Bent County
Author(s): Andrew Spencer
County Seat: Las Animas
County Size: 1,517 square miles
Low Elevation: 3,665 ft. - Arkansas River on the Prowers border
High Elevation : 4,855 ft. - San Jose Ranch Mesa
Best Birds : Dusky-capped Flycatcher (1883), Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher (2002), Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (2000)
Checklist : Download pdf | View HTML
Introduction: This is not just another square shaped eastern plains county. Bent County is arguably the best of the counties east of the mountains in both variety and quality of species that breed, migrate through, or winter here. For example, over 20 and sometimes over 30 species of warblers occur in the county every year, Greater Roadrunners and Black Rails breed within a couple of miles of each other, and just about every species of shorebird, wader, and waterbird that has been seen in the state has been seen somewhere in the county.
Birding Locations
Wilson Ranch
Description - Approximately 20 miles south of the town of Las Animas, the Wilson Ranch hosts vast areas of shortgrass prairie and numerous canyons for exploration. The prairie is home to many prairie species including Burrowing Owl, Cassin's Sparrow and Long-billed Curlew and is known to have high concentrations of Mountain Plover in mid to late summer. The scenic canyons are an added bonus to the ranch that take most visitors by surprise, as the drive south from Las Animas does not hint at the changing topography. The juniper-lined canyons are a great place to explore and look for cliff-dwelling raptors such as Golden Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Great Horned Owl and American Kestrel. The intermittent streams running through the canyons support pools of water and willow/cottonwood groves that make great stopover areas for migrants. The ranch also offers a number of old homesteads and rock houses to explore. The Wilson Ranch is managed for healthy range and riparian areas and the abundance of wildlife present is a result of the family's commitment to conservation. It is a working ranch that offers guided and self-guided tours, horseback riding, hiking and biking as well as lodging and meals upon prior arrangement. For more information and directions to the ranch, call Max and Vanessa Wilson at (719) 456-1051 or email mgwilson@pld.com.
Habitat - Grassland/Prairie, Mesa/Rimrock, Lowland Riparian
Directions - To inquire about access to this ranch and to get directions, please call Max and Vanessa Wilson at 719-456-1051 a minimum of 48 hours in advance of your potential visit. Please remember that this is a working ranch as well as a private residence, and there may be times when the landowner cannot accommodate visits. While you are on the ranch, remember to stay on roads, leave gates as you find them (whether open or closed), and refrain from taking anything off the ranch or leaving trash behind.
Delorme -
Roads of Colorado -
Tempel Grove
Aliases - Tony's Grove
Description - This site, located about 20 minutes from the town of Lamar, has extensive tracts of shortgrass prairie, shoreline frontage on Neegronda reservoir, and a long stretch of tree-lined Fort Lyon canal. Possible sightings include various shorebird species, shortgrass specialties, and a concentration of migrants along the canal in spring and fall. If you haven't birded the trees along this canal, you should! They look like they belong in southeastern Kansas instead of southeastern Colorado, and recent records of Vermilion Flycatcher, Gray-cheeked Thrush and Prothonotary Warbler demonstrate that the resemblance isn't purely superficial!
Habitat - Lowland Riparian, Grassland/Prairie
Directions - From US 287 turn west on Road A(approximately 4.5 miles south of Nee Noshe Reservoir). Continue west for 1 mile and turn south (left) onto Road 35. You will see the monstrous trees at the center of the grove as soon as you head south.Our future access may depend on universal compliance with the following simple requests!
Birders are asked to park on the west side of Road 35, south of the canal. There are several large hay bales stored here, marking the right location to park. Please don't block any vehicles or equipment. It is ok to walk along the canal in either direction for as far as one wants to go, and it is acceptable for birders to walk through the trees on the west side of Road 35, or even on the north side of the canal. PLEASE don't walk through the leaf litter under the huge trees or anywhere south of the canal east of Road 35.
Please remember that this is a working ranch as well as a private residence. While you are on the ranch, remember to leave gates as you find them (whether open or closed), and refrain from taking anything off the ranch or leaving trash behind.
Delorme - 99 C6
Roads of Colorado - 125 F1
Shane's Place
Description - This site offers over 100 acres of marsh, stream, and riverfront wildlife watching, a unique treat in southeastern Colorado. The riparian area along the Arkansas River tributary will catch migrants in the spring and fall, while marsh-dwelling species can be found year-round. The adjacent shortgrass prairie will round out this site's birding experience. This ranch is a remarkable addition to the birding potential of the greater John Martin Reservoir area, and its potential for migrants and rare winter visitors should vault it to the top of a serious birder's destination list.
Habitat - Marsh, Lowland Riparian, Grassland/Prairie
Directions - To inquire about access to this ranch and to get directions, please contact 719-456-1466 a minimum of 48 hours in advance of your potential visit. Please remember that this is a working ranch as well as a private residence, and there may be times when the landowner cannot accommodate visits. While you are on the ranch, remember to stay on roads, leave gates as you find them (whether open or closed), and refrain from taking anything off the ranch or leaving trash behind.
Delorme -
Roads of Colorado -
Thomeczek's Wildlife Area and Campgrounds
Description - This site contains 360 acres of shortgrass prairie and riparian area along the Purgatoire River. The prairie dogs towns attract Burrowing Owls, and the structural diversity of surrounding ungrazed pastures should yield a variety of prairie birds. Walk along the riparian corridor to look for migrants, or wade in the river.
Habitat - Grassland/Prairie, Lowland Riparian
Directions - To inquire about access to this ranch and to get directions, please call 719-456-1296 a minimum of 48 hours in advance of your potential visit. Please remember that this is a working ranch as well as a private residence, and there may be times when the landowner cannot accommodate visits. While you are on the ranch, remember to stay on roads, leave gates as you find them (whether open or closed), and refrain from taking anything off the ranch or leaving trash behind.
Delorme -
Roads of Colorado -
John Martin Reservoir State Park
Aliases - Hasty, Lake Hasty, Caddoa
Description - The best places from which to scan the actual reservoir are the dam, the north side of the lake near the visitor center, or from the south side, reached by a confusing maze of roads. The north side is off limits during the fall through early spring, and the south side is off limits during the spring and summer (to protect the Piping Plovers and Least Terns that nest here), so plan your attack strategy accordingly. When driving along the southern edge, be careful of the many sand traps that exist along the roads. When and if you do actually reach the reservoir, you can expect some truly awesome congregations of ducks and geese here during the fall and winter, as well as amazing flocks of gulls. Over the years, practically every expected species and a few unexpected ones have been found here.The South Side of John Martin also has some good migrant traps, but most are inaccessible during the spring migration and earlier parts of fall migration. Finding them is no piece of cake, either. Your time is better spent at the north side migrant traps.
The area around and below the dam, on the east side of John Martin, is now technically part of John Martin State Park, but is typically referred to as the Lake Hasty Area. The first thing you'll see when coming down the road from the town of Hasty towards the dam are the small ponds, one on either side of the road, near the road to the dam. They can be chock full of ducks (sometimes more so than the entirety of Lake Hasty). Scaled Quail are often seen in the grassland areas just above the campground. The rocky areas here have also produced Greater Roadrunner (though not often) and Rock Wren.
Lake Hasty Campground is made up of lots of trees of various sizes but zero undergrowth. For some reason, despite the lack of undergrowth, this is a good spot to look for unusual eastern migrants, and many a great surprise has been found (e.g., Black-billed Cuckoo, Hermit Warbler, Painted Redstart), so keep an eye out. This campground is especially well known for the resident Red-bellied Woodpeckers and Eastern Bluebirds, which can usually be found on a thorough search.
Lake Hasty itself is usually not the most productive of lakes, but sometimes has some diving ducks on it and cormorants on it. Surf Scoter and both swans have shown up, and you might look for Least Tern here in late summer. The river just south of the lake is lined with willows and other vegetation and may be worth a look, especially in the winter when some of the only open water around is found here. The Corps of Engineers Headquarters, just across the river from Lake Hasty, has some trees and a thin hedgerow that may contain some interesting species, and possibly owls in the winter.
The town of Hasty just north of the campground and lake complex has a small cemetery with some conifers that may also contain owls in the winter, and maybe a migrant or two in season. Usually nothing of interest is seen here. The "town" of Caddoa, to the south of Lake Hasty, sometimes has coveys of Scaled Quail, but little else.
URL - John Martin Reservoir State Park
Habitat - Pond/Lake/Reservoir, Marsh, Hedgerow/Shelterbelt, Grassland/Prairie, Tamarisk
Directions - The John Martin Reservoir complex is south of US 50 between the towns of Las Animas and Lamar. To get to the dam, head east on US 50 from Las Animas to the town of Hasty and go south about two miles to the dam. For more specific directions to sites, see the text above.
Delorme - 99 D6
Roads of Colorado - 125 E3
Verhoeff Reservoir
Description - This privately owned reservoir is frustratingly hard to scan, but often contains huge flocks of waterbirds and shorebirds. It must be scanned from US 50, which means many small birds may not be identifiable, but most ducks and some rarities such as Tricolored Heron that have occurred here may be identifiable from the road with a scope. Absolutely do not trespass here.
Habitat - Pond/Lake/Reservoir, Marsh
Directions - Verhoeff Reservoir is on the south side of US 50 three miles east of the town of Hasty, between Las Animas and Lamar.
Delorme - 99 D6
Roads of Colorado - 125 E3
Las Animas
Aliases - Bent's Fort Inn Bird Sanctuary
Description - The largest town in Bent County is also the best place in the county to see Eurasian Collared-Dove. There is a large veteran's cemetery with many trees just south of town on CO 101, but this location is seldom birded. Where CO 101 crosses the Purgatoire River the riparian corridor may have a few birds. Greater Roadrunner has been seen in this area, and Chihuahuan Ravens can usually be found somewhere south of town. Just east of town on the south side of US 50 is the Best Western Bent's Fort Inn, which maintains a nice nature trail through a bird sanctuary. Behind the inn, a 200-yard trail winds through tamarisk, marsh and Russian-olives, connecting five feeder stations worth checking at any time of year. A short floating dock extends into a waterway surrounded by a large cattail marsh where one can view waterfowl and listen to the rails on a summer night. (Take mosquito repellant at night!)
Habitat - Urban/Suburban, Park/Cemetery, Stream, Lowland Riparian
Directions - Las Animas is along US 50, approximately eighteen miles east of La Junta. The cemetery is just south of town on the west side of CO 101 where it bends southeast.
Delorme - 99 D5
Roads of Colorado - 124 C3
Setchfield State Wildlife Area
Description - This remote and seldom visited SWA is filled with juniper woodland, and can be the best place in the county to see things like Canyon Towhee, Rock Wren, Curve-billed Thrasher, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, and maybe things like Juniper Titmouse and Bushtit.
Habitat - Pinyon/Juniper Forest, Rimrock/Mesa, Grassland/Prairie
Directions - Head south from Las Animas on CO 101 to CR P, five miles north of Toonerville. Head west on CR P, bend south in one mile, west in another mile, and take a quick left onto CR 11/CR 10, which winds several miles south to the SWA.
Delorme - 101 B5
Roads of Colorado - 140 C2
Fort Lyon Wildlife Area
Description - Not to be confused with the Fort Lyon State Wildlife Easement, this wildlife area is a westward continuation of the marsh at John Martin. If you could not find Black Rail at John Martin (unlikely during the right season), then this is another place where they occur. All of the species listed for the marsh at John Martin have been seen or heard here, with the exception of the rarities. Sparrow flocks sometimes occur around here in the winter, with White-throated and Harris's possible.
Habitat - Marsh, Grassland/Prairie
Directions - The Wildlife Area is a short distance west of the town of Ft. Lyon on the south side of CR HH.
Delorme - 99 D5
Roads of Colorado - 125 D3
Las Animas State Fishing Unit
Description - Another seldom birded Bent County location; the two ponds in this complex can be good shorebird locations when the water levels are appropriate. I am not sure about their waterbird potential, but there should be decent numbers of ducks here in season.
The ponds on either side of CR 5.5 a mile and a half south of the SFU can be excellent for grebes, egrets, rails and even American Bittern. Northern Waterthrush and Green Heron have been seen here.
Habitat - Pond/Lake/Reservoir
Directions - From US 50 just north of the Arkansas River on the northeast side of Las Animas, head west on CO 194 about five miles to CR 5.5, then turn right (north) and proceed two miles to the property.
Delorme - 99 D4
Roads of Colorado - 124 C3
Fort Lyon Canal
Description - The stretch of the Fort Lyon canal just east of the Otero County line is lined with big cottonwoods that can have screech-owls (both species possible, although Western is more likely) in addition to Lewis' Woodpeckers and sundry migrants.
Habitat - Stream, Lowland Riparian
Directions - From US 50 just north of the Arkansas River on the northeast side of Las Animas, head west on CO 194 nine miles to the canal.
Delorme - 99 D4
Roads of Colorado - 124 B3
Fort Lyon area
Aliases - Van's Grove, Wood Thrush Grove, Fort Lyon Wildlife Easement
Description - Starting just east of the tiny town of Fort Lyon is the enormous Fort Lyon Wildlife Easement. Birding this area thoroughly can take some time, but it's well worth it. As with any migrant trap, it can be completely dead or hopping with migrants. Almost everything has appeared here, from flocks containing multiple eastern rarities to mountain species invading the plains. There is a pair of resident Barn Owls that can usually be found on any thorough check of the grove. Western Screech-Owl breeds here as well, but you are only likely to hear it at night. Northern Bobwhites can often be flushed from the more open areas of the easement, and Scaled Quail has been seen also. If the area is hopping, be sure to check the small finger of trees across CR 16 from the main part of the easement. A good bird or two has been found in this area as well.
Just across CR HH from the FLWE is another small grove, this one centered around a small inlet canal. This grove is not as famous for rarities, but flocks do appear here as well. Northern Cardinal is occasionally found here in the winter, along with good-sized sparrow flocks. The canal often has multiple Wilson's Snipe along it, and has produced Green Heron before.
Starting at the corner of CRs HH and 16 are the John Martin Marshes, an amazingly large area of cattails spreading from here at least a couple of miles to the east, and measuring a couple of miles wide in some places. The most famous resident of this marsh is Black Rail, of which one can often hear 15 or 20 along CR 16 on a night in May. The rails usually arrive in very late April, and can be heard through early to mid August. Other species usually heard at the marsh include Marsh Wren, Virginia Rail, Sora, and American Bittern. Even Least Bittern, Common Moorhen and King Rail have been heard here before. On the edges of this marsh, in the winter, there are occasionally multiple Swamp and LeConte's Sparrows among the more common Song Sparrows, and Savannah Sparrow has been seen during a couple of winters. An amazing number of rails occur here in the winter, with this probably being the only regular place for wintering Sora in Colorado. Short-eared Owls are also present during some winters, but given the size of the marsh, and the amazing number of Harriers that occur here, chances of seeing one are slim. Blackbird flocks that frequent the marsh in the winter can be the best place in the area to find wintering Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Brown-headed Cowbirds, and Common Grackles.
The Grove at JJ and 16, also known as the Wood Thrush Grove, is a small area of trees at the corner of CRs JJ and 16. Usually you will not see much here, but during good migration fallouts there may be a good bird or two to be found here. Be sure to bird the trees on both sides of CR JJ.
Van's Grove is a little over a mile east of the Wood Thrush Grove on CR JJ. While one would not think this collection of small trees would be a great migrant trap, almost as many good migrants have been see here over the years as at the FLWE. You will not want to miss this spot if there are any migrants in the area.
CR JJ has a number of good vantage points from which to check out the marsh, and, if you are here at night, hear more rails. Sometimes the open areas of water (which have been shrinking in the past couple of years) contain flocks of shorebirds or waders. A maze of small dirt two-tracks take you to the northern edge of what is either the cattail marsh or the actual reservoir, depending on water level. It is not advisable to try to find your way around here without a detailed map.
Habitat - Pond/Lake/Reservoir, Marsh, Hedgerow/Shelterbelt, Grassland/Prairie, Tamarisk
Directions - To get to the Fort Lyon area, head east from Las Animas on US 50 about five miles and turn south on CO 183. One mile south, turn left onto CR HH to get to the Fort Lyon Wildlife Easement. For more specific directions, see the above text.
Delorme - 99 D5
Roads of Colorado - 125 D3