Birding By Habitat: Snowmass Village, 7/7/22

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Thursday, July 7, 2022, 7am-12pm
Weather: Mostly sunny
Location: Snowmass Village, Snowmass, CO

Nesting season is in full swing throughout the varied lifezones and habitats of the Snowmass Village area. We began in the lower montane lifezone at the Rodeo Pond and Wetlands area, where we had excellent views of three swallow species, three blackbird species, two duck species, and more. The comparisons of closely related birds made for especially rich learning. We also enjoyed seeing yellow warblers, cedar waxwings, song sparrows, and spotted sandpipers with young chicks. We then went up to the Ditch Trail where the elevation is at the transition between montane and subalpine life zones. Here, we heard many more birds than we saw, due in part to the forest setting and the fact that nesting birds are more subtle in their activities and can be more elusive visually while they incubate and brood. We had the treat of observing juncos, swallows, mountain chickadees, and a red-breasted nuthatch when we happened upon pockets of bird activity. In between, we caught a glimpse of a singing western tanager, a white-crowned sparrow carrying nesting material, and a Lincoln’s Sparrow. We heard the tantalizing songs of MacGillivray’s and yellow-rumped warblers, but these birds remained out of view. From low to high elevations, this trip was a good sampler of the avian life in the Snowmass Village area. View all upcoming birding outings!

Species List: 

Mallard
Gadwall
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Spotted Sandpiper
Cordilleran Flycatcher
Warbling Vireo
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
AMerican Robin
Swainson’s Thrush
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Pine Siskin
Song Sparrow
Lincoln’s Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Brewer’s Blackbird
MacGillivray’s Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped WArbler
Western Tanager

~ Rebecca Weiss, ACES Bird Guide

Featured photo: Red-winged Blackbird