April 14
We got up at 3:45 am to get to the Waunita Hot Springs Gunison Sage Grouse Lek. Again there was a trailer set up with a side opened up like a chip wagon. We got settled on benches with our scopes. It was a cool morning, just above freezing. The beautiful night sky was above us and it was stunning. We waited for the dawn light as this is when the male Grouse come out to do his posturing to attract the females. The Grouse swell up their white throat bags like balloons and their still tail feathers come up so they look big and strut around. Sometimes they even fight other males to attract the females. Before dawn came we heard the coyotes' howling and the Great Horned Owl calls. Then the dawn chorus of bird calls were heard. Finally some light and we could see some males starting to strut around about a kilometer away on a ridge. It was hard to locate them at that distance, then as it got lighter, it was easier to see them. We saw one of the coyotes try to chase the Grouse, it just flew up out of reach of the coyote. We watched this mating ritual until the full sun came up and into our eyes. We had a great experience.
From here we went back to the motel to check out and hit Highway 50 for Black Canyon of the Gunisons. This was three mountain passes away and we traveled up and down around switchback curves and long straightaways. If one is driving a transport truck down one of these hills and one's brakes fail, there are special runaway truck lanes for the truck to slow down to a dead end rather abruptly. We had a drive of about 1 hour and 15 minutes and we stopped several times to view ducks at the huge reservoirs that followed the highway. The Skevingtons are sharp birders and have good eyes so one of them always finds something new. Their friend Neil also has a great eye and the patience to keep looking for birds and as a result he is often successful.
We traveled up to over 8 thousand feet where we birded the areas of sagebrush for the Dusky Grouse, another species that also has mating rituals. Alexander, Jeff's 11 year old son found us a Dusky Grouse!!! We saw a very pretty female up close. We saw Mule Deer, Elk, Squirrels and Chipmunks here. Some of us got another lifer, the Green-tailed Towhee which is a stunning bird. We had a short sprinkle of rain here and there as on top of the mountain, weather is unsettled. It may be warm at times, then a cool wind would whip around. We drove around and did some trails which were spectacular with a view for miles. There were stiff winds up there also. They say there is a snow storm coming but we hope to be in Grand Junction by the time it hits later this week. We looked long and hard for a Dusky Grouse male, for most of the afternoon, but were not successful. We also saw a Peregrine Falcon in its natural canyon habitat flying very quickly.
We did a fair bit of walking in the park today and we saw some really nice birds. Some of us also got some really nice photos but there is no time in the evenings to do anything except wash and get ready for the next day.
One the drive back there were dark clouds always over on the next side of the pass but by the time we crossed into the pass, the ominous clouds had moved off, so we were lucky. It was really windy, one could feel the wind move the car.
Everyone is doing great and we are having fun and adventures. Even in checking into a hotel is an adventure sometimes! Tomorrow we are moving on again westward, so more mountains.
We managed to get laundry done today, so that was one big task done. Who has time for laundry on birding days but it is hard to believe that we have been here a week already. It was pizza for supper for Connie and me and Jane had a chicken take-out from Safeway.
Some birds today Dusky Sage Grouse, Green-tailed Towhee, Lark Sparrow along with a mountain view and a Mule Deer
We got up at 3:45 am to get to the Waunita Hot Springs Gunison Sage Grouse Lek. Again there was a trailer set up with a side opened up like a chip wagon. We got settled on benches with our scopes. It was a cool morning, just above freezing. The beautiful night sky was above us and it was stunning. We waited for the dawn light as this is when the male Grouse come out to do his posturing to attract the females. The Grouse swell up their white throat bags like balloons and their still tail feathers come up so they look big and strut around. Sometimes they even fight other males to attract the females. Before dawn came we heard the coyotes' howling and the Great Horned Owl calls. Then the dawn chorus of bird calls were heard. Finally some light and we could see some males starting to strut around about a kilometer away on a ridge. It was hard to locate them at that distance, then as it got lighter, it was easier to see them. We saw one of the coyotes try to chase the Grouse, it just flew up out of reach of the coyote. We watched this mating ritual until the full sun came up and into our eyes. We had a great experience.
From here we went back to the motel to check out and hit Highway 50 for Black Canyon of the Gunisons. This was three mountain passes away and we traveled up and down around switchback curves and long straightaways. If one is driving a transport truck down one of these hills and one's brakes fail, there are special runaway truck lanes for the truck to slow down to a dead end rather abruptly. We had a drive of about 1 hour and 15 minutes and we stopped several times to view ducks at the huge reservoirs that followed the highway. The Skevingtons are sharp birders and have good eyes so one of them always finds something new. Their friend Neil also has a great eye and the patience to keep looking for birds and as a result he is often successful.
We traveled up to over 8 thousand feet where we birded the areas of sagebrush for the Dusky Grouse, another species that also has mating rituals. Alexander, Jeff's 11 year old son found us a Dusky Grouse!!! We saw a very pretty female up close. We saw Mule Deer, Elk, Squirrels and Chipmunks here. Some of us got another lifer, the Green-tailed Towhee which is a stunning bird. We had a short sprinkle of rain here and there as on top of the mountain, weather is unsettled. It may be warm at times, then a cool wind would whip around. We drove around and did some trails which were spectacular with a view for miles. There were stiff winds up there also. They say there is a snow storm coming but we hope to be in Grand Junction by the time it hits later this week. We looked long and hard for a Dusky Grouse male, for most of the afternoon, but were not successful. We also saw a Peregrine Falcon in its natural canyon habitat flying very quickly.
We did a fair bit of walking in the park today and we saw some really nice birds. Some of us also got some really nice photos but there is no time in the evenings to do anything except wash and get ready for the next day.
One the drive back there were dark clouds always over on the next side of the pass but by the time we crossed into the pass, the ominous clouds had moved off, so we were lucky. It was really windy, one could feel the wind move the car.
Everyone is doing great and we are having fun and adventures. Even in checking into a hotel is an adventure sometimes! Tomorrow we are moving on again westward, so more mountains.
We managed to get laundry done today, so that was one big task done. Who has time for laundry on birding days but it is hard to believe that we have been here a week already. It was pizza for supper for Connie and me and Jane had a chicken take-out from Safeway.
Some birds today Dusky Sage Grouse, Green-tailed Towhee, Lark Sparrow along with a mountain view and a Mule Deer
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