City of Aspen Parks and Open Space: Birding at the Marolt Open Space 06/11/25

---

Tuesday, June 11, 2025, 6:30am-9:30am
Weather: Sunny
Location: Rock Bottom Ranch, Basalt, CO

The Marolt Open Space is an excellent property for showcasing local bird habitats and the importance of protected open space lands. We observed the value of standing dead trees and even dead branches or portions of the canopy: many of the birds we saw were perched in places like this, where flight paths and views are unobstructed. We found lots of bird activity in the lush cottonwood and aspen forest in the creek bottom at the base of the historic lixiviation mill, and had to work hard for views of the birds among the thick foliage. Our patience paid off when we finally found excellent views of a MacGillivray’s warbler, yellow warbler, and Swainson’s thrush. Other highlights included seeing the brilliant red and yellow markings on cedar waxwings, the crimson red flash of a male broad-tailed hummingbird’s gorget, and the brilliant cerulean blue plumage of a mountain bluebird. Join us for Morning Birding on Tuesday next week at Hallam Lake!

Species List: