burn intensities, providing interesting ecological comparisons and especially rich birdlife to observe. Thin cloud cover kept the day relatively cool, and bird activity was excellent. Highlights included finding a warbling vireo nest with the bird in the nest singing, watching two male MacGillivray’s warblers foraging and interacting near the creek, a female hummingbird that hovered over our group, and great looks at several western tanagers. Swifts mixed with swallows overhead and flycatchers dominated the most severely burned areas. We learned about the post-burn landscape and the value of this special habitat type for birds and many other forms of wildlife. It was exciting to see the new aspen stands getting taller and the understory so filled in with lush grasses and forbes. Thirty-eight species were detected on this outing (visually and/or by ear). Join us next Tuesday for Morning Birding at Rock Bottom Ranch!

Species List:

~ Rebecca Weiss, ACES Bird Guide

Featured photo: Western tanager