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Of all the great images that have been shared, this one from participant Donna Pomeroy comes closest to capturing the grandeur of Greater Sage-Grouse displaying.

Our adventure together this spring was memorable in so many ways: tremendous wind, stunning landscapes, abundant large mammals, long days in the van...oh yeah, some awesome birds too! Thanks so much for choosing Field Guides for your Colorado Grouse expedition. Doug and I really enjoyed birding with all of you.

We spend the first few days of the tour out on the eastern plains battling the wind, filling out the checklist and working our way to Kansas to be in position for our first grouse: Lesser Prairie-Chicken. Along the way we picked up noteworthy species like: our only Ross's Goose, Scaled Quail, Clark's Grebe, American White Pelican, Golden Eagle, Black-necked Stilt, Long-billed Curlew, Canyon Towhee, and Yellow-headed Blackbird. All those miles were worth it as we watched an ancient ritual unfold with skirmishing male Lesser Prairie-Chickens doing their best to impress the females. We followed that up with an unforgettably intimate experience at a Greater Prairie-Chicken lek the next morning. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the interesting conversation we had with our host, Bob Bledsoe, the night before. From Wray, we tacked on an obliging Prairie Falcon, some Burrowing Owls, and a mix of Chestnut-collared and McCown's longspurs before turning our attention to the mountains.

Our first attempt at finding White-tailed Ptarmigan at Loveland Pass was foiled by gale-force winds so we moved onto other targets. Our time in Buena Vista produced Clark's Nutcracker, Pinyon Jays and a seemingly frozen Lewis's Woodpecker. The weather was most inhospitable up at Monarch Pass but we managed to come away with American Three-toed Woodpecker and then it was off to the western slope.

The imperiled Gunnison Sage-Grouse was an important species on our itinerary and we saw it well, thankfully. Additions that same day included: Peregrine Falcon, Wilson's Snipe, American Dipper, Evening Grosbeak, and a clean sweep of all four possible taxa of rosy-finches. I often say that Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is arguably the most unheralded gem of the NPS, and after our visit you can all testify as to why. The up-close-and-personal experiences with Dusky Grouse were amazing and the views of the canyon were awe-inspiring. Later that day we stopped at a few reservoirs and padded our list with some pleasing additions: Long-billed Dowitcher, American Avocet, a surprisingly long view of a Sora, lots of Sandhill Cranes and a Bald Eagle pair at their nest. Our arrival in Fruita was side-tracked briefly by a wildfire, which eventually was suppressed.

A jaunt out toward Utah put us in some prime sagebrush habitat. We quickly picked up a Sagebrush Sparrow, a Sage Thrasher, a Brewer's Sparrow and an unlikely Great Egret in flight. We retreated back to Fruita and explored the northwest section of Colorado National Monument for its sublime landscapes, plus Black-throated Sparrow, Juniper Titmouse, more Pinyon Jays, and a singing Bewick's Wren.

The final chapter of our adventure was spent in the north-central part of Colorado. We had a bit of a wild grouse chase trying to find displaying Sharp-tailed Grouse before landing in Walden. Getting to Walden was punctuated by a roadside American Badger and loads of Rough-legged Hawks and Swainson's Hawks. The reservoir just west of downtown Walden is a waterfowl smorgasbord. We finally connected well with Canvasback, Redhead and Common Goldeneye. Marbled Godwit, lingering Snow Geese and roosting Black-crowned Night-Herons were welcomed additions. Let's not forget mama Moose and her yearling lounging in front of the courthouse. Our evening adventure exceeded all of our expectations with multiple Boreal Owls heard well under a starry sky.

The grand finale of the tour was the incredible show at the Greater Sage-Grouse lek. Those beasts really know how to display. Just when we thought things couldn't get any better, an American Marten crossed our path with a vole in its mouth. Thankfully, it paused long enough for us all to get a view. On our way back to Denver, we scored great looks at Barrow's Goldeneye at Windy Gap Reservoir, Pine Grosbeak and Red Crossbill in Wildernest, and a White-tailed Ptarmigan on our second and final attempt up at Loveland Pass, to the relief of participants and guides alike.

I hope our birding paths cross again someday, sooner rather than later. Take care and have a great summer.

Cheers,

Eric, a.k.a. Eagle

KEYS FOR THIS LIST
One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual species as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b = boreal migrant

There are cooperative birds and then there are Dusky Grouse during the breeding season. When the hormones are raging, these guys could simply care less who is watching. What a magical morning we enjoyed with this marvelously cryptic species. Photo by guide Eric Hynes.

A true symbol of wild places, this American Marten provided one of the most thrilling moments of the tour. Photo by participant Lewis Purinton.

We saw many raptors along the way but none more majestic than Golden Eagle. Photo by guide Eric Hynes.

Pronghorn is the fastest land animal in North America but this herd doesn't seem to be in too big of a hurry. Photo by guide Doug Gochfeld.

At some locations during the tour, it wasn't difficult to imagine summer around the corner. In other parts of Colorado, like State Forest State Park, winter still held a firm grip. Photo by guide Doug Gochfeld.

Pinyon Jays had us surrounded at one point in Buena Vista, which is a very good thing. Photo by guide Doug Gochfeld.

This adorable Bighorn Sheep lamb was a highlight during our visit to Colorado National Monument. Photo by participant Donna Pomeroy.

We observed a number of sparrow species but none more cooperative or striking than this Black-throated Sparrow. Photo by guide Eric Hynes.

This gorgeous Swainson's Hawk cruised right over our vans. We saw many Swainson's Hawks by the time the tour was completed. Photo by guide Doug Gochfeld.

This stunning Wilson's Snipe seemed more interested in its next meal than our presence. Photo by guide Eric Hynes.

The overcast sky did little to diminish the sublime landscapes of Colorado National Monument. Photo by guide Doug Gochfeld.

Participant Donna Pomeroy shared this fine image of a male Evening Grosbeak. This species was high on the wish list for quite a few people.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Totals for the tour: 169 bird taxa and 26 mammal taxa