Each of our first four mornings in Moab, David rode his bicycle on the designated route for the Skinny Tire Festival and I birded various spots near town. On the first day, Saturday, March 12, David rode 64 miles to Dead Horse Point State Park and back. That was a big ride, so we didn’t do much that afternoon, but we did walk to a nearby spot on the river where David had seen a Great Blue Heron. The heron had moved on, but we saw a few ducks, including gorgeous Cinnamon Teal in breeding plumage.
The second day, David rode north along the Colorado River. He came back and didn’t even change out of his cycling clothes before saying that we had to leave immediately because he had just ridden by dozens of ducks on the river. Many had left by the time we arrived a few minutes later, but about 50 remained including three new species for our Utah list. We also saw American Pipits on the riverbank, a life bird for David.
It was still early, so we decided to drive to Arches National Park to preview it for David’s ride the next day. With the steep ascent and hairpin turns on the road into the park, that turned out to be a good idea which allowed David to plan his ride. Below, “Balanced Rock,” a favorite site in the park.
“Devil’s Garden” is one of Arches’ most popular areas. We enjoyed exploring it a bit when it wasn’t mobbed.
On Monday, the festival cyclists rode into Arches NP. David stopped at the “Park Avenue” overlook to take a photo of his bike.
We wanted to go back again in the car later that afternoon, but the park was full and a sign was posted saying “Come back in 3 hours,” so we drove to Canyonlands National Park instead. This is another impressive park as you can see from the photos below.
While David was riding in the Skinny Tire Festival, I was birding every morning. I wanted to get my Utah list to 50 species. I started with five birds from a stop along the Colorado-Utah state line during the Colorado Grouse Tour in 2019 (Part 2 with the jaunt into Utah). With over five days in Utah on this trip, it seemed like an easy goal. But, I was struggling to find much other than ducks. So, after we got back from Canyonlands NP, David and I drove a local road just outside of Moab looking for House Sparrows and European Starlings. Yep, I was that desperate. We found our target birds, a Eurasian Collared-Dove, and a lovely Western Meadowlark, another life bird for David. In those five days of birding, I didn’t get good photos of anything other than a Common Raven.
On the last day of the festival, the ride was along the Colorado again, this time downriver on Potash Road. That afternoon, we went back to the Wall Street section of Potash Road. Its sheer cliffs are popular with rock climbers and a large well-preserved petroglyph panel provides an outstanding look at ancient Indian art. Dinosaur tracks are also nearby and David hiked up the mountainside to get a closer look. I was satisfied with my binocular view and stayed on the road to watch the Ornate Tree Lizards which fascinated me.
Both of us had been watching for wildlife every day, but we were disappointed that we didn’t see much. The only things in abundance were these beautiful butterflies that David first noticed on his rides. I think this is a Checkered White.
The day after the festival, we headed to Arches National Park first thing in the morning before even checking out of our hotel. We drove around several areas, but the Windows Section was our favorite.
Then it was on to Dead Horse Point State Park, perhaps David’s favorite of the three parks we visited. The park is located at the end of a mesa that soars 2,000 feet above the Colorado River, on the edge of Canyonlands NP. The overlook where David stands is one of the most photographed scenic vistas in the world. If you want the sad legend of how the park got its name, read this.
Below, a view into Canyonlands NP from Dead Horse Point State Park.
We had seen a little mammal scurrying across the landscape a couple of times, but they were too quick to even guess what they were. Finally, in front of the Dead Horse Point SP Visitor Center, I got good looks and a photo of a Hopi Chipmunk. This individual was almost tame and even came towards me once. It differs from most other chipmunks by having no black stripes.
Our planned adventure at Dead Horse Point was to view the night sky. The park is a designated location by the International Dark-Sky Association. Six yurts at the Wingate Campground allow a “luxury” outdoor experience. Honestly, I was not looking forward to the only bathroom facilities being the vault toilet shown on the map, but I was pleasantly surprised by flush toilets and running water for hand washing just a short distance from my yurt.
So, the facilities were fine, but our night sky experience was a bust. A full moon and cloud-filled sky obscured nearly all the stars. A dark-sky experience remains on our bucket list.
It was still pleasant to experience the quiet outdoors in the late evening and early morning and we could hardly complain with a view like this.
A quick look at a Juniper Titmouse near the yurts was my last new Utah bird. This brought my Utah total to only 35 species.
After a leisurely morning at Dead Horse Point SP, we headed back towards Albuquerque for David’s flight home the following day. The previous few days had felt familiar and reminded me of western Colorado. A little research revealed that much of Utah is in the Colorado plateau, the same physiographic province as western Colorado as shown on this map.
Below is our last arch, Wilson’s Arch, about 30 miles south of Moab.
We arrived with just enough time before dark to go back to the park (Los Poblanos Open Space) where I had looked for the Western Screech-Owl nearly a week earlier. I had seen several Greater Roadrunners there and we hoped that David would see one, but nope. The “birdless” moniker for the trip continued to be appropriate. Regardless, our Utah adventure was amazing and I am very grateful for the experience.
What will happen on my drive to North Carolina? Follow along with me and see what I discover.
Birding for Life 