Events Scheduled for Saturday, May 9, 2026
Photo courtesy of Charles Haspels
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TOUR #14
Upper Dolores River and Twin Spruce Ponds State Wildlife Area
5:45 am – 3:00 pm
Ryan Votta, Asst. Manager, Durango Fish Hatchery, Colorado Parks & Wildlife
This tour will begin with quick stops at Narraguinnep and McPhee Reservoirs which are en route to the town of Dolores. We will use our scopes to scan for waterfowl, shorebirds, gulls, and grebes. Moving on to Dolores, we will spend about an hour at one of the best places to bird in Montezuma County, the Dolores Ponds eBird hotspot. The diverse habitat at this location offers riparian areas where the Dolores River enters McPhee Reservoir, pinyon-juniper, red-rock cliffs, and a series of shallow ponds. We will listen for singing Canyon Wrens, and hope to spot interesting species like Peregrine Falcon, Black-throated Gray Warbler, and Cliff Swallow. From here we’ll follow Hwy 145 along the scenic Dolores River making several stops on our way. Lunch at Twin Spruce Ponds SWA where we’ll look for Spotted Sandpiper, Orange-crowned Warbler, and Steller’s Jay. We will finish the tour at the Rio Lado Wetlands hoping to encounter American Dipper, Fox Sparrow, and MacGillivray’s Warbler. SWA pass required. Moderate amount of walking, with about 7-8 stops throughout the day. Approximately 95 miles round trip.
Photo courtesy of Diane Cherbak
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TOUR #15
Ismay’s Yellow Jacket Canyon & McElmo Canyon
6:00 am – 3:00 pm
Melissa May, M.S., Mountain Studies Institute, Executive Director; Brian Devine
Yellow Jacket Canyon in the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument cradles permanent riparian corridors with big cottonwoods and an understory unique to southwest Colorado – the only known location in Colorado for nesting Lucy’s Warbler. Additionally, there will be a visit to a private property within McElmo Canyon’s red bluffs. Summer Tanager, Gray Flycatcher, Gray Vireo, Black-headed Grosbeak, Bullock’s Oriole, hummingbirds, a variety of warblers and Cooper’s Hawk are possibilities. Easy with up to a mile hiking; warm temps likely (80s). Approximately 80 miles round trip.
Photo courtesy of Diane Cherbak
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TOUR #16
Among the Ancients
6:15 am – 3:00 pm
Brenda Wright and Coen Dexter, Colorado Birding Atlas II
High desert and sage landscapes surrounding remnants of ancient dwellings offer bird-rich habitats. Open fields around Lowry pueblo are ideal for spotting buteos, eagles, falcons, Horned Lark and bluebirds. Intermittent pinyon-juniper and cottonwood stands, and rocky side-canyons entice Say’s Phoebe, Gray Vireo, woodpeckers, titmice, wrens, flycatchers, warblers, towhees, Black-throated, Vesper, Lincoln’s & White-crowned sparrows and perhaps a Loggerhead Shrike or Cassin’s Kingbird. Stop at a private ranch with riparian and pinyon-juniper habitats. Easy. Approximately 75 miles round trip.
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TOUR #17
Bradfield Bridge #2
6:30 am – 3:00 pm
Aimee Way, Environmental Specialist, Colorado Department of Transportation
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 #18
Birding at Echo Basin
6:45 am – 3:00 pm
Stephen and Emilee Tarnowski, Montezuma County Birders
Bird scenic Echo Basin and up to higher altitudes. With a broad habitat diversity of gently rolling hills, meadows, ponderosa pine forest, spruce/fir forest, riparian areas and a significant pond, sightings might include waterfowl, Bald Eagle, Osprey, Red-naped Sapsucker, Lewis’s Woodpecker, Purple Martin, Olive-sided Flycatcher, warblers, vireos, bluebirds, jays, nuthatches and swallows. Easy to moderate with some hiking. Approximately 50 miles round trip.
Photo courtesy of Carla Fox
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TOUR #19
Carpenter & Geer Natural Areas ½ Day
7:00 am – 11:30 am
Eric Moore, Owner, The Lookout, Prescott, AZ
Located at the north edge of Cortez, Geer Park’s year-round pond attracts a multitude of waterfowl, wading birds and swallows. Scrub-Jay, Northern Flicker, sparrows, hummingbirds, warblers and finches favor an adjacent arroyo. The tour will be expanded to include Carpenter Natural Area featuring a paved trail and a network of primitive trails along a creek with rocky mesas. Sagebrush fields with scattered junipers and other desert grasses and shrubs provide for an array of species possibilities. Easy with up to a two-mile walk. Approximately 4 miles round trip.
Sneed Collard, UMMV 2026 Keynote Speaker
2026 Keynote Banquet
DINNER, SILENT AUCTION, KEYNOTE SPEAKER—Cortez Conference Center
5:30 pm – Social Hour and Silent Auction Opens
6:15 pm – Dinner
7:15 pm – Silent Auction Closes
7:30 pm – Keynote Speaker: Sneed Collard, “Birding for Boomers—And Everyone Else Brave Enough to Embrace the World’s Most Rewarding and Frustrating Activity”
6:15 pm – Dinner
7:15 pm – Silent Auction Closes
7:30 pm – Keynote Speaker: Sneed Collard, “Birding for Boomers—And Everyone Else Brave Enough to Embrace the World’s Most Rewarding and Frustrating Activity”
Author of more than 100 books for children and adults, acclaimed writer Sneed B. Collard III traces his path from budding biologist to book author to passionate Boomer Birder. After sharing how his son, Braden, and he first fell in love with birds and started learning about them, he’ll share some of the joys and challenges of being a “birder of a certain age,” and how all birders can overcome obstacles to enjoy the world’s most rewarding and frustrating activity. He might just share a tidbit about a search to spot a Green-tailed Towhee.
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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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