Join me for two full days and two half days of slam packed birding to see and photograph birds on both the prairie and mountains. Birds will be active, looking great in their breeding feathers, and singing during this prime time. We visit world class birding destinations including Pawnee National Grasslands and Rocky Mountain National Park. Don’t forget about our morning in Boulder County foothills. Plan on adding lots of species to your life list. Sign up for either July 7-10 or July 13-16 tour as each one is exactly the same. If you also sign up for the Pinyon Juniper Plus Tour, we take $100 off the total tour cost. No need to rent a car as you will get picked up and dropped off at Denver International Airport. These tours are designed to run back-to-back.
Prairie to Mountains
| Dates | 2025, July 7-10 or July 13-16 |
| Duration | 4 days / 3 nights |
| Limit | 10 (2 guides) |
| Price | $1295 / Single Room $350 |
| Focus | Birding, Photography |
| Pace | Moderately Easy |
| Includes | hotels, ground transportation, guide, and food as noted on the itinerary, 80mm Swarovski scope available for group use |
| Deposit | $500 |
Itinerary
Day 1: Denver International Airport pickup to Longmont
We will pick you up from Denver International Airport (DEN) by 4:00 pm. If you live in Colorado, we will make arrangements for pick-up. On the drive to the hotel in Longmont, we will make a birding stop or two. Once we get settled into the hotel, a preview and welcome dinner is in store. You could also enjoy the pool before the next day of birding. The hotel is located equidistant to our birding locations to reduce travel time. All three nights are in the same location so settle in. (D)
Day 2: Pawnee National Grasslands and prairie ponds
The Pawnee National Grasslands spans almost 200,000 acres on the eastern plains of Colorado. With large tracts, the western side is our destination for pristine short-grass prairie. We enjoy our day exploring the best habitat areas for Chestnut-collared and Thick-billed Longspurs, Grasshopper and Vesper Sparrows, Mountain Plover and the adorable Burrowing Owls. With thousands of acres, chances are we won’t see anyone else all day. Finally, additional stops at some prairie ponds will add new species and round out our bird list. (B, L, D)
Day 3: Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park
Spending our mountain birding day in Rocky Mountain National Park will be iconic. Starting early is required to cover all three elevation zones or montane, sub-alpine, and alpine habitats. Bring your camera as we should also see mammals, amazing scenery, and of course, wanted life birds. (B, L, D)
Day 4: Foothill hotspots, feeders, and transfer to Denver International Airport
This morning takes us to the arid rabbit brush and mountain mahogany foothills habitat that welcomes many different bird species. We will enjoy several different stops this morning. Before heading to the airport, we stop at a feeder house for some pictures and up-close looks at hummingbirds. Drive to Denver International Airport (DEN) for departure or to pick up more birders for the Pinyon Juniper Tour. (B, L)
Additional Information
Difficulty
Depending on our destinations, we may do some walking on smooth trails on the prairie and some rocky sections with elevation gain in the mountains. Expect to walk about 1-2 miles per day at a gentle birding pace. Many of the birds can be found right along the paved roads or a short distance away from the car. Elevation in the mountains make this trip a little more difficult.
Weather
Temperatures on the prairie oscillate between 50-90 degrees with some wind and little shade. In Rocky Mountain National Park, we could experience 30-80 degrees depending on elevation. The tundra where White-tailed Ptarmigan call home, is like stepping into a refrigerator. We average only five rainy days each month so a rain jacket is optional. The weather changes constantly with snow possible in the high county any day of the year. The saying from local Coloradian’s, ‘if you don’t like the weather, wait a few minutes.’
Clothing
While on the Pawnee National Grasslands, bring a hat and sun protection. It is always smart to drink plenty of water as well. Light hikers or sneakers are fine for short jaunts on the prairie or in the mountains. In Rocky Mountain National Park, bring gloves, a jacket, and maybe even a beanie hat if you are more sensitive to cooler temperatures.
Altitude
4,900 feet is the average elevation for the prairie day. This usually is well tolerated by birders. However, the altitude range for most birding in the mountains is about 8,000-12,000 feet above sea level. It helps to acclimate to the elevation before going up in elevation. That is why we scheduled the first day on the prairie to give you some time. For visitors living outside of Colorado, you should be aware of the potential impacts of altitude. If you have health conditions that may be affected by altitude, you should consult with your health care professional. Drinking lots of water usually helps alleviate some of the systems. Please look through these considerations about altitude sickness here.
Here are our target species for this trip. Let’s see how many we can find!
A – Prairie to Mountains Tour
B – Pinyon Juniper plus Tour
Blue-winged Teal (A)
Cinnamon Teal (A)
Wild Turkey (A)
Scaled Quail (B)
Greater Roadrunner (B)
Eared Grebe (A)
Western Grebe (A)
Clarks Grebe (A)
Yellow-billed Cuckoo (B)
Common Nighthawk (A)
White-throated Swift (A, B)
Black-chinned Hummingbird (A, B)
Calliope Hummingbird (A, B)
Rufous Hummingbird (A, B)
Broad-tailed Hummingbird (B)
Virginia Rail (A)
Sora (A)
Black Rail (B)
Black-necked Stilt (A, B)
American Avocet (A, B)
Mountain Plover (A)
Snowy Plover (B)
Wilson’s Phalarope (A, B)
Lesser Yellowlegs (B)
Willet (B)
Greater Yellowlegs (B)
Stilt Sandpiper (B)
Baird’s Sandpiper (A, B)
Franklin’s Gull (A)
Black Tern (B)
American White Pelican (A)
Mississippi Kite (B)
Golden Eagle (A)
Northern Harrier (A)
Swainson’s Hawk (A, B)
Ferruginous Hawk (A)
Burrowing Owl (A, B)
Williamson’s Sapsucker (A)
Red-naped Sapsucker (A)
Red-headed Woodpecker (B)
Am Three-toed Woodpecker (A)
Ladder-backed Woodpecker (B)
Hairy Woodpecker (A)
Prairie Falcon (A)
Western Wood-Pewee (A, B)
Western Flycatcher (A, B)
Gray Flycatcher (B)
Hammond’s Flycatcher (A)
Dusky Flycatcher (A)
Eastern Phoebe (B)
Say’s Phoebe (A, B)
Ash-throated Flycatcher (B)
Cassin’s Kingbird (B)
Western Kingbird (A, B)
Eastern Kingbird (A)
Gray Vireo (B)
Plumbeous Vireo (A)
Warbling Vireo (A)
Loggerhead Shrike (A)
Steller’s Jay (A)
Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay (A, B)
Black-billed Magpie (A)
Chihuahuan Raven (B)
Common Raven (A)
Black-capped Chickadee (A)
Mountain Chickadee (A, B)
Juniper Titmouse (B)
Horned Lark (A)
Violet-green Swallow (B)
Cliff Swallow (A)
Bushtit (B)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (A)
Golden-crowned Kinglet (A)
Pygmy Nuthatch (B)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (B)
Rock Wren (A, B)
Canyon Wren (A, B)
Bewick’s Wren (B)
Marsh Wren (A)
American Dipper (A)
Curve-billed Thrasher (B)
Sage Thrasher (B)
Northern Mockingbird (A)
Western Bluebird (B)
Mountain Bluebird (A)
Townsend’s Solitaire (A)
Cedar Waxwing (A)
Pine Grosbeak (A)
Brown-capped Rosy-Finch (A)
Red Crossbill (A)
Pine Siskin (A)
Lesser Goldfinch (A, B)
Chestnut-collared Longspur (A)
Thick-billed Longspur (A)
Cassin’s Sparrow (A)
Grasshopper Sparrow (A)
Chipping Sparrow (A)
Brewer’s Sparrow (A)
Black-throated Sparrow (B)
Lark Sparrow (A, B)
Lark Bunting (A)
Canyon Towhee (B)
Rufous-crowned Sparrow (B)
Fox Sparrow (A)
White-crowned Sparrow (A)
Vesper Sparrow (A)
Lincoln’s Sparrow (A)
Green-tailed Towhee (A)
Spotted Towhee (A)
Yellow-breasted Chat (A, B)
Yellow-headed Blackbird (A, B)
Western Meadowlark (A)
Orchard Oriole (A)
Bullock’s Oriole (A, B)
Scott’s Oriole (B)
Virginia’s Warbler (B)
MacGillivray’s Warbler (A)
Common Yellowthroat (A)
Yellow Warbler (A)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (A)
Wilson’s Warbler (A)
Western Tanager (B)
Summer Tanager (B)
Black-headed Grosbeak (A, B)
Blue Grosbeak (A)
Lazuli Bunting (A)
Painted Bunting (B)
