A wide variety of wildlife species live along or near the Grand Mesa Scenic and Historic Byway.

 From large animals like mule deer and elk to tiny rodents to snakes and lizards to colorful songbirds and soaring hawks, each animal is present because it finds habitat that provides what is necessary for it to live: food, water, shelter and adequate space. As you drive along the Byway or hike one of the many trails, watch and listen for:

•      Elk grazing on cool summer mornings near the trees in mountain meadows
•         Deer nibbling on shrubs in winter on south-facing slopes
•         Coyotes hunting for rodents or rabbits along the edges of fields in early morning
•         Eagles and hawks soaring overhead or perched on a dead limb of a tree
•         Lizards sunning on boulders
•         Birds singing in the willows or cottonwoods along streams
•         Marmots whistling an alarm from the front of their burrows

 

One of Grand Mesa's Highlighted Animals:
Yellowbellied Marmot

      Rocks and lots of ‘em! That’s what marmots like.  They like to dig their burrows in rock piles or meadows with lots of boulders.  Grand Mesa is a favorite place for marmots because it’s one big rock pile.

    Yellow-bellied Marmots are related to ground squirrels, prairie dogs and the woodchuck of the eastern United States.  They are also called “rockchucks” and “whistle-pigs” because of the loud alarm whistle they make to announce danger to other marmots in their neighborhood.  Big males can weigh over 11 pounds and be over 27 inches in length.  They are heavy-set, basically brown in color with a yellowish belly and white around the nose and chin.

    Marmots can live at elevations from 5,400 to over 14,000 feet, as long as there are rock outcrops or boulders with plenty of succulent plants to eat.  They really like dandelions and cow parsnip.  It’s estimated that some marmots spend 80% of their life in a burrow, especially those that live at higher elevation where they may spend as much as 8 months hibernating each year.

    A marmot spends his day eating, sunbathing, grooming and sleeping.  You can often see them standing on their hind legs watching you from atop the rock pile.  If you are hiking, the first time you notice the marmot is when you hear that loud, high whistle and you wonder “What bird made that noise?”  Then you realize “That’s a marmot!  Where is he?”  If you are not too close, chances are you can sit down, relax and watch the critter for a short time, and he will relax enough to continue eating or sunning.  If it’s late June or later in the summer, chances are good you will see young marmots join the adults on the rocks.  You should be able to see marmots on a hike across the Crag Crest Trail on top the Grand Mesa.  Like many mammals that are active during the day, the best time to see marmots is early morning or late afternoon.

    If you’re driving the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway, you’ll often see marmots running across the road or  running along the edge.  If you haven’t seen a marmot on one of your drives across the Mesa, visit Vega State Park and the Marmot Knoll Day-Use Area just north of the Visitor Center.  Marmots live in the rocks in this area and are easily seen.

Featured Bird of the Grand Mesa:
  Stellar’s Jay

      Driving up the slopes of Grand Mesa is always a treat with its broad views of the ‘Dobe badlands and the checkerboard fields of the valley below. From turnouts we could see the San Juan Mountains, some fifty miles away. The dark green of the Pinon-Junipers woodlands around the Cedaredge area contrasted with the bright green of the Scrub Oak which begins just above the Aspen Trails Campground. Then we were among Aspen, and just a couple of miles further we entered the somber shade of the Spruce-Fir zone at the top of the Grand Mesa, nine to over ten thousand feet elevation.

    Now we pull into Ward Lake campground, but before we can even step out of the car, a Steller’s Jay lands on a convenient rock.  The black head crest works up and down, a signal of excitement.  Now he flutters into a nearby Engelmann spruce, and the bands on the blue tail are very clear.  Our bird preens a bit, showing the black barring on the wings.  The belly fades from nearly black at the throat to a pale, sky blue which is matched along the rump.  Now down to the ground again. Checks the gravel; more show than serious work since he’s really looking for a handout.  Up onto a leafless branch and the white markings above the eye and under the chin shine in the bright sun.  A beautiful bird. He takes off in undulating flight, vanishing into the dim light of the dense forest.

    Steller’s Jay, an old friend, ranges from Alaska down the west coast and inland along the Rockies into Mexico.  Its relatives comprise the Corvid family of birds: the Ravens, Crows, and Magpies as well as the Scrub Jay, the all-blue Pinyon Jay, the high country Gray or Canadian Jay, and Clark’s Nutcracker. On the Western Slope, we have them all except for the Eastern Blue Jay. The entire jay clan is also known as ‘camp robbers’ from their aggressive behavior. A high country resident, Steller’s Jay may migrate to the lower elevations during severe weather and appear at bird feeding areas.

Omnivorous, they’ll eat just about anything that they can find. Like many of their clan, they may store food, especially acorns and pine nuts, or steal from the caches of other birds.  And they’re known to take eggs and nestlings as well as insects and fruit.

    There’s movement across the road; it’s our handsome Steller’s Jay, a flash of deep blue in the dark forest.

                       

WILDLIFE VEIWING TIPS

The Colorado Division of Wildlife's Watchable Wildlife program offers the following tips and advice for more rewarding, safer, and responsible wildlife viewing.

  o   Observe animals from a safe distance—safe for you and safe for the animals.  You can get 'close' by using binoculars, a spotting scope, or a camera with a telephoto lens. (Learn how to properly focus your binoculars.)  If the animals you are observing have their heads up, ears pointed toward you, or appear 'jumpy' or nervous when you move, you are probably too close!*  Sit or stand very quietly, without making eye contact, or move slowly away to a safer distance.  Be especially sensitive to and cautious around adults with young.

  o   Move slowly and casually, not directly at wildlife. Allow animals to keep you in view; do not surprise them. Avoid eye contact; watch from the 'corner' of your eye.

  o   Never chase or harass wildlife. Harassment of wildlife is unlawful, and can be very harmful for wildlife.

  o   Leave your pets at home. At best their presence hinders wildlife watching; at worst they can chase, injure, or kill wildlife, or be injured or killed.

  o   Using the animals’ behavior as guide, limit the time you spend watching if animals appear to be stressed.

  o   Respect others who are viewing the same animals.

  o   Do not feed wild mammals. (See the "Don't Feed the Deer" and "Don't Tempt Them!" links to the left.) Reserve feeding for 'backyard' birds.

  o   Respect private property; ask for permission to access private lands before your viewing trip.

  o   Animals at rest need to remain at rest; don't do anything that might make them move.

  o   Avoid animals that behave unexpectedly or aggressively. They may be ill, injured, or have young nearby.

* Animals have a sense of what is, for them, a 'safe distance' to maintain between themselves and other animals that might pose a threat, including humans of course! If you intrude into this safe distance you alter their behavior, causing stress, unnecessary use of energy, or loss of time for them to rest or feed. Aggressive behavior might be triggered, too. Never, ever, try to approach wildlife when they are clearly trying to move away and maintain safe separation.

PLEASE FOLLOW THESE VIEWING TIPS AND BE A CONSCIENTIOUS STEWARD FOR THE WILDLIFE