This trip is a combination of three prior trips: the Big Flycatcher trip of 2006 that ended at Denver; the Salt Lake City trip of July 2007; the MN-ND-WY trip whose western apex was the Grand Tetons. Designed mainly as western montane trip featuring my second trip to the Grand Tetons as its centerpiece. I also visit Yellowstone NP but the presence of a swarm of people in that location makes me more ambivalent about it than I might otherwise be. Although I could have done an SLC-WY-and-done trip my recent penchant for multi-leg trips led me to break the return in Denver where I did some more montane birding around Rocky Mountain National Park and as far west as Ouray, while adding a few plains birds around Pawnee NG.
As ever trip planning was led by local bird lists, the Lane and Falcon guides I have for these states, and my prior experience birding those areas. The latter is invaluable for a sense of scale and terrain. eBird was used for both recent sightings (see: yblb) and the new ebird hotspot search facility allowed me to find
potential en route destinations to pad both the trip and state lists.
SLC SUNRISE 6:00 am SUNSET 9:00 pm
Denver SUNRISE 5:30 am SUNSET 8:30 pm
HOLD MAIL CAH187728804
UTAH birders http://birding.aba.org/maillist/UT01
UTAH rare birds http://birding.aba.org/maillist/UT02
UTAH BirdTalk http://birding.aba.org/maillist/UT03
UBird http://www.utahbirders.com/ubird#tab-2 https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/ubird
IDAHO list http://birding.aba.org/maillist/ID01
MONTANA list http://birding.aba.org/maillist/MT
WYOMING list http://birding.aba.org/maillist/WY
COLORADO list http://birding.aba.org/maillist/CO01 https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/cobirds
COLORADO list https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/cobirders/conversations/messages
COBUS http://coloradobirdingsociety.net16.net/
COBUS/county http://coloradobirdingsociety.net16.net/countymap.htm
CFO/county http://coloradocountybirding.org/
CFO specialities http://coloradocountybirding.org/Specialties.aspx
Utah Birders http://www.utahbirders.com/
Utah Hotspots A-Z http://utahbirdingspots.blogspot.com/2014/03/birding-locations-z-alphabetical.html
Utah Hotspots/Co http://utahbirdingspots.blogspot.com/2014/03/birding-locations-by-county.html
Utah Birding Hotline http://www.utahbirds.org/HotlineReports.htm
YBLB http://www.philjeffrey.net/yblb/yblb_py.cgi
My trip CO-2006 http://philjeffrey.net/AZ_NM_CO2.html
My SLC-2007 http://www.philjeffrey.net/SLC2007.html
My MD-ND-WY http://www.philjeffrey.net/MN-ND-WY2.html
(Google books preview for search "birding moraine park campground")
SLC Trip Report: http://utahbirders.blogspot.com/2014/05/2014-marathon-birding-recap.html
Not useful Trip report: http://www.naturalistjourneys.com/pdfs/YNP13TripReportFINAL.pdf
A little better Trip report: http://www.naturalist.co.uk/reports2003/wyoming.php
Less useful Trip report: http://bashakillbirder.wordpress.com/trip-report-yellowstone-national-park/
Useful Trip report: http://www.sunrisebirding.com/07montanaweb/index.html
Useful Trip report: http://www.naturalist.co.uk/reports2004/yellowstone.php
Useful Trip report: http://www.surfbirds.com/trip_report.php?id=1009
Useful Trip report: http://www.sunrisebirding.com/09Montana_web/09Montana_RPT_txt.pdf
Mammals: http://www.yellowstone.co/tripreports/trips.htm
Tue Day 0, 6/10:
PM flight out of JFK 6:45pm JetBlue 71 UVMHXL
arrives 10:10pm
o/n SLC
Enterprise Car Rental - located across the street from baggage claim
Full SIze (Ford Fusion, Altima &c)
Res # 262029450
Hotels.com confirmation # 116973506398
Super 8 Salt Lake City Airport
223 Jimmy Doolittle Rd
Salt Lake City UT 84116
801 533 8878
Wed Day 1, 6/11:
[[ RUFFED GROUSE eBird May/Jun UT-WY
[[ Ruffed Grouse multiple sightings in East Canyon
[[ DUSKY GROUSE eBird May/Jun UT-WY
[[ SLC: Dusky Grouse - American Fork Canyon just below the summit at 8060' feeding on the side of the roadf
[[ BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER eBird May/Jun UT-WY Moose-Wilson
[[ AM THREE-TOED WOODPECKER eBird May/Jun UT-WY
[[ SLC: Timpooneke Campground reports
[[ BLACK ROSY-FINCH eBird May/Jun UT-WY Beartooth
[[ (Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch no reports)
[[ (Brown-capped Rosy-Finch CO only)
[[ GREAT GRAY OWL eBird May/Jun UT-WY Moose-Wilson only
[[ GRAY PARTRIDGE eBird May/Jun UT-WY (no UT, some ID - Camas NWR)
[[ BOBOLINK eBird May/Jun UT-WY (minimal ID, better UT)
[[ CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD eBird May/Jun UT-WY (Jackson)
[[ Hammond's Flycatcher eBird May/Jun UT-WY
[[ Cordilleran Flycatcher eBird May/Jun UT-WY
[[ Gray Flycatcher eBird May/Jun UT-WY
[[ Dusky Flycatcher eBird May/Jun UT-WY
[[ Three-toed Woodpecker is the biggest deal here since it is hard to find in Gd Teton/Yellowstone
Upper East Canyon: http://utahbirdingspots.blogspot.com/2014/03/east-canyon-upper-section.html
Mountain Dell Cyn through East Cyn Reservoir for owls and Ruffed Grouse at dawn
East Canyon Jeremy Ranch Road - Snipe
Ruffed Grouse: Lamb Canyon, a little east
Ruffed Grouse: Millcreek Cyn also has them
Ruffed Grouse: City Creek Cyn (SLC) and Box Elder CG west of Brigham City
Little Dell Reservoir
Least Flycatcher "east of cliff swallow picnic table"
Little Cottonwood Canyon
falls area
SLC to (Big) Cottonwood Cyn to Brighton to Heber City
Spruces campground 10 miles up
willows behind the Brighton general store
3-TOED WOODPECKER at Silver Lake + Cordilleran Flycatcher
BOBOLINK at West Potters Lane, south of River Rd/US-189, just north of Heber
UT-35 (east) and UT-32 (north) to Kamas to connect to Mirror Lake Hwy (UT-150)
Mirror Lake scenic route
Washington Lake CG - 3-toed
Trial Lake - 3-toed
Bald Mtn Pass - 3-toed, Rock Wren, Black Rosy-Finch
Mirror Lake campground - 3-toed Woodpecker - see SLC 2007
Butterfly Lake - 3-toed Woodpecker
Heber city to Evanston WY is 2:10/95 miles and perhaps only 40-50 in the Wasatch Mtns
Evanston to Jackson is 3:30/190 miles but probably only 2-3 stops in this range
US-26/US-89/US-30
Woodruff Narrows Reservoir - WY - water birds
(Deseret Ranch in this valley is a no-go - access issues)
Bear River Meadows - UT - water birds
Cokeville Meadows NWR - UT - water birds and sagebrush birds
Bear Lake NWR Mud Lake - ID - water birds and some lowland species
30-40 mile loop-out via Montpelier
there is nothing along the next section
Palisades Reservoir wetlands - WY
US-26 runs up east side of Palisades Resrvr in ID but not marked as hotspot
South Park WHMA - south of Jackson - for assorted species
Bridger Teton NF - Cache Creek Cyn - east of Jackson - 5/24 Ruffed Grouse report
Jackson Visitor Center - check the ponds for (e.g.) Sora
Sagebrush areas toward Kelly
** Great Gray Owl stakeout point along Moose-Wilson Road - no recent reports
Fish Creek for assorted passerines
Willow Flats (nr Jenny Lake ?)
** Ruffed Grouse sighting at road west of Oxbow Bend before park road - near Signal Mtn
** Ruffed Grouse on Signal Mtn Road
evening Signal Mtn for grouse or Moose-Wilson Rd at Sawmill Pond (Great Gray Owl)
o/n Jackson WY
Snow King Motel, 470 South King Street, Jackson WY 83001
307 733 3480
snowkingcottages@bresnan.net
Booking # 547.377.493 PIN code 4638
Free cancelation before midnight on June 9th
THIS IS FOR THREE NIGHTS
[Cafe Genevieve, Log Cabin Saloon, Bunnery]
Thu Day 2, 6/12: Grand Tetons
Ruffed Grouse and Dusky Grouse, Great Gray Owl, Calliope Hummingbird
Signal Mtn early
Jenny Lake Road
Willow Flats
Lupine Meadow (Calliope) - active burn in 2009
Target Lake or Moose-Wilson Road, Prince Lake
o/n Jackson WY
Snow King Motel, 470 South King Street, night #2 of 3
Fri Day 3, 6/13: Grand Tetons/Yellowstone
Grand Teton
Lower Yellowstone sites in late PM in particular Lamar Valley
Old Faithful - every 60 to 110 minutes, mostly on the long end
Fountain Paint Pots
Dunraven Pass short cut over to Canyon ?
Calcite Springs
where is Antelope Creek and/or Alpine Creek wolf lookout (Agate wolf pack) ?
Snow King Motel, 470 South King Street, night #3 of 3
Sat Day 4: 6/14
optional dawn start at Signal Mountain at 6am
Yellowstone from west entrance through Cody MT (up as far as Red Lodge if possible)
Lewis Falls (Tetons?) - American Dipper
Gull Point Drive
West Thumb Geyser Basin
Fishing Bridge
Indian Pond - Spotted Sandpiper
LeHardy Rapids - Harlequin Ducks, American Dipper
Tower Falls
(Dunraven Pass/Calcite Springs)
Red Lodge - Custer NF
Red Lodge - feeders along 18th St
Sunrise Inn, 1407 8th Street, Cody WY 82414
307-587-5566
info@sunriseinncody.com
Booking # 521.880.385 PIN code 0503
Sun Day 4: 6/15: Yellowstone NP - Idaho - Utah
(mainly Yellowstone with return loop trip into ID toward SLC)
may have to track north from Cody to Red Lodge first
redux of 2009 trip
Rock Creek Vista
Beartooth Pass (Rosy-Finches) - CHECK TO SEE IF IT IS OPEN
scenic highway montane birds
Beartooth Lake - Gray Jay, Pine Grosbeak &c
Cooke City MT has residential hummingbird feeders
Bear Claw bakery in Cooke City
Dan Hartman's feeders ?
Feeders at (Elk Horn) Lodge ?
Yellowstone north-east entrance
(Pebble Creek Trail)
Lamar valley
Harlequin Ducks just EAST of Soda Butte Creek picnic area
WHERE TO SEE WOLVES IN LAMAR VALLEY - Soda Butte/Druid Pack ?
Slough Creek trailhead
Tower falls
Floating Island Lake
Blacktail Plateau Drive (circles back east)
Blacktail Ponds
Mammoth
Great Horned Owl site? - Tower Falls from parking lot
Mammoth Hot Springs
CHECK THE MT GUIDE
45th Parallel Bridge for Dipper if we still lack it
(Tower Falls)
(Canyon)
Hayden Valley
Yellowstone Lake - Fishing bridge
two to three casual ID spots to initial ID list
Henry's Lake ID off US-20 just inside MT-UT border - good selection espec water birds - skip this for…..
Red Rock Lake NWR (*Montana*)
http://www.fws.gov/refuge/red_rock_lakes/
If traveling from West Yellowstone,Montana follow U.S. 20 southwest for about 17 miles to Red Rock Pass Road,
just south of Henry's Lake River. Turn west onto Red Rock Pass Road. Follow this road for 30 miles
(22 miles of dirt road) to reach the Refuge visitor contact station and headquarters.
[[ this is a major time investment in MT birding ]]
Flat Ranch Preserve ID - US-20 - more grassland-like species
Ponds Lodge Bridge on US-20 - water birds, some semi-montane
RT-117 east off US-20 held Ruffed Grouse and Black-backed Woodpecker
Island Park Reservoir Windrow - passerines and water birds
Harriman State Park - GOOD selection, probably requires time investment - probably skip this
Mesa Falls Scenic Hwy - various Ruffed Grouse sightings in vicinity incl. northern interpretive falls site
Swan Lake - next to US-20 - water birds incl Trumpeter Swan
Henry's Fork (River) west of Ashton has some hotspots but not much prior to Idaho Falls
this is a generally agricultural area
Chester Wetlands NNW of Chester along River Rd at west bank of Henry's Fork - assorted water/grassland birds incl BOBOLINK
best river crossing is WSW of Chester off S. River Road/N 2650 E
West from US-20 towards Menan and Roberts
Robert's Slough just east of town is hotspot (also sewage pond)
Market Lake WMA north-west of Roberts has GOOD selection
Camas NWR a little further north-west has GOOD selection
(Craters of the Moon is relatively nearby http://www.nps.gov/crmo/index.htm )
(Sun Valley ID is probably too far away)
Curlew NG holds a few grassland species - not that much between here and UT
Bear River NWR
** Ruffed Grouse report from Box Elder CG east of Brigham City
get as close to SLC as possible - Logan or Ogden seem good options
Mon Day 5: 6/16
** Ruffed Grouse report from Box Elder CG east of Brigham City
** Ruffed Grouse reports from East Canyon
Upper East Canyon: http://utahbirdingspots.blogspot.com/2014/03/east-canyon-upper-section.html
Bear River NWR
Farmington Bay WMA
Farmington to Kaysville back roads (Schick Lane) incl Bobolink
Antelope Island
Corrals - Barn and Great Horned Owls
Garr Ranch - Burrowing Owl, Grasshopper Sparrow
Big Cottonwood Cyn
Little Cottonwood Cyn
to DEN SouthWest 4591 into DEN 5:45pm - 7:10pm conf # MN2FO7
overnight Fort Collins-ish - probably sunset before we escape DEN
Enterprise Car Rental conf # 262262054
(303) 342 7350
GO TO THE SHUTTLE PICK-UP MARKED ENTERPRISE, LOCATED
ON THE FOURTH ISLAND FROM THE DOUBLE DOORS. OUR BUSES
PICK UP EVERY 10 MINUTES 24 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS PER WEEK
[[ UTAH-WYOMING to COLORADO TRANSITION
[[
[[ Plains species will add the most variety since we should have had some chance at more arid species and
[[ quite a lot of chance at montane species and some aquatic with the return ID-UT segment. Similarly one would
[[ hope to have nailed down at least a few montane flycatchers incl. Contopus and Empidonax but some may remain.
[[ Obvious targets:
[[ FERRUGINOUS HAWK ebird-May/Jun-CO
[[ SWAINSON'S HAWK ebird-May/Jun-CO
[[ WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN ebird-May/Jun-CO
[[ MOUNTAIN PLOVER ebird-May/Jun-CO
[[ THREE-TOED WOODPECKER ebird-May/Jun-CO
[[ BLACK SWIFT ebird-May/Jun-CO
[[ MCCOWN'S LONGSPUR ebird-May/Jun-CO
[[ CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR ebird-May/Jun-CO
[[ Hammond's Flycatcher ebird-Jun-CO
[[ Cordilleran Flycatcher ebird-Jun-CO
[[ Dusky Flycatcher ebird-Jun-CO
[[ Gray Flycatcher ebird-Jun-CO
[[
[[ Ouray for Black Swift is the obvious south-western anchor and Hayden-Steamboat is the northern anchor. RMNP will still
[[ offer montane targets, photographic and otherwise.
[[
[[ 3 American Three-toed Woodpeckers were reported by Komar in the burn area of Rist Canyon on May 26
[[ San Juan Co: On CR 2, Morris reported 2 American Three-toed Woodpeckers on May 26
[[ American Three-toed Woodpecker/Reynold's Park large clearing at top of Eagle's View Trail
[[ American Three-toed Woodpecker/Walden Visitor Center just across the road (n. of 14)
[[ American Three-toed Woodpecker/Teller Ghost Town with some dirt roading s.e. of Walden
[[ Mountain Plover east of T junction of CO-96 with CO-103 west side of eastern Pawnee NG
[[ Pawnee Mountain Plover map also Mountain Plover loop
[[ White-tailed Ptarmigan: RMNP at Many Parks loop (extreme south side) just s.e. of Many Parks overlook - eastern edge of Trail Ridge Rd
Tue Day 6: 6/17
WY Chalk Bluff Rd (Laramie CR-302) and/or Pawnee NG for longspurs &c - Chalk Bluff Rd looks unimpressive on eBird
Burrowing Owl, MOUNTAIN PLOVERS
(Fort Collins environs birds ?)
RMNP - Endovalley, Fern Lake trailhead, Moraine Park + Campground, Trail Ridge
Granby reservoir
(Granby to Walden via SR-125, Arapaho NWR, Walden Reservoir, SR-14/Delaney Buttes etc - 3+ hours to work Walden area)
Rabbit Ears into Steamboat area
WHAT OTHER STEAMBOAT AREAS ?
Evening 80 Route
Weds Day 7: 6/18
Morning 80 Route, 20 Route, Rabbit Ears, (Walden)
actual m.o. depends on RMNP success and Walden outcome
this is a logical day to re-try elements of RMNP but:
WE NEED ALTERNATE LOCATIONS EN ROUTE TO OURAY/GD JUNCTION
RMNP East to West (most of day)
Endovalley
other sites from CO-2006
Exit near Granby
Granby Lake
Walden and in particular the reservoir
Antelope NWR ?
Delaney Buttes area ?
What's in the montane at/near Rabbit Ears ?
? 80 Route Dusk ?
Steamboat Falls Park - other Steamboat locations
o/n Steamboat
Thurs Day 8: 6/19
80 Route early AM
Montane mid-AM - RABBIT EARS MONTANE AREAS
up west side of RMNP
PM push from Granby toward Montrose or Grand Junction
early evening at Gunnison or Grand Junction
Fri Day 9: 6/20
Colorado NM or Gunnison Cyn
Ouray and the pass above it toward Durango
Delta
Grand Mesa
Colorado NM or Gunnison Cyn
evening backtrack toward some intervening point
Gunnison appears to be the "long way around"
Sat Day 10: 6/21
RMNP West to East into Front Range
Front Range sites (Reynolds Park &c) - problem this is a SATURDAY
WY longspur road
Pawnee NG
(some other non-busy sites ? 2pm flight suggests noon car drop-off)
11:45pm Jet Blue flight 98 DEN-JFK Conf # JENZTJ