ACES Morning Birding at Rock Bottom Ranch 8/6/2024
Phebe Meyers
August 19, 2024
Tuesday, August 6, 2024, 7:30-10:30am
Weather: Sunny
Location: Rock Bottom Ranch, Basalt, CO
The morning started by catching good glimpses of Wilson warblers foraging the foliage of the shrubby hillside along the Rio Grande Trail. We also saw and heard catbirds, western flycatchers, broad-tailed hummingbirds, and song sparrows here. As we were about to change locations, two juvenile Virginia rail scuttled out of the wetland grasses and allowed us to get great views of their plumage and behavior. This was the highlight of our day! We saw many other young birds, including fledgling song sparrows, red-winged blackbirds, Lewis’s woodpeckers, and red-naped sapsuckers. American goldfinch foraged on the thistle seeds, providing a beautiful contrast with their yellow plumage and the purple flowers. Overall, it was a great day at the Ranch! Join us on July 9th for a special humming bird study!
Species List:
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Virginia Rail
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-naped Sapsucker
Lewis’s Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Western Flycatcher
Black-capped Chickadee
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Gray Catbird
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Yellow Warbler
~ Phebe Meyers, ACES Community Programs Director
Featured photo: Virgina Rail by Jeff Stoerner
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