ACES Morning Birding at Rock Bottom Ranch 08/18/26
Lillian Bell
August 20, 2026
August 18, 2026, 7:30am-10:30am
Weather: Dry and sunny
Location: ACES at Rock Bottom Ranch, Basalt, CO
The morning began with clear, sunny skies so the warm temperatures came quickly. Rock Bottom Ranch remains green and fairly lush even in our dry summer season. Willows and tall cattails provide good coverage for the fledging bird species. It delighted us to see many families from chipping sparrows to black-capped chickadees. Northern yellow warblers can be found in every part of the ranch. The highlight of the morning was a flock of evening grosbeaks in the weeping willow tree by the center which provided good looks at the adult and immature plumages.
Species List:
Mallard
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Osprey
Red-tailed Hawk
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
Steller’s Jay
Black-billed Magpie
Clark’s Nutcracker
American Crow
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
White-breasted Nuthatch
Northern House Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Evening Grosbeak
House Finch
Pine Siskin
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Northern Yellow Warbler
~Liz Bokram, ACES Birding Guide
Featured Photo: Clark’s Nutcracker
Photo credit: Eric Gustafson via Macaulay Library
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