A Year of Birding with the Birding Club

By David Byford, Birding Club co-lead.

The arrival of cold weather may have a dampening effect on birding opportunities in the Upper Arkansas River Valley, but it makes for a great time to reflect on a fun, productive year of birding while planning for future activities. We’re looking into new birding opportunities for our 130-plus GARNA Birding Club members.  In past years, the club held overnight trips to birding hotspots outside of Chaffee County.  In 2025, we embarked on a two-day visit to San Luis Valley National Wildlife Refuges to view the early spring migration of Sandhill Cranes and waterfowl.  We plan to look into those types of outings in the future — seeing new sights and pulling in local experts to enrich our understanding of birds and habitats.  If you’re interested in being added to the Birding Club list, please email David Byford (davidwbyford @ aol.com) or Betsy Lincicome (betthane @ gmail.com).

2025: A Year of Birding
By the numbers:
• 14 GARNA bird walks
• 120 species identified
• 11 avg participants per walk
• 23 avg species per walk

Following are the results of our 2025 bird walks – a walk-by-walk recap of our outings and a species list that tells where and when we saw the birds that appeared on our checklists.

January 11, Sands Lake State Wildlife Area (Salida) – Betsy Lincicome led our first walk of the year at the Sands Lake SWA, a popular walking trail that doubles as a great spot to see migrating and resident waterfowl during the winter months. Eight participants braved cold temperatures and identified 17 species, including the two Goldeneye species seen in Colorado (Barrow’s and Common).

February 22, Buena Vista area – A Buena Vista area “raptor drive” led by Dale Shoemaker produced 16 species, and raptor fans were not disappointed. Seventeen puffy-jacketed participants saw Bald Eagles, a Golden Eagle and several Northern Harriers and Red-tailed Hawks. Thanks to the Shoemakers for providing refreshments after the successful birding event.

February 27-28, San Luis Valley National Wildlife Refuges – Ten club members participated in an overnighter in Monte Vista – home of the Monte Vista NWR – timed to view the migration of Sandhill Cranes. Refuge manager Suzanne Beauchaine provided an overview of the importance of the San Luis Valley to migrating waterfowl, as well as tips on how to get the best-possible viewing experience. We saw thousands of cranes, Canada Geese, ducks and other species (23 total) during evening and morning flights to and from roost ponds. On our second day (2/28), we also birded the Malm Trail at the Alamosa NWR before heading home (10 additional species).

April 1, Ice Pond in Buena Vista – Blizzard-like conditions made this walk interesting! Despite blowing snow and fogged-up lenses, 20 hardy participants identified 24 species of waterfowl, shorebirds, gulls and more. We thank walk host Tom Milligan for providing access to the private venue.

May 3, Birding Club Open House at GARNA’s Valley View Learning Center in Salida – Dozens of GARNA and community members came by the Valley View Learning Center – a former one-room schoolhouse – to learn more about area birding opportunities. Special thanks to club members Fran Rulon-Miller and Jack Doutrich for sharing their insights on local birding hotspots and getting started with birding apps. Betsy Lincicome and Ruth Barnes were on hand to answer questions on successful backyard birding. We also used the event to recruit participants for the May 10 Global Big Day of Birding (next item).

May 10, Global Big Day of Birding (countywide) – As part of Cornell Lab’s Global Big Day of Birding, three GARNA Birding Club teams surveyed three different areas in Chaffee County. The results were outstanding – 25 participants, 83 species identified and 390 individual birds reported to eBird by walk leaders. Here’s the breakdown:
1. Chalk Cliffs Rearing Unit in Nathrop – Eleven participants, led by Pat and Boyd Clark, identified 30 diverse species on the grounds of the CPW facility. Noted below as walk date 5/10(1)
2. Fairview Cemetery in Salida – Six participants led by Hattie Braun and Tom Kolb identified 29 species, including numerous songbird species. Noted below as walk date 5/10(2)
3. Fourmile Creek near Buena Vista – Eight participants led by Alan Robinson identified 24 bird species. The creek has benefited from the restoration of beaver habitat, which has had a positive impact on wildlife diversity. GARNA’s Friends of Fourmile has a history of land stewardship in the area. Noted below as walk date 5/10(3)

June 12, Russell Lakes SWA in Saguache County – While a bit of a road trip about 40 miles south of Poncha Pass on US 285, the SWA produces strong numbers of migrating and nesting birds – waterfowl, wading birds, shorebirds, raptors and songbirds. Eight club members viewed 35 species. High points of the walk included sightings of scores of American Coots and their young, as well as several American Bitterns.

July 5, Fairview Cemetery in Salida – This walk at Fairview Cemetery – a popular venue for area birders – was led by club member and experienced birder Fran Rulon-Miller. Twenty participants viewed 33 species, with numerous sightings of fledged Red-tailed Hawks. Like many of our outings, participants ranged from club newcomers to advanced birders, who were more than happy to share their knowledge.

August 7, Chalk Cliffs Rearing Unit in Nathrop – Sometimes we will change a walk location after scouting it a day or two before a scheduled walk. Such was the case on August 7, when we pivoted from one walk location to the Chalk Cliffs Rearing Unit in Nathrop. The move was the right one. Ten participants identified 26 species, including hundreds of Violet-green Swallows perched on a utility line.

September 18, Mount Ouray State Wildlife Area in Salida is another tried-and-true birding hotspot. Walk leader Jacque Fisher scouted the location beforehand and found plenty of species. On the day of the walk, she led 14 participants in identifying 36 species – a season high for the birding club and strong proof that the fall migration is a great time for birding in our region.

September 25, Cottonwood Creek Trail in Buena Vista (near BV High School) – This walk near the tail-end of the fall migration started very slowly but progressed later in the morning as temperatures warmed. Ten participants identified 23 species, including three Brown Creepers in one tree toward the end of the walk.

October 9, Monarch Spur Trail in Salida – Most Salida residents think of the Monarch Spur as a biking and walking venue that cuts through cattle pastures, sports fields and neighborhoods. It’s also very birdy! Walk leaders Hattie Braun and Tom Kolb, knowledgeable birders who live adjacent to the trail, led eight participants who identified 22 species. After the walk, Hattie and Tom provided refreshments at their home.

What we saw
Below is a list of the species seen during our 14 bird walks. Many species appeared on a number of checklists, with Black-billed Magpies taking the cake in the redundancy department. Walks were largely held in Chaffee County, with three exceptions. The 2/27 and 2/28 walks took place in Rio Grande County and Alamosa County, respectively, during our overnight Sandhill Crane excursion. The 6/12 walk was in Saguache County. The list demonstrates the seasonal ebb and flow of species and numbers of individual birds. A walk today through an icy landscape is a far cry from the migration periods of spring and fall when spotting birds was much easier. Winter days remind us that birding is not all about the numbers. Seeing a Song Sparrow flit in brown cattails or a Common Raven soaring over a white vista reminds us of what we admire in birds. Their hardiness, intelligence and beauty warm the soul and make seeking them out all the more rewarding.

Species identified during 2025 walk dates
Snow Goose
2/27
Cackling Goose
2/27
Canada Goose
1/11, 2/27, 2/28, 4/1, 5/10(1), 8/7, 9/18, 9/25, 10/9
Blue-winged Teal
4/1, 9/18
Cinnamon Teal
2/27, 6/12
Northern Shoveler
4/1, 6/12
Gadwall
1/11, 2/27, 4/1, 6/12
American Wigeon
2/27, 4/1
Mallard
1/11, 2/22, 2/27, 2/28, 4/1, 5/10(1), 6/12, 8/7, 9/18, 10/9
Northern Pintail
2/27
Green-winged Teal
2/27, 9/18
Redhead
2/27, 4/1, 6/12
Ring-necked Duck
1/11, 2/27
Lesser Scaup
4/1
Bufflehead
1/11, 2/27, 4/1
Common Goldeneye
1/11, 4/1
Barrow’s Goldeneye
1/11, 4/1
Hooded Merganser
1/11
Common Merganser
2/27, 2/28
Ruddy Duck
6/12
Double-crested Cormorant
8/7, 9/18, 10/9
Pied-billed Grebe
6/12
Western Grebe
6/12
American White Pelican
6/12
Franklin’s Gull
4/1
Ring-billed Gull
4/1
California Gull
4/1
Killdeer
9/25
Wilson’s Snipe
4/1, 6/12
Spotted Sandpiper
5/10(1), 8/7, 9/18
Greater Yellowlegs
4/1
Sandhill Crane
2/27, 2/28
White-faced Ibis
6/12,
American Bittern
6/12
Black-crowned Night Heron
6/12
Great Blue Heron
5/10(1), 8/7, 10/9
American Coot
2/27, 4/1, 6/12
Eurasian Collared Dove
1/11, 2/22, 2/27, 5/10(2), 6/12, 7/5, 10/9
Mourning Dove
5/10(2), 5/10(3), 6/12, 7/5, 8/7, 9/18
Turkey Vulture
5/10(1), 5/10(2), 6/12, 7/5, 8/7, 9/18
Osprey
8/7, 9/18
Golden Eagle
2/22, 5/10(3)
Northern Harrier
2/22, 2/27, 6/12, 9/18
Bald Eagle
2/22, 5/10(1)
Swainson’s Hawk
6/12
Red-tailed Hawk
2/22, 2/27, 2/28, 5/10(1), 5/10(2), 5/10(3), 7/5, 9/18, 9/25, 10/9
Rough-legged Hawk
2/27
American Kestrel
7/5, 9/18
Merlin
2/28
Common Nighthawk
6/12
Black-chinned Hummingbird
5/10(3)
Rufous Hummingbird
8/7
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
5/10(1), 5/10(2), 7/5, 8/7, 9/18
Tree Swallow
5/10(1), 6/12, 7/5
Violet-green Swallow
5/10(2), 5/10(3), 7/5, 8/7
Barn Swallow
5/10(1), 6/12
Cliff Swallow
8/7
Belted Kingfisher
1/11, 5/10(1), 5/10(2), 7/5, 8/7, 9/18, 10/9
Red-naped Sapsucker
5/10(1), 5/10(3), 9/25
Lewis’s Woodpecker
5/10(1), 7/5, 8/7, 9/18
Downy Woodpecker
5/10(2)
Hairy Woodpecker
9/25
Northern Flicker
1/11, 4/1, 5/10(1), 5/10(2), 5/10(3), 7/5, 9/18, 9/25, 10/9
Pinyon Jay
5/10(1), 9/18, 9/25
Steller’s Jay
9/25
Blue Jay
1/11, 9/18
Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay
9/25
Black-billed Magpie
1/11, 2/22, 2/28, 4/1, 5/10(1), 5/10(2), 5/10(3), 7/5, 8/7, 9/18, 9/25, 10/9
Clark’s Nutcracker
2/22, 5/10(1), 5/10(3), 7/5, 8/7, 9/25
American Crow
9/25, 10/9
Common Raven
2/22, 4/1, 5/10(1), 5/10(3), 6/12, 8/7, 9/25, 10/9
Western Wood-Pewee
6/12, 7/5
Western Flycatcher
7/5
Black Phoebe
9/18
Say’s Phoebe
5/10(2)
Western Kingbird
6/12
Gray Catbird
7/5, 9/18
Mountain Bluebird
5/10(3), 8/7, 9/18, 10/9
Townsend’s Solitaire
9/25
American Robin
1/11, 4/1, 5/10(1), 5/10(2), 5/10(3), 7/5, 8/7, 9/18, 9/25, 10/9
Cedar Waxwing
5/10(2), 7/5,
Black-capped Chickadee
1/11, 5/10(2), 5/10(3), 7/5, 9/25, 10/9
Mountain Chickadee
2/22, 5/10(2), 5/10(3), 7/5, 8/7, 10/9
White-breasted Nuthatch
1/11, 5/10(1), 5/10(2), 7/5, 9/18, 9/25
Red-breasted Nuthatch
5/10(2)
Brown Creeper
9/25
Northern House Wren
5/10(3), 7/5, 8/7
Marsh Wren
6/12
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
5/10(2), 5/10(3), 7/5
Western Warbling Vireo
7/5
Orange-crowned Warbler
9/18
Virginia’s Warbler
5/10(2)
Common Yellowthroat
6/12
Yellow Warbler
5/10(2), 5/10(3), 6/12, 7/5, 8/7, 9/18
Yellow-rumped Warbler
5/10(1), 5/10(2), 5/10(3), 9/18, 9/25, 10/9
Wilson’s Warbler
9/18, 9/25
Horned Lark
2/22
Chipping Sparrow
5/10(3), 9/18,
Dark-eyed Junco
2/22, 2/28, 9/25, 10/9
White-crowned Sparrow
4/1, 5/10(2), 9/18, 10/9
Vesper Sparrow
5/10(3)
Song Sparrow
2/22, 2/27, 2/28, 4/1, 5/10(1), 5/10(3), 6/12, 8/7, 9/18, 10/9
Lincoln’s Sparrow
9/18
Green-tailed Towhee
5/10(3)
House Sparrow
2/22, 2/27, 5/10(1), 8/7
House Finch
1/11, 2/22, 5/10(1), 5/10(2), 7/5, 10/9
Pine Siskin
5/10(2)
Lesser Goldfinch
8/7, 9/18
American Goldfinch
7/5
Black-headed Grosbeak
5/10(3)
Lazuli Bunting
7/5, 9/18
Yellow-headed Blackbird
6/12
Western Meadowlark
5/10(2), 6/12
Bullock’s Oriole
7/5
Red-winged Blackbird
2/27, 2/28, 4/1, 5/10(1), 5/10(2), 6/12, 7/5, 9/18, 10/9
Brown-headed Cowbird
5/10(1), 5/10(2), 5/10(3), 7/5
Brewer’s Blackbird
5/10(1), 6/12, 7/5, 8/7, 9/25
Common Grackle
5/10(1), 5/10(2), 6/12
Great-tailed Grackle
5/10(1), 6/12
European Starling
2/22, 2/27, 5/10(1), 5/10(2), 7/5, 9/18, 9/25, 10/9