ACES Evening Birding at Rock Bottom Ranch 07/28/25

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Tuesday, July 28, 2025, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Weather: Mostly sunny, hot
Location: Rock Bottom Ranch, Basalt, CO

Evening is a wonderful time of day to get out birding, and Rock Bottom Ranch offers a peaceful, relaxing experience. We began with a large flock of wild turkeys that marched across a meadow of tall pasture grass and proceeded to cross the road and head up a wildlife trail through the shrub-covered hillside to other agricultural lands. We enjoyed their rich, bronze iridescent highlights and heads held high like periscopes in the tall grass. Going further into the ranch, we saw Say’s phoebes foraging in the short grass areas between vegetable fields and flickers on distant snags. At the far pond, a marsh wren flitted in the cattails and red-winged blackbirds called from the surroundings. Swallows foraged very high in the sky, visible only by scanning with binoculars. Turkey vultures, an osprey, and a red-tailed hawk flew over at different times during the session. We wrapped up with views of the turkeys as they flew up to roost in a large weeping willow – hopping to higher branches and using their tails and wings to maintain balance. It was a lovely evening watching the day wind down and birds’ activities change as dusk arrived. Join us next Tuesday for Morning Birding at Rock Bottom Ranch!

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