ACES Birding By Habitat: Woody Creek & Lenado 7/26/23

The Woody Creek trailhead for the Rio Grande Trail was our first birding site on this field trip, and we began with a great horned owl roosting in the riparian cottonwood forest. We focused on the swallows foraging in the airspace above the trail, and observed Nuthatches, Warblers, and Chickadees in the foliage. A Kestrel flew over us carrying prey and later perched in view. Our second site in Lenado was busy with Western Flycatchers, House Wrens, and Song Sparrows. A Red-tailed Hawk and Cooper’s Hawk flew over the ridge, and we enjoyed excellent views of Western Tanagers in the Douglas Fir forest across the creek. Join us next week for Morning Birding at Rock Bottom Ranch!