BIRDS AND NATURAL HISTORY OF THE GREAT BASIN

July 17-26, 2007 from Salt Lake City

This tour explores the Great Basin - North America's coldest and highest desert region. Topography here is characterized by dramatic mountain ranges with large basins between, often referred to as "basin and range" terrain. The hidden riparian thickets, playas, wetlands, lakes, springs, and mountains create a fascinating and beautiful landscape that inspires local pride, and surprises first-time visitors. While our tour will focus on birds, we'll also learn about the general ecology and natural history of this fascinating and little-known area.

Cost, from Salt Lake City: $1,995.00 per person for 2-3 participants, which drops to $1,795.00 per person with at least 4 participants. Limited to 5. Cost includes ground transportation, meals, lodging, admission fees, and guiding.

HIGHLIGHTS

EAST HUMBOLDT RANGE & RUBY MOUNTAINS We will drive the steep mountain road to Angel Lake at 8,378 feet, located in the East Humboldt Range at the bottom of a classic cirque with patches of bare rock, patches of snow, and alpine scrub with singing MacGillivray's Warblers and Fox Sparrows. Bighorn Sheep live in the area. The Ruby Mountains are sometimes called the "Alps of Nevada", and we'll visit Lamoille Canyon - a wonderful example of a glacially carved valley surrounded by jagged mountain ridges and filled with crystal clear streams. Mountain Goats are sometimes seen climbing on the talus slopes, and we'll watch for Calliope and Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Mountain Bluebird, and Townsend's Solitaire. We'll also explore some of the surrounding "low" elevation habitat, including a few reservoirs where we will find some resident waterfowl, and perhaps some migrating shorebirds (already!). Ferruginous Hawk and Golden Eagle seek their prey here.

RUBY LAKE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE We'll travel through the marshland, lakes, and sagebrush habitat that converge here in the dramatic Ruby Valley, where the base elevation is over 5,000 feet above sea level. More than 200 springs, both hot and cold, feed the nearly 40,000 acres that are protected here. Over 135 species of birds nest within the refuge, including Trumpeter Swan, Sandhill Crane, White-faced Ibis, American Avocet, Long-billed Curlew, and Black Tern. In good years, Canvasbacks and Redheads here can produce 3,000 or more ducklings! The surrounding land attracts a variety of western songbirds, including Lewis' Woodpecker, Luzuli Bunting, Juniper Titmouse, Bushtit, and Sage Sparrow. A high-volume spring located behind the refuge headquarters is amazing to see, and Yellow-breasted Chats can be found here. Pronghorn Antelope frequent the grasslands.

GREAT BASIN NATIONAL PARK This 77,000-acre park was established in 1986, and is one of the National Park systems most beautiful. The principal mountain range in the park, the Snake Range, is famous for the 13,063-foot Wheeler Peak, rising 8,000 feet over the neighboring valleys. Below the peak is a massive glacial cirque (that we will hike to!) that contains a mass of permanent ice, thought to be the remnant of a glacier, and the only such ice field found in the Great Basin. Black Rosy-Finches forage on the ice, and adjacent to the ice field is a forest of bristlecone pine trees, some of which are nearly 5,000 years old! We'll tour Lehman Caves with its unique and spectacular limestone formations, and explore a variety of other park habitats in search of Pinyon Jay, Golden Eagle, Western Tanager, Green-tailed Towhee, and Prairie Falcon. We'll take two high-elevation hikes here, but we will go at a slow pace, watching for birds, wildlife, and flowers along the routes.

ITINERARY

Day 1: Arrive Salt Lake City, Utah. The tour officially starts at 7:00 p.m. We will meet for orientation. Pick-up and transfer from airport provided. Overnight in Salt Lake City.

Day 2:  Drive to Elko, Nevada. On our drive we'll bird the southern end of the Great Salt Lake, where we should encounter Forster's Terns, American Avocet, Black-necked Stilt, and a variety of swallows. After we cross into Nevada, we'll drive up a narrow mountain road in the East Humboldt Range to Angel Lake for our first exploration of alpine habitat. MacGillivray's Warbler and Fox Sparrow, and Black-throated Gray Warbler breed here. Wildflowers paint the landscape with pastel colors, and spectacular vistas are common. Reluctantly, we'll continue on to Elko. Founded in 1868, with the arrival of the Central Pacific Railroad, Elko is a major gold-mining town. Basque sheepherders settled here in the 1890s and there are several Basque cuisine restaurants in town. Overnight in Elko.

Day 3:  Drive to Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge. The marsh, lake, and surrounding sagebrush habitat here has much to offer both fauna and flora. We'll view hundreds of ducks and wading birds, many with young, busily foraging and defending territory. We'll make a special effort to search for Trumpeter Swan, Black Tern, and Long-billed Curlew. Other wildlife possibilities include Pronghorn Antelope, Coyote, and Black-tailed Jackrabbit. The flora of the sagebrush steppe includes sagebrush and various grasses, and less frequent colorful associates such as Indian Paintbrush, Penstemon, Larkspur, Phlox, Desert Parsley, and Locoweed. Overnight in Elko.

Day 4:  Today we'll explore Lamoille Canyon and the northern Ruby Mountains. The Rubies are the wettest of the high ranges in the Great Basin and are nearly 100 miles long, but only 10 miles wide! The enormous u-shaped Lamoille Canyon was carved by glacial action, and the steep canyon walls and wooded streams in the bottom provide habitat for a variety of birds and other wildlife. We'll look for Mountain Chickadee, Swainson's Thrush, and Virgina's Warbler. Many wildflowers will be in bloom, and we will try our hand at identification. At 8,800 feet, the parking area for the trailhead provides outstanding vistas. Mountain Goats can sometimes be seen on the steep slopes. Be prepared to take photos! Overnight in Elko.

Day 5:  On our way to Ely, we'll travel via Harrison Pass where we should see Lewis's Woodpecker and Lazuli Bunting. The Rubies have one of the highest densities of Mountain Lion remaining in the west, and even though it is only a remote possibility, we'll keep alert for one. Our route will take us once more through Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge, where we'll have a second chance to see species that we may have missed on our first visit, and then on through the well-named Long Valley. Sage Sparrow, Sage Thrasher, and Sage Grouse are possible, and Badger and Pronghorn Antelope are sometimes seen. Overnight in Ely. 

Day 6 In the morning, we'll drive about 65 miles to Great Basin National Park. En route are opportunities to see Prairie Falcon, Golden Eagle, and Horned Lark. Once at the Park, we'll plan to check out the visitor center and take a tour of Lehman Caves to view the rare shield formations in the limestone and marble-lined walls. In the pinyon-juniper forest surrounding the center, we may see Say's Phoebe, Black-headed Grosbeak, Bullock's Oriole, and Red-naped Sapsucker. Ascending the park road, we'll check the Baker Creek Campground for interesting flowers, such as Yellow Monkeyflower, and Bluebells. Then we'll drop back down in elevation to sagebrush habitat to search for Cassin's Finch, Black-throated Sparrow, and Black-billed Magpie. Overnight in Ely.

Day 7:  Great Basin National Park. We'll walk through the ponderosa pines along Lehman Creek, searching for blooming Shooting Stars, and hunting Cooper's Hawk, before heading up on the scenic auto road to the trailhead at 10,000 feet. We'll plan on a 3-mile roundtrip loop hike to two alpine lakes, Stella and Teresa (the elevation gain is mild, but the high elevation may make it seem somewhat strenuous). The aspens and limber pines attract Clark's Nutcracker, Steller's Jay, Pine Siskin, Pygmy Nuthatch, and the occasional Red Crossbill. The alpine meadows provide many vistas, including views of Wheeler Peak, and we'll stop often to look at trees and flowers. Overnight in Ely.

Day 8:  Great Basin National Park. For our final day of exploration of the Park, we will hike the 5-mile roundtrip trail to the "glacier" located in the Wheeler Peak cirque at 1,100 feet (the elevation gain is mild, but the high elevation may make it seem somewhat strenuous). Our hike will take us to an ancient bristlecone pine forest where little vegetation can survive. Lichens and dwarfed plants cling to life in the harsh conditions found here, and the bristlecone pines range in age from 2,000 to 5,000 years old. Bistlecone wood has a high-resin content, and because of this the wood erodes, like stone, instead of rotting. The weathered trunks and branches of these venerable trees, both alive and dead, are marvelous to see! In the vicinity of the "glacier" and surrounding rocks, one can usually find Black Rosy-Finch, Rock Wren, and the ubiquitous Common Raven. Overnight in Ely.

Day 9:  In the morning we'll visit Cave Lake State Park, located at 7,300 feet amongst the pinyon-juniper forest. We'll look for Swainson's Hawk, Gray Flycatcher, and Loggerhead Shrike, before heading back towards Salt Lake City, via Pony Express country, watching for interesting birds and wildlife en route. Farewell dinner. Overnight in Salt Lake City.

Day 10:  Tour officially ends. Morning drop-off at airport provided.