ACES Morning Birding at Rock Bottom Ranch 09/15/26

September 1, 2026, 7:30am-10:30am

Weather: Partly Sunny

Location: ACES at Rock Bottom Ranch, Basalt, CO

After a short bout of rain, the sky cleared and the birds were very active. We began the walk with a MacGillivray’s warbler in a tangle of shrubs. It was interacting with a second warbler which was not seen well enough to identify. We went on to find many flocks of mixed sparrows, finches and blackbirds feeding on open ground and on seedheads. One fun surprise was finding a single yellow-headed blackbird feeding on the ground with a large flock of red-winged blackbirds. Various questions brought about rich discussions of molting strategies, flocking birds versus solitary birds, pointers for sparrow ID, and more. Fall migration continues to be rich in birds and learning opportunities as we strive to understand birds’ patterns and life histories. Join us next week for a birding exploration of Ranch at Roaring Fork!

Species List:

~Rebecca Weiss, ACES Birding Guide

Featured Photo: MacGillivray’s warbler

Photo Credit: John Gordon