Overnight Birding Trip to Tamarack Ranch SWA (Co-sponsored trip with DFO)

This overnight trip has been created to take advantage of early morning birding on the Tamarack Ranch State Wildlife Area rather than trying to leave super early from the Denver area. A suitable location (to be determined) will be identified where we can rendezvous for carpooling on the first day. From the rendezvous location,we will do some birding at one or two hotspots on the way northeast (e.g., Brush SWA, Prewitt Reservoir, Messex SWA, Sterling Cemetery on Thursday, June 11th. We will overnight at a hotel in Sterling on June 11. On June 12 we will proceed early to the Tamarack Ranch SWA for an enjoyable morning of birding. The SWA is rather large so we will play it by ear as to what areas we will bird. The SWA is a riparian corridor adjacent to cultivated farm fields and wetlands in the lower reaches of the South Platte River floodplain. We will look for eastern species such as Baltimore Oriole, Red-headed and Red-bellied Woodpecker, Northern Cardinal, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Great-crested Flycatcher, Bell's Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Eastern Bluebird, and Eastern Towhee, as well as other likely nesting species such as Yellow-breasted Chat, Orchard Oriole, Black-headed Grosbeak, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo and Lazuli Buntings. We will try for the Upland Sandpiper at a location close to the town of Crook. There should also be time to explore the environs of northeastern Colorado to try for any rarities that may show up nearby either before or during our trip. 

This trip is led by Gary Witt. 

To register for this trip, click here to visit the registration page on DFO's website. Please note you will need to create an account on the DFO website to register for the trip.