Day 1: Denver to Walden via Loveland Pass

Arrivals this morning into Denver international airport.  From here, we will drive west to spend most of the day birding the high altitudes around Loveland Pass (3655m) in search of White-tailed Ptarmigan and a selection of mountain finches, including Cassin’s Finch, Pine and Evening Grosbeaks, Red Crossbill and the chance of all three species of North American rosy-finch - Grey-crowned, Black, and Brown-capped - at feeder stations.  Later, we'll drive north to Walden for the night, with time for some late afternoon birding around our hotel and the possibility of Boreal Owl and Northern Pygmy-owl after dark.

Days 2: Greater Sage-grouse lek and North Park, Rabbit Ears Pass to Craig

The first of many early starts will take us to an active Greater Sage-grouse lek at first light.  Later, we’ll explore North Park, where high-altitude grasslands and sage-brush hold Long-billed Curlew, Black-billed Magpie, Sage Thrasher, Brewer’s Sparrow and Townsend’s Solitaire. We will also stop to scan the Walden reservoir where we can expect an introductory selection of waterbirds, including Bufflehead, Canvasback, Redhead and Cinnamon Teal, with the possibility of a late Barrow’s Goldeneye. Leaving Walden, we'll stop briefly atop Rabbit Ears Pass looking for Williamson’s Sapsucker, and will no doubt encounter a good selection of species such as Sandhill Crane, Vesper and Fox Sparrows, and Violet-green Swallow as we drive on through the Yampa River Valley making our way to Craig for the night.

Day 3:  Sharp-tailed Grouse lek, birding Grand Junction en-route to Montrose

Another pre-dawn start will take us to a special viewing area to see the energetic and vocal displays of lekking Sharp-tailed Grouse.  By late morning we will begin the long drive south to Montrose for the night, birding along the journey in the Grand Junction area and in the Dominguez-Escalante Conservation Area. Scenic desert canyons, sage-brush and juniper habitats here host Prairie Falcon, Cooper’s Hawk, Rock and Canyon Wrens, Grey Flycatcher, Virginia’s Warbler, Sagebrush Sparrow, Lewis’s Woodpecker and Gambel’s Quail, as well as small numbers of the elusive resident breeder but non-native Chukar. 

Day 4: Black Canyon, Gunnison National Park to Gunnison

We will spend the early morning amidst the spectacular canyon scenery of the impressive Black Canyon of Gunnison National Park.  Here, we’ll be looking for individual displaying Dusky Grouse and Wild Turkey, as well as Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay, Green-tailed and Spotted Towhees, Hermit Thrush, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Juniper Titmouse and Pygmy Nuthatch.  Drive on to Gunnison for the night.

Day 5: Gunnison Sage-grouse lek, Monarch Pass, the Arkansas River Valley and Pueblo to Bent’s Fort

Another pre-dawn start, this time to view the range-restricted and endangered Gunnison Sage-grouse at an active lek.  Once the birds depart the area we’ll be free to continue our journey east towards Bent’s Fort for the night.  Along the journey we will cross Monarch Pass (3448m), one of the most scenic mountain passes in Colorado. As we stop to admire the panoramic view over the southern end of the Sawatch range, we'll look for American Three-toed Woodpecker and Clark’s Nutcracker, as well as Bighorn Sheep.  Descending through the foothills we’ll drive along the scenic cliffs and junipers of the Arkansas River Valley, home to Pinyon Jay, Bushtit, and American Dipper at Royal Gorge.  Finally, we’ll reach the plains around Pueblo, where we will encounter a new selection of desert species in the arid landscape, some at the northernmost extent of their range. New birds here may include Scaled Quail, Canyon Towhee, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Curve-billed Thrasher and Greater Roadrunner.

Day 6: SE Colorado to W Kansas

The south eastern corner of Colorado hosts various productive habitats that we will explore on our drive eastwards into neighbouring Kansas today.  We will start the morning looking for marsh species including Black and Virginia Rails and Marsh Wren along the shores of John Martin reservoir, following up with the potential to add shorebirds, migrant songbirds and nesting grassland species throughout the day.  Following part of the historic 19th century trade route the Santa Fe Trail, we will head east to Scott City for the night.

Day 7: Prairie-chickens and the high plains of NE Colorado

We will start the morning pre-dawn at a private ranch, visiting our final lek to enjoy both Greater and Lesser Prairie-chickens displaying.  After breakfast, we will head back west into the short grass prairie of Colorado, with time to add some unequivocal grassland species such as Mountain Plover, McCown’s and Chestnut-collared Longspurs, various sparrows including Grasshopper, Field, Harris’s and Brewer’s, Loggerhead Shrike, Swainson’s and Ferruginous Hawks and Burrowing Owl.  Drive north to Fort Collins for the night.

Day 8: Pawnee National Grasslands & depart Denver

Today will be flexible, allowing us the chance to return to Loveland Pass for White-tailed Ptarmigan. We are more likely however to spend the day in the Great Plains at Pawnee National Grasslands, looking for grassland species we may so far have missed.  These may include Lark Bunting, Chipping and Savannah Sparrows as well as smaller numbers of Lark, Clay-coloured and Cassin’s Sparrows, Palm and Yellow-rumped Warblers and Eastern Phoebe.  We will leave Pawnee National Grasslands by mid-morning to drive back to Denver.  Departures from Denver international airport this evening.

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