June + 19 Species and 6 Lifers
July + 14 Species and 7 Lifers
Total:  513 Species!  Time to increase the goal!

PictureSign at the Gladwin State Game Area, Michigan
In Michigan I only picked up a Vesper Sparrow before heading west.  I had planned to head north for a known nesting Goshawk spot, but I dipped on that when I read about birders recommending wearing bike helmets to walk the public path near the nesting spot.  Birders and photographers were getting way too close to the watchful and aggressive parents.  I wanted a Goshawk, just not like that. 

​I made time to play with the grandkids, clean the house (always my goal before a trip), and plan a trip at elevation. On June 26, the Reluctant Birder and I packed up the truck and headed west.  

Loveland, Colorado including Pawnee National Wildlife Refuge

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Wait. Those aren't deer! Pronghorn antelope in Pawnee National Wildlife Refuge.
I had a list of target species and during our trip we planned to bird with a local Colorado birder who is a family friend.  During our pre-trip discussion, I told her that we would be stopping to bird Pawnee before heading to Rocky Mountain National Park.  She gave me a pin for Mountain Plover and just like that, there they were.  Magical.  I also added Thick-billed Longspur.  There were so many Horned Larks that we almost dismissed the Longspur as a Horned Lark.  We did miss the Chestnut-collared Longspur.  I'm sure they were there, we just didn't identify them.  Lots of Lark Buntings, too. And plenty of people along one area of Pawnee who were shooting up Saturday with guns.  Turns out the wildlife refuge is next to an area where target shooting is allowed.  So confusing.  

We only stayed two nights in Loveland, but had time to walk around the downtown area and catch Canada win their World Cup Soccer match at a local brewery.  Great town.  Lots of construction, but it looks like they are making the entire downtown pedestrian only. On our departure morning we got up early and birded a great nearby location:  Bobcat Ridge Natural Area.  Several recent EBird checklists listed quite a few of my target species.  We opened the truck door in the lot and I immediately heard new species.  What an oasis right around the parking lot.  We spent at least an hour walking the entrance road that had a stream running next to it and then we birded the trees in the parking lot.  I picked up seven new species including Lazuli Bunting, Cassin's Finch, and Canyon Wren.  I also got my first of many Black-billed Magpies.  After the parking lot, we walked a very nice trail through the grasslands and watched a pair of Prairie Falcons hunt.  What a treat.  I was surprised when a Kestrel (that we had seen around the parking lot) came in to dive bomb the larger falcons.  He was outsized and outnumbered, but the Kestrel must've had a nest nearby and was willing to battle.  The Prairie Falcons weren't very bothered and continued to follow the power lines until they were out of sight.  Bobcat Ridge has wonderful walking trails with lots of deer, Western Meadowlarks, and Lark Sparrows, but the real birding was done right at 7 am from the parking lot.  

Next Stop:   Rocky Mountain National Park

After leaving Loveland we made the short, scenic drive toward Rocky Mountain National Park.  We were both a little wide-eyed at the throngs of people in Estes Park.  It was July 4 week, so we figured it would be busy - but not this busy!  We secured a timed entrance into Bear Lake area at 2:00 pm and we attempted to go through the main Beaver Meadows entrance at 1:55pm so we could make it to Bear Lake by 2 pm.  Nope.  After waiting in line for fifteen minutes and only five minutes before our timed entry, we were told to turn around and get back in line.  By the time we got to the back of the line, there were about 100 cars ahead of us.  Lesson learned.  The rangers do not allow you in even a minute before your timed entry.  We finally got to Bear Lake at 3pm and although there were permanent signs that said, "Parking Full at Bear Lake," we kept driving.  We didn't want to park miles back and take the crowded shuttle.  We learned how much that sucks while visiting Zion National Park.  Our gamble paid off.  There were a few dozen parking spots at Bear Lake.  There were also about 300 hot, miserable people waiting in line for the shuttle back to their cars.  Overall, Bear Lake is beautiful and it is a nice easy walk, but it is very crowded and there are many other scenic hikes with fewer people.  
Our lodging for the first few nights near the park was at the Sunshine Mountain Lodge in Allenspark, Co.  After a full day of birding at Bobcat Ridge and then at Bear Lake and Sprague Lake, we felt the elevation (8,500 ft) when we unloaded the truck.  A large group had just departed the cabins and we were the only guests.  It was lovely.  We slept with the windows open to let the cool mountain air sweep through the cabin.  I woke up at dawn and my before my eyes even opened, my ears processed bird sounds:  Western Warbling Vireo, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Mountain Chickadee, Pygmy Nuthatch....but what was that other bird?  My eyes sprung open and I fumbled with Merlin.  Then there was another new call that I couldn't quite place.  Merlin figured it out:  Hammond's Flycatcher and MacGillivray's Warbler.  I dressed quickly and headed outside.  The pair of Mac's were foraging in the brush and of course the flycatcher was doing his flycatcher thing.  In less than an hour and before coffee I had twenty different species.  
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Copeland Falls, Wild Basin area of Rocky Mountain National Park, Photo by Jeanne Peabody
We spent the final day of June exploring the trails around the Wild Basin Entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park.  We parked in one of the first parking lots thinking the back lots would already be full.  They weren't.  However our 1-2 mile walk along the ridge yielded a bird I didn't expect to see:  Pinyon Jay.  We had just climbed to the top of a ridge and caught our breath while scanning the tree tops of the valley next to us when the Reluctant Birder said, "There's your Mountain Bluebird."  I was expecting to see a Mountain Bluebird on this trip and had prepped him.  However, this wasn't a Mountain Bluebird.  The bill was too long and thick.  The body was too fat.  He wasn't flycatching, but was at the top of a conifer foraging on a pine cone.  My brain was processing, "mountain bluebird??  scrub jay??" and neither seemed right.  Then the Reluctant Birder showed me his phone.  The call we watched the bird make lit up "Pinyon Jay."  There were others calling from a distance that Merlin picked up, too, but we only saw one.  We watched as he worked on the pine cone for a minute or two, then called out, and flew away.  Very cool sighting.  EBird flagged it as rare, but after talking with our friend who guides in Colorado a few days later,  she confirmed that Pinyon Jays have a wide range and could be anywhere given the state's severe drought and the fact that their normal habitat was affected by smoke and wildfires.  The Reluctant Birder consoled me, "We will get you a Mountain Bluebird!"  He didn't know that a Pinyon Jay was a Lifer for me and I've seen plenty of Mountain Bluebirds over the years.  
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Pinyon Jay, Menke, Dave/USFWS, Public Domain
On July 1 we were lucky enough to secure timed entry into Brainard Lake Recreation Area (elevation 10,000 ft!).  Just like the national parks, this area is so popular that park goers must obtain (for a nominal fee) an entry permit.  We arrived right at our scheduled 7 am entry hoping to see a moose, but that didn't happen.  We did, however, get a surprise bird:  White-winged Crossbill.  It was hanging with a flock of Red Crossbills and started singing away.  Cool looking bird.  
We returned to our cabin in Allenspark, packed up, and headed to our new cabin in Estes Park at Swiftcurrent Lodge.  Each of our accommodations had a kitchen so we avoided eating out which saved a lot of money.  Our new cabin was by far the most expensive, but the location was fantastic.  Our cabin was right on a rushing Big Thompson River and we were within five minutes of the Beaver Meadows RMNP entrance.   
On July 2 we birded what ended up being my favorite birding spot in all of Rocky Mountain National Park:  Endovalley and Alluvial Fan.  We arrived right at 7 am (before a timed entry is required) and the entire area was alive with songbirds.  Warblers included Virginia's, Orange-crowned, Wilson's, and MacGillivray's and the woodpeckers included Red-naped Sapsucker, American three-toed Woodpecker, and a pair of Williamson's Sapsuckers.  The Williamson's took me by surprise.  I was waiting outside the bathrooms for The Reluctant Birder when the female Williamson's landed in a tree right in front of me.  My first thought was Flicker due to the brown head and speckled back, but it was too small.  Just as the Reluctant Birder came out of the bathroom, it flew and I noted a white butt and told myself it must've been a Flicker.  Then the male landed on the exact same spot in front of us and we both got great looks.  Definitely not Flickers.  The pair hung around the trees near the bathroom for quite some time.  Another super cool sighting was a Long-eared Owl.  We were hiking along the path behind the picnic area and there was a huge commotion with several bird species signaling alarm calls.  Experience told me there was a predator nearby - namely an owl or a hawk.  With the help of a crow, we narrowed our search down to one tree.  Despite circling this tree and looking at it for quite some time, we couldn't see anything inside.  We were about to give up and move on, and the owl flew out silently.  Owls are just so cool.  With the chorus of alarms silenced, we continued our walk in the woods.  Excellent birding area.  We stopped at Alluvial Fan after leaving Endovalley and walked around a bit.  Just behind the bathrooms there were some dead aspen trees and one single tree housed the nests of a Tree Swallow, Pygmy Nuthatch, and a Northern House Wren.  The tree next to it had a Red-naped Sapsucker nest and we watched the parents working tirelessly to feed the loud chicks inside.  
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Male Williamson's Sapsucker, Jeanne Peabody @ Endovalley RMNP
That afternoon (after 2pm so no timed entry permits are required) we returned to the park and walked the trail at Upper Beaver Meadows.  What a scenic walk and hardly any other people.  We finally saw a pair of Mountain Bluebirds, but the highlight was a pair of Western Tanagers that seemed to follow us.  
July 3 was a special day because we were birding with a family friend, Carly Crow.  It was her day off from her Bird Guide job, but she wanted to do what she likes best (when she isn't working on illustrations):  go birding!  She reviewed my new target list and we decided to head up Trail Ridge Road to see if we could find high Alpine species.  The wildflowers were pretty special at Medicine Bow Curve, which is right after the Alpine Visitors Center.  We arrived at Medicine Bow by 7am and slowly followed the trail up.  I say slowly because it starts at 11, 600 ft.  We took our time and drank lots of water!  After seeing many Rock Birds (rocks that look like birds), we found a White-tailed Ptarmigan.  There were also many Horned Larks and American Pipits doing their larking thing.  While the Ptarmigan was fantastic, the wildflowers and resting Elk stole the show.  
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White-tailed Ptarmigan, Jeanne Peabody @ Medicine Bow, RMNP
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Male Elk, Jeanne Peabody, RMNP
We stopped at the Alpine Visitor's Center early enough to get a parking spot (8:45 am) and were treated with a small flock of Brown-capped Rosy-Finch.  There isn't much snow pack left on the mountain, so that was a lucky sighting.  While sitting in the Visitor Center Cafeteria, Carly and I talked about my target list.  She was surprised to see an American Goshawk still on my list since the last time we spoke, I told her about the nesting pair in Gladwin, Michigan just a few hours from my house.  I explained that I didn't go.  It just didn't feel right to disrupt such a territorial bird at their nest for a checkmark on my list.  Right after I said that, I looked out the window and saw a raptor.  I put Carly on it and she yelled, "Goshawk!"  It was karma at work, for sure.  On our way back we stopped by Rainbow Curve for Clark's Nutcracker, but gave up after 45 minutes.  The Reluctant Birder and I returned the next day and waited about 30 minutes and a pair flew in.  I hadn't seen one since I visited Crater Lake and they are a fun bird to observe.  We also stopped by the Estes Park YMCA Camp to view the feeders.  Scott was setting up his bird banding station and we got to talk a bit with him.  It was a great day with Carly.  If you're planning to bird RMNP or anywhere in the Denver area, I highly recommend her!
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Pica! We pulled off the Trail Ridge Road to observe adorable Pica. So loud!
Our last full day on our Colorado trip was July 4 - the nation's 250th anniversary.  Colorado is enduring severe drought and there were wildfires in several places.  As a result, all outdoor fires were restricted and that included all fireworks.  It was absolutely wonderful to not have a bunch a amateur pyrotechnics littering the environment and disrupting the peace.  It was one of the most peaceful and enjoyable July 4th we've ever had!  We woke up ridiculously early (4:20 am) in order to get into Bear Lake before the 5:00 am timed entry permit starts.  When we got to the Bear Lake Parking Lot at 4:50 am, it was FULL!  We backtracked and found one parking spot at the tiny parking lot at Bierstadt Lake.  This was a location The Reluctant Birder wanted to hike anyway, so it was all good.  It was a nice 3 mile hike and we were used to the altitude.  We didn't see any new birds, but the scenery and the snowshoe hare were pretty cool.  
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A herd of Elk in Estes Park, CO, Jeanne Peabody @ Estes Park, CO