Events Scheduled for Friday, May 8, 2026
Photo courtesy of Erik Hendrickson
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TOUR #7
Trail Canyon
5:45 am – 3:00 pm
Lisa Wilk MA, Science and Math Teacher, Durango 9R School District, Retired
Trail Canyon, an isolated oasis, features historic homesteader ranches now in conservancy. Located north of McElmo Creek, the dramatic geography includes sheer canyon walls and a beautiful waterfall. The riparian, juniper, cottonwood and sage prairie habitats lie within a migratory path and provide opportunities to see a variety of flycatchers, vireos, Yellow, Wilson’s, Orange-crowned & maybe MacGillivray’s warblers, Yellow-breasted Chat, Lazuli Bunting, Blue Grosbeak, American Kestrel, accipiters and the occasional Golden Eagle. Moderate with a hike of up to three miles round trip. Approximately 30 miles round trip.
Photo courtesy of Erik Hendrickson
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TOUR #8
Ute Mountain Tribal Park
6:00 am – 3:00 pm
Don Marsh, Senior Systems Analyst, Retired and eBird Reviewer
Combine birding with experiencing Mancos Canyon’s archaeological sites. Saltbush and sage bottomlands invite Sage Thrasher, Burrowing Owl, Scaled & Gambel’s quails and Lark, Sage & Black-throated sparrows. Willows and cottonwoods along the streambed attract Yellow-breasted Chat, tanagers, warblers, Indigo & Lazuli buntings and Blue Grosbeaks. Glyph-inscribed cliffs provide habitat for raptors, swifts, wrens and owls. Bridges may harbor nesting Black Phoebes. Vireos and flycatchers also frequent the pinyon-juniper uplands. Lunch while overlooking ancient cliff dwellings. Tour fee includes park entrance and a tip for the Ute Tribal guide. Easy. Approximately 50 miles round trip.
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TOUR #9
Bradfield Bridge #1
6:15 am – 3:00 pm
John Bregar, Oil & Gas Geologist/Geophysicist, Retired
Situated on the Dolores River in a migratory corridor below McPhee Dam, the Bradfield Bridge area offers river habitats that entice a broad array of species including Black Phoebe, Peregrine Falcon, White-throated Swifts, Yellow-breasted Chat, Canyon Wren, Lazuli Bunting, Wild Turkey and Belted Kingfisher. Swallows, warblers, raptors, woodpeckers, waterfowl and shorebirds add to the mix. The scenic sandstone canyon may even offer a sighting of river otters. Tours within this region historically have brought some of the UMMV Birding Festival’s highest species tallies. SWA pass required. Easy. Approximately 60 miles round trip.
Photo courtesy of Diane Cherbak
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TOUR #10
R121 Ranch
6:30 am – 3:00 pm
Diane Cherbak, Citizen Scientist and Festival Committee, UMMV Birding Festival
Be one of the first group of birders to visit this property near the base of Menefee Mountain. A private 220-acre ranch at 7400′ elevation consisting of mixed sage, oak, juniper, lush pinyon pines, several ponds, irrigated pasture, some nice draws and a lone ponderosa. The property butts up to BLM land that continues with the pinyon-juniper woodland. Possible species could include Juniper Titmouse, Brown Creeper, Townsend Solitaire, Ruby-crowned Kinglet along with jays, woodpeckers, nuthatch, magpies and raptors. Moderate with up to 3 Miles of walking. Approximately 42-mile round trip.
Photo courtesy of Linda Raczek
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TOUR #11
Denny Lake & Totten Reservoir ½ Day
6:45 am – 11:30 am
Eric Moore, Owner, The Lookout, Prescott, AZ
Some of the best birding around Cortez is close to home. Denny Lake is within City boundaries, and Totten Reservoir is just outside. City parks have always been ideal places to look for birds. At an age when they couldn’t afford binoculars, Roger Tory Peterson and his friends famously climbed trees in New York City’s Central Park before dawn in order to be in position to see migrating songbirds. Ken Kauffman once described the ideal birding hotspot as having a mix of dry uplands, wetlands, a body of water, trees, shrubs, and fields with a wide walking path (all features which attract birds, except the path, which is just nice for birders), and Denny Lake Park has all of these. Totten Reservoir, which dates to 1907, has the record for most species of birds observed in Montezuma County in the eBird database, with 236 species. Denny Lake isn’t far behind, with 196 species. Both Denny and Totten attract birds all year round, but they are especially productive in spring. They are just nice places to go and close to town with lots of fun birds to see. SWA pass required. Easy. Approximately 4 miles round trip.
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TOUR #12
Birding 101 ½ Day
7:00 am – 11:00 am
Erik Hendrickson, Engineer, National Park Service, Retired
This tour is designed to emphasize “The Basics” of birding: getting out early in the morning, staying close to home, having fun, and learning about birds and the habitats where they are found. Just the basics, in a fun, observations. Basically, duplicating birding trips that local Montezuma County birders dolearning environment where everyone contributes to throughout the year – recognizing common bird species and migrants, pointing out key field marks, especially on distant birds and especially on birds not seen very often. The festival is timed to increase chances of seeing migrating waterfowl and songbirds, to see newly arrived raptors, flycatchers and swallows, and to see local year-round sagebrush and PJ inhabitants at Denny Lake and Totten Reservoir SWA. SWA pass required. Easy. Limit 8. Approximately 5 miles round trip.
Photo courtesy of Diane Cherbak
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TOUR #13
Birding 201 ½ Day
12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Erik Hendrickson, Engineer, National Park Service, Retired
An afternoon continuation of Birding 101. This tour is not more advanced, but ventures a little further from Cortez, making stops at Narraguinnep SWA, McPhee Recreation Area (San Juan NF), and Summit Reservoir SWA (Montezuma County’s “iconic reservoirs”). As birding is often slower in the afternoon, focus will be on identification of each bird encountered, asking questions and discussing markings observed to aid in identification. The tour will be paced according to bird activity, adjusting time at each location depending on the birds identified. The afternoon will be spent scanning for waterfowl and shorebirds at the reservoirs, using spotting scopes as necessary, and walking short trails looking for forest species and migrating songbirds. SWA pass required. Easy. Limit 8. Approximately 60 miles round trip.
LECTURE
“Learning the Language of Birds”
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Aimee Way, Environmental Scientist & Durango Bird Club Member
Spring migration is a great time to brush up on your audio identification for returning migrants, resparking your memory of songs and calls. Learning a language is like climbing a mountain, because it’s hard work but the breathtaking view at the top is well worth it! Learning bird sounds is similar. Once you start to learn sounds, the birds you will find in the world expands. Aimee will share tips, tricks, and resources for learning the language of birds. With patience and practice, you can take your birding to a new level by learning to bird by ear.
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Birding Festival General Information
- The Ute Mountain Mesa Verde Birding Festival is the major fundraiser for the Cortez Cultural Center. All proceeds benefit the Center.
- All tours require pre-registration.
- A registration fee is required for all tours. Full registration includes all daily tours. Daily registration includes a single full day tour. Half-day tour fee includes a single ½ day tour. Full registration is required in order to qualify for the free early bird t-shirt.
- All lunches are an extra cost and are provided by Once Upon a Sandwich unless otherwise noted.
- Unless otherwise noted, tours will return to the Center at approximately 3:00 pm.
- Carpools/caravanning will be used for all tours. Drivers will be reimbursed for gas by passengers at the rate of 70 cents per mile, divided among all participants in the vehicle.
- Tour size is generally 13 or less.
- Tours take place in varied habitats with altitudes ranging from 5000 - 9500'.
- Cancellations considered on a case-by-case basis up to 21 days prior to start of Festival. All cancellations are subject to a processing fee.
- Availability of restrooms depends on the tour. Nearly all guides scout out restroom locations as well as bird species. Some tours are in parks or other facilities that have established restrooms. Some have outhouses. Others, the only option are bushes. The leader will usually mention the restroom plan at the beginning of the tour.
- All tours depart from and return to the Cortez Cultural Center.
- Tour times listed are the DEPARTURE time. Please arrive 15 minutes prior.
For Birding Festival information email diane.cherbak@gmail.com
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