June 3, 2009: Birding Colorado (Pawnee National Grassland & Pike National Forest)

Today I had a little spare time in Colorado's North Front Range, and did some birding at two locations. The Pawnee National Grassland, in Weld County east of Fort Collins, is a really interesting place to visit! I birded the County Roads here, as well as the Crow Valley Campground.

After that, I had time for a stop a few hours south at Pike National Forest, southwest of Denver. Another awesome place!

I'd also like to thank the Colorado Birders for their great advice and website (http://home.att.net/~birdertoo/) They were extremely helpful! Thanks especially to Richard Stevens for the flower identifications!

Pawnee Grassland Photos

Above and Below: Chestnut Collared Longspur

Below: Catcus and prairie flowers
Prickly Pear Cactus
Labmert Loco
Goldweed

Swainsons Thrush on CR96

Brewers Sparrow

Narrow-Leaved Penstemon

Above and below: Horned Lark

Lark Bunting

Above and Below: Western Meadowlarks

Brewer's Sparrow

Chestnut-Collared Longspur female

Above and below: Plains Evening Primrose

Lark Bunting

Eastern Kingbird

Blue Jay (Crow Valley Campground)

Swainsons Thrush (Crow Valley Campground)

Brown Thrasher (Crow Valley Campground)

House Wren (Crow Valley Campground)

Eastern Kingbird

Thrush at Crow Valley Campground

near the Pawnee Grassland

Purple flowers in the grassland

Heading down thru Denver to Pike National Forest

I arrived to Pike National Forest Skipper Trailhead to a hailstorm

The trialhead area after the weather cleared

Yellow-Rumped Warbler

Dark-Eyed (Pink Sided) Junco

Above and Below: Plumbeous Vireo

Townsend's Solitaire

Mount Evans from the Buck Gulch Trail

Hairy Woodpecker

Spreading Daisy

Purple Peavine

Western Wallflower

Pygmy Nuthatch

Dead tree on the Skipper Trail

Northern Flicker

Rock Primrose