Logan County
Author(s): Andrew Spencer, Nathan Pieplow
County Seat: Sterling
County Size: 1,818 square miles
Low Elevation: 3,367 ft. - South Platte River on the Sedgwick border
High Elevation : 4,940 ft. - State Line Bluffs
Best Birds : Ross's Gull (1983), Henslow's Sparrow (1988)
Checklist : Download pdf | View HTML
Introduction: Only two hours from Denver, Logan County gets less attention than many of its neighbors, but has far more high-quality birding spots than most of them. So why not go the distance? Next time you're birding Prewitt or Crow Valley or Jackson, take the extra step and bird Tamarack Ranch, or Sterling Reservoir, or Duck Creek and Jumbo! It won't hurt you, and you'll probably find something good.
Birding Locations
Red Lion State Wildlife Area
Description - This SWA borders Jumbo Reservoir (see the Sedgwick County page) to the southwest, and is easy to bird in the same trip. Its main claim used to be a population of Eastern Meadowlark, but after a fire in the early '90s, they have not been seen. However, they could return to the area.
The small reservoir here, fondly called "Little Jumbo," often has some good shoreline, though the shorebird numbers are usually not as good as on "Big" Jumbo. Waterfowl are also common here, and the occasional good wader or gull has been seen. There are also some trees along the west shore that may produce a good landbird or two.
Check the fields on the west side of the road on your way to/from here; when flooded in the spring they can be good for shorebirds (including Red-necked Phalarope), and when dry the area can be good for grassland species such as Grasshopper Sparrow.
There is a large prairie-dog colony on the north side of US-138 just west of the road to Red Lion, and multiple Burrowing Owls can usually be found in a thorough scan. Also keep an eye out for Upland Sandpipers � they are sometimes seen in the prairie and agricultural areas along US-138, especially towards the Sedgwick County line.
Habitat - Pond/Lake/Reservoir, Lowland Riparian, Grassland/Prairie
Directions - To get to Red Lion, take I-76 to exit 155 (the Red Lion exit) and turn north at the end of the ramp. Go north a little over two miles and take a right (east) onto US-138. Travel east for one mile and take a left (north) onto CR 95. Red Lion SWA is along the east side of CR 95, starting at US-138 and going all the way to Jumbo Reservoir SWA.
Delorme - 95 A7
Roads of Colorado - 29 F4
Tamarack Ranch State Wildlife Area
Description - There are no tamaracks in Colorado, so the name is a mystery, but nevertheless this enormous and varied SWA is probably among the top ten SWAs in Colorado, and certainly not a spot to be missed during the summertime. Tamarack can be frustrating to bird thoroughly, especially the eastern portion where there are multiple large hedgerows that take a lot of time to check, and any of which could be hopping or dead. Northern Cardinal has been seen here, and White-throated and Harris's Sparrows are possible during the winter. Ring-necked Pheasant, Bell's Vireo, Yellow-breasted Chat, Blue Grosbeak, Field Sparrow (especially in the surrounding grassland) and Baltimore Oriole are possible during the breeding season.
The more extensively wooded western portion of the SWA, which includes a large stretch of riverside trees and brush, usually has better birding. This is probably the best place in the state for Baltimore Oriole, along with Bullock's and everything in between. Bell's Vireos are common along the road, and both Northern Cardinal and Red-bellied Woodpeckers can be found in the woods. Look for Eastern Phoebe nesting under the bridge over the South Platte, and for Bobolink in the fields on the south side of the road a mile or so down. The most complicated issue here are the towhees – many people have reported Eastern Towhee from here, but Tamarack is in the middle of the hybrid zone, so be very careful when IDing this species, and be sure to use both visual and aural clues. Tamarack is also the best place in the state to look for Black-billed Cuckoo, but it is rare even here, and can be confused with young Yellow-billed Cuckoo.
Tamarack SWA also includes some large tracts south of I-76, most of which are prairie. A while back Sharp-tailed Grouse and Greater Prairie-Chickens were introduced to this part of the SWA, and some may still be here, but access to this area is tricky and finding the chickens is not easy, even if you decide they are "countable." To get to a traditional site for breeding Cassin's Sparrow, follow CO 55 south of I-76 a while until you get into the sagebrush habitat--the birds can be fairly common here.
Habitat - Lowland Riparian, Hedgerow/Shelterbelt
Directions - The best way to reach Tamarack is to take I-76 to exit 149 (the Crook exit) and go north on CO 55 from the exit ramp. To reach the eastern shelterbelts, take a right (east) off of CO 55 onto CR 38.5 in a little over a mile from the interstate. To reach the western portions along the river, go a little beyond CR 38.5 and take a left onto an unnamed road that parallels the river. This road goes all the way through to Proctor, but not all of it is on public property.
Delorme - 95 A6
Roads of Colorado - 29 E4-F4, 45 E1
Sterling
Aliases - Overland Trail Recreation Area, Columbine Park, Pioneer Park
Description - The county seat of Logan County is also one of the largest towns in eastern Colorado, and contains several very worthwhile birding spots. The Overland Trail Recreation Area provides access to the South Platte River and associated riparian habitat. Check this area for migrants as well as for northeast specialty breeders such as Bell's Vireo, Baltimore Oriole, Red-bellied Woodpecker, etc. There is also a small lake here. More ponds can be seen to the south of the Highway 6 bridge over the South Platte River.
The Museum Park, on the south side of US-6 just west of the river and east of the railroad crossing, contains some small evergreens that could potentially contain an owl or some interesting migrant/winter wanderer. Columbine Park, at South 3rd Avenue and Delmar, has some trees that can be decent in migration, and in recent summers it has become the only known nesting location along I-76 for Mississippi Kite. However, the best birding spot in town is Pioneer Park, just west of town on SR 14 and CR 37, which has a nice open woodland with a variety of different tree sizes, all made beautifully accessible by a system of gravel trails. A canal with underbrush increases the place's attraction to birds. This spot is begging for a rarity, and Eastern Screech-Owl is resident. The other spot not to miss is the Sterling Cemetery, south of town along US 6, which has also had Eastern Screech-Owl, as well as sparrows including White-throated and Harris's. The cemetery has produced some decent migrating flocks in the past.
Sterling wastewater treatment plant: From US 6 just west of I-76, take CR 370 to the north for about 4.5 miles to visit these ponds in the winter as they offer a resting place for ducks using open spots in the South Platte River. Although this municipal property is posted, the managers are quite birder-friendly. Enter on foot at the gate, walk to the building at the end of the drive to check in at the treatment plant. The best pond is the smaller one on the left, but the larger treatment pond on the right can hold a couple hundred Common Goldeneyes. Best birds here on the Sterling Christmas Bird Count over the past few years have included Barrow's Goldeneye, Long-tailed Duck and Glaucous Gull.
Finally, just north of Sterling on CR 39, 2.9 miles north of CR 32, there area a couple of small ponds that can have dabblers and maybe even shorebirds when the water levels are low enough.
Habitat - Urban/Suburban, Lowland Riparian, Park/Cemetery, Pond/Lake/Reservoir
Directions - Sterling is along I-76 at exit 125, 130 miles NE of Denver and 55 SW of Julesburg. The Overland Trail Recreation Area is at Riverside Road (CR 370) and Hwy 6, just west of the interstate exit. As you drive west on Hwy 6, you will see the Museum Park on your left about a mile past the river. Continuing into town, follow Hwy 6 south by turning left on 4th Street. In two blocks you can turn right on Main (CO 14) to get to Pioneer Park, which is two miles west along this road, at the intersection of CO 14 and CR 37. To get to Columbine Park and the cemetery, continue south on 4th Street (US 6) through a couple of bends. Columbine Park is about ten blocks south of Main, on the right just past Delmar. The cemetery is another couple of miles beyond Columbine Park, on the right outside town.
Delorme - 95 B5
Roads of Colorado - 44 C2
Duck Creek State Wildlife Area
Description - This neglected SWA is among the crown jewels of northeastern Colorado, at least when it comes to quality and quantity of habitat. It has not been visited nearly enough to quantify its quality in terms of birds, however. Consider this a call to action.
The southeast part of the SWA contains a large and awe-inspiring grove of trees with thick underbrush that is just begging for a great migrant flock. This grove also has a small Great Blue Heron rookery among some of the taller trees, so please be careful not to disturb the nesting birds. This grove is visible about a quarter mile to the west of the SE parking lot.
South of this grove there is a small creek lined with dense tamarisk, willow, and Russian olive. More Russian-olive groves can be found to the south of the creek. This part of the SWA is reminiscent of portions of Prewitt SWA that have produced many a good migrant in the past. North of the creek and southwest of the big grove mentioned above is a large cattail marsh that has Virginia Rail and should have Sora, American Bittern, and Marsh Wren as well. To get to this part of the SWA, head west on the north side of the creek from the SE parking lot.
There are many juniper hedgerows running throughout the property, mostly between the north edge and the east-west canal (not to be confused with the aforementioned creek, which is farther south). Access to these hedgerows is best from the north-central parking lot, halfway along CR 64 on the northern border of the property. Look in the junipers for migrants, sparrow flocks in the winter, and possibly Long-eared and Saw-whet Owls during the colder months.
Both the western and northern edges of the property have more dense hedgerows that parallel the road and are definitely worth a look for migrants and sparrows. Be careful of the property boundaries here, especially along the western edge, where there is some private land along the road. The parking lot at the northeast corner of the SWA provides access to still more hedgerows and Russian-olive thickets, and there is a large prairie dog town just east of it that should contain Burrowing Owls.
Just west of the NW corner of the SWA, on the south side of CR 64, there is a small private pond and some good marshes along the south side of the road where one should look for ducks, rails, Yellow-headed Blackbird and Marsh Wren.
Habitat - Lowland Riparian, Hedgerow/Shelterbelt, Marsh, Grassland/Prairie
Directions - To reach this SWA, take exit 149 off of I-76 (the Crook exit), and travel north from the exit ramp to US-138. From here you have two choices – you can go east on US-138 for two miles and then go north onto CR 85, which in 2.5 miles brings you to the SE parking lot, or you can go straight across US-138 on CR 81, which goes along the west side of the SWA. By following this road, you will reach CR 64 (in 2.5 miles), which goes along the north side of the SWA to the north-central and NE parking lots.
Delorme - 95 A6
Roads of Colorado - 29 E4-F4
Atwood State Wildlife Area
Description - This seldom-visited SWA provides some good access to stretches of the South Platte River and associated riparian corridor. The best access is from the northern parking lot, especially east along the river. Look for sparrow flocks in winter, NE specialties in summer, and migrants at other seasons. Scanning the river from the bridges may be worth your while; look for dabblers, Belted Kingfisher, and possibly shorebirds when the water is low enough to expose sandbars.
Habitat - Lowland Riparian
Directions - Take exit 115 off of I-76 (the exit for CO-63), and go north from the exit on CO-63 for a little over 3 miles, to US-6. Take a left (SE) on US-6 and travel almost 3 miles to CR 29.5, on the left. The SWA is along this road about a half mile from US-138.
Delorme - 95 B4
Roads of Colorado - 44 B3
Messex State Wildlife Area (North Unit)
Description - Yet another seldom-visited SWA along the South Platte, Messex is much like Atwood, and the same species should be looked for here. The best access to the riparian corridor is from the large parking lot on the south side of the road at the southern unit of the property (not marked on most maps), which is in Washington County (q.v.). The northern unit, which is in Logan County, can be accessed from a parking lot quite far from the river, adjacent to a large field with scattered Russian-olives. One can walk through the field to the river, which is a good way to find Northern Bobwhite, but those looking for migrants are likely to be better off using the southern parking lot.
Habitat - Lowland Riparian, Hedgerow/Shelterbelt
Directions - To get to this SWA from I-76, take either exit 102 (the Merino exit) or exit 115 (the CO 63 exit) and head north to US-6. If you choose the first option, travel NE on Hwy 6, and if you choose the second, travel SW, and go to CR 6 (7.5 miles from the Merino exit, and the same distance from the town of Atwood by the CO 63 exit). Head west along CR 6, and the northern parking lot will be on your left in about 2.5 miles. To get to the southern unit, take CR 6 a couple of miles further to CR 15.5, and turn left. Follow this road for two miles and turn left onto CR 59. This road crosses the river, and the SWA, in about a mile.
Delorme - 95 C4
Roads of Colorado - 44 B4
North Sterling State Park
Aliases - North Sterling Reservoir
Description - This state park lies on the east and south sides of North Sterling Reservoir which is by far the least visited of the four major reservoirs with public access associated with the South Platte River as it flows out of Colorado into Nebraska (Jackson, Prewitt and Jumbo being the other three). That is, in part, because it is the most remote and has a rocky shoreline without the rich sediment inflow and marshy borders of a Prewitt or Jumbo Reservoir. But its lack of visits is also due to a probably undeserved reputation as not being very birdy. Nevertheless, North Sterling Reservoir is usually worth a visit, especially outside of the heat of summer when there can be a lot of boating and camping activity. Reach the boat ramp by bearing to the right after the main entrance. It provides the nearest views of an east west peninsula that splits the two major arms of the reservoir. This peninsula will usually host many resting geese, ducks, gulls, pelicans and cormorants—but it is a distant view at best. The boat ramp is also where the reservoir is at its deepest and thus the last spot on the reservoir to freeze—which typically happens by mid-December. Try early fall for terns and huge concentrations of pelicans; late fall visits to this spot can be good for geese, diving ducks and gulls; and even after frozen there will be tens of thousands of geese traveling back and forth between North Sterling and Jumbo. Raptors can be encountered anywhere in the park—over 30 Bald Eagles were here in 2002. North Sterling has several potentially productive migrant traps. One is around the park headquarters located across the dam from the boat ramp. Much better prospects are available in the several wooded groves along the trail that follows the south shore including Barn Owls that seem to use the very first grove along this trail as a late summer roost. To access this trail, drive through the main campground to a parking area by a footbridge over the inlet canal. Be prepared to share the wooded groves with masses of insects, but other than bugs and birds expect to have the site to yourself. The best accessible shorebirding area at NSSP is in the southwest corner. To get there, take CR 33 south from the entrance to CR 44 and go west for two miles and take CR 29 north to a parking area. After parking walk to the shoreline where during fall migration a good mix of shorebirds is likely but without the large numbers sometimes encountered at Jackson and Prewitt. The roads on this drive are good for sparrows, Burrowing Owls in season and usually a few Lapland Longspurs in the masses of Horned Larks in winter.
URL - North Sterling State Park
Habitat - Reservoir, Grassland/Prairie
Directions - To reach this state park, take I-76 to exit 125 (the Sterling exit) and go west on US-6 into Sterling. Follow US-6 into town, and stay on it as it turns south on 4th Street near the center of town. Two blocks south, turn right on CO 14 (Main Street). Go half a mile to CR 39 (7th Ave.) and take a right (north). Follow this road north for 10 miles to CR 46, and turn left (west). Go two miles and take a right (north) onto CR 33. The entrances into North Sterling State Park are on the left in less than a mile.
Delorme - 95 A4
Roads of Colorado - 44 B1-C1
Fleming
Description - Like other little towns on the prairie, Fleming has enough trees inside it and few enough around it that it can act as a pretty decent trap for migrant landbirds. The city park (near the school—just follow the panther tracks) has some trees, but you're probably better off just browsing the neighborhoods. If landbirds don't cooperate, the four small sewage ponds may console you. They are mostly scannable from the south side of US 6 just east of town.
Habitat - Urban/Suburban, Pond
Directions - Fleming is along US-6, 20 miles east of Sterling. The town can also be reached by driving south on SR-55 for 12 south from exit 149 along I-76.
Delorme - 95 B6
Roads of Colorado - 45 E2
Bravo State Wildlife Area
Description - Like other South Platte SWAs in Logan County, this one has no trails, so especially if you visit in summer, you may have to bushwhack through thigh-high tick-infested weeds. Bring insect- and plant-proof pants or equivalent technology. The south parking lot provides a closer walk to the trees, where you can find three species of breeding oriole as well as Yellow-breasted Chat. The seasonally wet meadows to the south of the parking lot should be checked for snipe, migrating ibis and the like.
Habitat - Lowland Riparian, Wet Meadow
Directions - To get to this SWA, take exit 125 off of I-76 (the Sterling exit), and head west towards Sterling. Take the first right from the exit unto the unmarked CR 37, and travel NE for 3.8 miles to the south lot of the SWA.
Delorme - 95 B5
Roads of Colorado - 44 C2
Dune Ridge State Wildlife Area
Description - This SWA is similar to the north unit of Messex SWA, with many dryland shelterbelts to entertain you on your long walk from the parking lot to the river.
Habitat - Lowland Riparian, Hedgerow/Shelterbelt
Directions - Leave I-76 at the Sterling exit (125), and head west towards Sterling. Take the first left onto CR 37 (unsigned) and go a little over 4 miles to the parking lot, on the right.
Delorme - 95 B5
Roads of Colorado - 44 C3
Knudson State Wildlife Area
Description - This SWA is much like Messex and Dune Ridge, except without the shelterbelts. It has perhaps the farthest hike between road and river of any South Platte SWA--roughly a half mile. But who knows what you might find when you get there?
Habitat - Lowland Riparian
Directions - Leave I-76 at the Sterling exit (125), and head west towards Sterling. Take the first left onto CR 37 (unsigned) and go a little over a mile to the parking lot, on the right.
Delorme - 95 B5
Roads of Colorado - 44 C2