Peter James Fullagar: Colorado and New Jersey 2009

A panorama of the Gunnison Sage-Grouse Lek at Siskadee. There are about 9 males that should be visible in this landscape, however, they are all across the far side of the foreground flats!

Back in the USA!

I fly out of Canberra on Thursday 30th April - Helen takes me to the airport and the flight connexions with United Airlines are all smooth with a 40 minute gain on the Sydney to San Fransisco leg but a hour lost on the next leg to Denver. All the same, I am greeted by James and Tracey meeting me at the airport and I am back in Boulder by early evening.

The first two days are overcast with drizzle some of the time. It is cold and uninspiring.

Our first planned outing is for Tracey and me to head down to Gunnison for the weekend of 2nd-3rd May to see if we can catch up with viewing Gunnison Sage-Grouse at a nearby lek. David is left with James who is unlikely to want to sit in a car for 5 hours there and again back, let alone go out out long before dawn in the freezing cold and sit in a car for several more hours! The rules are that you must arrive at the Sisk-a-dee site one hour before dawn and never leave the car until all grouse have departed. Best not to have a hot coffee before departure!

Some Rock Mountains Bighorn Sheep Ovis canadensis right alongside the road on the way to Gunnison!

We stay at the Water Wheel Inn on the west side of Gunnison alongside US highway 50 and dine at the associated restaurant The Trough on Saturday evening. Both are very satisfactory and the Water Wheel Inn gives a discount for birdwatcher - would you believe! A huge (10 oz) sirloin steak and some pork ribs served in fascinating surroundings fill us up! We both have unsettled nights and wonder what exactly it was that might have bothered us both. Tracey blames the gin in the gin and tonic we both had before the meal but I am uncertain that was the cause although it was a common denominator!

We are up at 0415 and out to the site which is on highway 50 to the east of Gunnison about 16 miles. the special viewing platform is at a turnoff north (left hand side) on country road 887 to Waunita hot Springs. This is about 0.5 mile short of Doylesville. The viewing platform (parking area) is only half a mile off the highway. There is a small trailer parked for groups to use but it is said to be much colder than staying in your car! There is a portaloo for use AFTERWARDS!

Part of a poster at the viewing platform

We settle in for the wait for dawn. A volunteer guide is parked ahead of us and another car draws up with two locals who, we later find out, thought it was about time they came out to see these Sage-Grouse!

The main area of the Gunnison Sage-Grouse lek at Siskadee. There should be about 9 males visible displaying in this view but you would be hard pressed to find them! The fenceline at the back has a wooden style-like construction and at least three males are to the left and about 10 metres in front of it.

It is all quiet except for the drumming and bleating of Wilson's Snipe displaying over the marshy areas alongside us to the east. Scanning in the very first glimmer of light I can eventually make out the shapes of some Sage-Grouse. It is cold and very overcast but not raining and perfectly still. At about 0550 the first Sage-Grouse are now obvious to us and we watch as they strut about, puff themselves up and spread their spiky tails in display. We really cannot hear them despite the calm conditions because they are so far off! It is good with the Swarovski 10x42 bins but the Zeiss telescope comes into its own for better viewing though a little awkward balanced on the car window without a proper car bracket (I left mine at home because it is bulky and weighty). I take some pictures at ISO 1600 and they work out OK except no way can you honestly say you can see any grouse on any of them! In all we think we accounted for 19 males and 3, perhaps 4 females. One by one and sometimes in small groups they depart with strong straight flap and glide flights. They are huge and lumbering in flight and have extraordinarily long pointed tails. All fly OUR way! They pass just to the north of us across the road. So much for them worrying about the viewers! Dawn is at 0606 and all have gone by 0630. We get out of the cars and stretch and compare notes and then Tracey and I return to the Water Wheel Inn for a light breakfast.

Looking across the marsh to south east from the viewing platform. Wilson's Snipe here but no Sage-Grouse lek

Portaloo, trailer and our cars parked at the viewing platform

We head back to Boulder on route 50 crossing Monarch pass at 11,312' to Poncha Springs then turn north to Buena Vista. On the next leg along route 285 to Dinosaur Ridge at Morrison we see some good large mammals - plenty of Elk (Red Deer); Mule Deer and Pronghorns, some right up against the roadside. Surprisingly, we also spot a few Yak with some cattle! We had seen some Bighorn Sheep on the way to Gunnison. While having our morning coffee in Buena Vista we had been told by the cafe assistant that occasionally a Bison or two can now be seen sometimes along this route. No luck for us today but the Yak was some compensation I suppose. We are back at Cherryvale Road by 2:30 PM.

A herd of wild Elk Cervus (elephas) canadensis

A Pronghorn antelope Antilocapra americana. Both sexes have horns!

More pictures can be found at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kelsham/sets/72157617623560581/

On Monday 4th May I take a leisurely walk in the morning around some of the wetlands at Walden Swamp. The water levels are very low despite it now being springtime. There was a distinct passage of Yellow-rumped Warblers in progress and I did find at least one Yellow Warbler and a Yellowthroat. Red-winged Blackbirds were beginning to hold territories and display to each other. I saw one Eastern Kingbird and a delightful group of Buffleheads with many displaying. The head pattern on the male becomes almost pure white when it is puffed up to the extent that the white cheeks almost obscures the dark crown. Beautiful little ducks! A good morning of birding and a reasonable selection of photographs resulting!

More pictures can be found at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kelsham/sets/72157617624712467/