Chico Basin Ranch is a great place to bird all year round, but it is a must-see during spring migration. It’s easily worth the 45 minute drive from Colorado Springs, and the $15 daily access fee (annual passes are also available).
What makes this such a great spot?
A look at a map of Colorado shows why birds and birders love Chico Basin. Straddling the El Paso/Pueblo county line, the ranch attracts species found in the southeast corner of Colorado as well as those more that live in the north and west. Strategically situated between miles of arid, short-grass prairie on one side, and more miles of arid short-grass prairie on the other, the year-round ponds and green trees are a welcome rest stop for tired and thirsty migrating birds.
Robins are often considered harbingers of spring, and in some places they are, but here in Colorado they hang out year round. In fact, on the 2006 Christmas Bird Count, in the middle of a blizzard—with the thermometer registering a whopping 6 degrees—we tallied over 200 American Robins in our sector alone… and those were just the ones we could see in white-out conditions.
I splurged on two nest boxes this week. I hadn’t meant to—they’re not in the budget—but I reasoned that attracting birds with bird houses was ultimately cheaper than buying ever more bird seed (although I’m sure I’ll do that too).
If the birds held a popularity contest, Bluebirds would probably win. Everyone loves them. Perhaps that’s because they’re so well mannered. They help us by eating the bugs that bug us. They take good care of their families, with the males defending their territories while the females fuss over the nestlings. And when the sun hits their feathers, just so, they shine with the most amazing sky blue.
Everyone loves bluebirds, and for good reason. They are beautiful to look at, faithfully provide for their families, and eat thousands of insects that might otherwise damage our gardens. However, a lack of nest sites for these cavity-nesting birds has caused a serious decline in their numbers. If you, like me, would love to have a pair of bluebirds sharing your yard, it helps to know a little about what the birds prefer. How can you make your yard more bluebird-friendly?
My focus changed because of the town of Karval. With Pikes Peak barely visible on the horizon, this tiny town in Lincoln County, an hour east of Colorado Springs, doesn’t fit the typical person’s image of a vacation destination. Yet, I had a wonderful time there.
While we’re still shoveling snow and scraping windshields, bluebirds are thinking about spring. Colorado has three species of bluebirds, Eastern, Western (seen here) and Mountain, and all of them are what birders call “early nesters.”
Mountain Plover 