On this western Colorado road trip, I stayed for a few days with a friend who lives high on a hill with 360 degree views of mountains. On the other side of the hill lies Fruitgrowers Reservoir. The reservoir provides irrigation for the orchards and farms in the area. But we were there to see birds.
The reservoir has been called best waterbirding spot on Colorado’s West Slope. According to the sign at the site, it has been designated as an important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society with over 220 species of birds sighted.
Each of the three evenings I was there, we pulled over onto the narrow shoulder along the road which bisects the wetlands. My friends are birders, quite knowledgeable about the species that frequented this wetland landscape, and could point out some that, with that little bit of help, I could identify. I had just missed the great migration of Sandhill Cranes coming through, but there were still a handful to spot, along with a few unmistakable Blue Herons. There was quite a pod of White Pelicans; at first glance I thought they were swans. (The National Park Service advises they can be called a brief, pod, pouch, scoop, or squadron of pelicans!) We also saw Grebes, Blackbirds, Coots, Avocets, and geese. The combined bird calls sang a kind of symphony.
This was one time I wished I had splurged to buy a more powerful zoom lens. The photos are from a distance and dim in the dusky light, so please excuse the quality of the images. I’ve taken the liberty of enhancing the exposure a bit digitally and cropped in for a closer look.
Note on bird identification: I have changed the captions for a couple of images after hearing from birder friends, who know much more than me! The photo above tagged as Avocets, I originally called Kildeer, based on the photo in the sign at the site. The darker bird in flight I had thought was a Sandhill Crane based on images I saw online, but have been advised it is a Great Blue Heron. Any mistakes on this page are mine.
Western Slope road trip: Grand Junction sculpture, Dominguez Canyon, Fruitgrowers Reservoir, Western Slope towns, Colorado National Monument
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Email me at: Ruth@RuthRosenfeld.com
Ruth Rosenfeld 
Lots of gorgeous wildlife all around!
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Thanks for your visit and comment, Rebecca!
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I don’t think I’ve seen a white pelican before. It’s really pretty! Maggie
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I hadn’t either. That’s why I thought they were swans at first!
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I would have too!!
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Hi Ruth. It’s a wonderful thing to be in a place where birds can be seen en masse.
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I was sorry to have missed the huge Sandhill Crane migration coming through, but there were so many others!
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That’s a lot of birds, I liked the pelikans very much. It certainly is a great spot for birding.
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The pelicans were beautiful. I was glad my friends could help identify all the different types of birds.
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Looks very serene. Ahhhh…..
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It was serene and calming… but not quiet!
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Look at all the beautiful birds on display, especially the white pelicans. I love birdwatching and find that birdwatching will make you love nature even more! When you step out into forests, jungles, wetlands, swamps, and lakes, you will slowly learn how beautiful our wild world is Thanks for sharing and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
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It’s true, there are so many wild places where wildlife can thrive away from humans. Thanks for your thoughtful comment, Aiva.
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Wow! This is such magnificent scenery and amazing birds.
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Thank you, Jay. It felt a bit like I was an intruder into their habitat.
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It’s great that you were a mindful and considerate guest.
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Looks like a great spot for birdwatching. Isn’t it amazing how many species of birds there are?
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There are so many species of birds, and other creatures for that matter. It is amazing to stand among them.
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I don’t think it’s a liberty at all to crop and enhance the exposure to give us a better look at this great mix of birds! I loved seeing the Sandhill Cranes in flight in particular 🙂
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I would think you would agree! I have received emails from a couple of birder friends that advise that darker bird in flight is a Blue Heron. I bow to those more knowledgeable. I will add some notes to the post indicating that I may be mistaken. 🤔
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To be honest I thought it looked like a heron but I’m not a birder and had no idea what a Sandhill Crane should look like!
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Nice pictures. I love seeing those big birds in flight.
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Thanks. It was so lovely to see them in “person”.
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It’s always so good to visit a place which is a stop off point for migrating birds.. and equally good just to be in a place where the birdwatching is as good as this. Fabulous scenery too.
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It’s surprising how many different birds are comfortable with other species. It was a delight to watch them.
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I would have so enjoyed this. I’m not a birder, but love any kind of wildlife so I’m always on the lookout for them. It must have been really lovely to be there.
Alison
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It was an amazing place. So many different birds coexisting together.
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Oh those pelicans are absolutely amazing. Wonderful photos Ruth.
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Thank you! The pelican were quite a surprise and so beautiful.
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A beautiful post accompanied by really fantastic images⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Thanks so much, Luisa!
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You’re more than welcome ❣️🌷
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Wow, what a lovely sunrise – the colours, the mountains in the distance and clouds make it just picture perfect! Bird paradise indeed – love the white pelicans and the blue heron in flight. Well, you could have fooled me with the different bird names 😉 … I like them all!
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I was glad to be with a friend who could identify the birds. The white pelicans were lovely, and the herons. Thank you!
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