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Bird Species
(includes Carter Canyon Rd and Robidoux Rd)
Ring-necked Pheasant
Wild Turkey*
Turkey Vulture*
Bald Eagle
Northern Goshawk
Swainson's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Golden Eagle*
American Kestrel
Prairie Falcon
Rock Pigeon*
Mourning Dove*
Eastern Screech-owl
Burrowing Owl*
Common Nighthawk
Downy Woodpecker*
Northern Flicker*
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
Cordilleran Flycatcher
Say's Phoebe*
Cassin's Kingbird
Western Kingbird*
Eastern Kingbird*
Loggerhead Shrike
Northern Shrike
Bell's Vireo
Plumbeous Vireo
Cassin's Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
Pinyon Jay
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Horned Lark
Black-capped Chickadee*
Mountain Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch*
White-breasted Nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch*
Brown Creeper
Rock Wren*
House Wren*
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird*
Mountain Bluebird*
Townsends Solitaire
American Robin*
Sage Thrasher
Brown Thrasher
European Starling*
Cedar Waxwings
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black & White Warbler
American Redstart
MacGillivray's Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat*
Spotted Towhee
American Tree Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow*
Brewer's Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Lark Sparrow*
Lark Bunting
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Black-headed Grosbeak
Blue Grosbeak*
Lazuli Bunting
Indigo Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark*
Common Grackle*
Brown-headed Cowbird*
Orchard Oriole*
Cassin's Finch
House Finch*
Red Crossbill
Common Redpoll
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch*
House Sparrow
(* nesting) |
Carter Canyon is
located south west of
Gering. To get there go
2 miles south on Hiway 71 to Carter Canyon Road then
west. The canyon is approximately 8 miles but there is
good birding once you leave the pavement. First you will
drive through farmland and open grassland before you
come to the pine/juniper area.
At the pasture where the road turns to the south you
might see Cassin's Kingbirds, especially late summer and
fall. Also Say's Phoebes are seen here and in the
canyons on both sides of the road. This is all
private land so bird from the road. Along this road is
also the historic Robidoux Trading Post that you can
stop at for a self-guide tour.
In the pine/juniper canyon area you should see nesting
Blue-gray Gnatcatchers in the spring and summer in the
Mountain Mahogany, just listen for their distinctive
call. Pygmy, Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatches
are here year around. Red Crossbills are sometimes seen,
or heard in the tree tops. Best viewing is where the
creek crosses under the road near the bottom of the
canyon.
As you come out of the canyon
go north (right) on Summit Ranch Road. About a quarter
mile or so at the bottom of the hill is the best place
to find Rock Wrens. You will see the holes in the sides
of the banks along the road where they nest. They will
continue for a mile or so.
At the dead end take a right
(east) on Robidoux road and continue on this road back
to highway 71. You will see old remains of wagons and a
place where you can view the wagon ruts from the Oregon
Trail and pioneer graves. Check the cliffs for
Golden Eagles and Big Horn Sheep. |
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